Until now, no web browser was available on the lean installation version of Windows Server. This changes with the Chromium-based Edge. Its primary use is to run web-based management tools, most notably Windows Admin Center.

Internet Explorer is still part of Windows Server with Desktop Experience. However, it is technically out of date, which means it cannot run modern web applications like Windows Admin Center.

Edge Chromium as a separate download

Since the first generation of Edge did not exist on the server, the Chromium version now fills this gap. To date, however, it has not been included with the installation media of Windows 10 or the server, so you have to download and install the browser yourself.

On a server with a desktop, the procedure is the same as on a client OS. Under Server Core, which is also one of the supported platforms, some additional steps are required.

It starts with the fact that there is no browser available to download the installation files for Edge. A download via Invoke-WebRequest is difficult because there is no permalink for specific versions.

Select the Edge version on Microsoft's download page

Select the Edge version on Microsoft's download page

Instead, you have to choose the desired Edge release, selecting various criteria using a form on the download page. You can do this on a workstation, then copy the MSI file to the server and execute it there. I recommend downloading the complete offline installer right away.

Incompatibility problems

If you decide, as usual, to get the version of Edge that Microsoft designates as current, you will receive the following message when installing it under Windows Server 2019 Core:

Microsoft Edge works best with the latest Windows Updates. Once you download updates and restart your device, rerun the installer.

As it turns out, you can install as many Windows updates as you want. The Edge setup will always show this dialog and then cancel the installation.

The Edge setup gives the impression that Windows updates are missing. However, the problem is an incompatible browser version.

The Edge setup gives the impression that Windows updates are missing. However, the problem is an incompatible browser version.

Also, switching to the online installer does not help; it will end the same way. It does offer a Get Updates button, which promises to remedy the situation. But if you click on it, nothing happens.

The online installer promises a solution by downloading updates, but it doesn't work

The online installer promises a solution by downloading updates, but it doesn't work

As is so often the case with Microsoft, this is a misleading error message. The problem is that only version 79 of Edge can be installed on Server 2019. If you do so, then your setup will run smoothly.

Installing Edge Chromium on Windows Server 2019 Core

Installing Edge Chromium on Windows Server 2019 Core

Launching the web browser

If you then want to start the browser, you can, of course, only do this from the command line. Using PowerShell, enter the following:

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& 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe'
Running Edge Chromium 79 on Windows Server 2019 Core

Running Edge Chromium 79 on Windows Server 2019 Core

Unlike Internet Explorer, there is no Enhanced Security Configuration for Edge that prevents the user from opening pages from the internet zone (Edge does not even know this zone concept at all). However, a responsible administrator will limit the use of the browser on the server to the necessary tasks anyway.

19 Comments
  1. Chavdar 3 years ago

    Unfortunately version 79 no longer can be downloaded from Microsoft 🙁
    Oldest version is 80.x

    Can you share a link to 79? Thanks

  2. Chavdar 3 years ago

    I was able to install AND start AND verify it works – version 83 using this tool

    https://github.com/UndertakerBen/PorEdgeUpd – it has a "ignore version check" option …

    Basicly it downloads an Edge build and makes it portable. Once downloaded I move dit to a 2019 core "testbed" it started without hickup – even loaded all pages I tried – and fast.

    rarely one will need browser on core… but what pain it is if needed :/

  3. Wolfgang Sommergut 3 years ago
  4. Me 2 years ago

    You should NOT ignore the update warning. Instead you should install the latest Windows updates. The minimum, are the Windows Updates mentioned in the docs: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/microsoft-edge-sysupdate-windows-updates#timeline

    • Wolfgang Sommergut 2 years ago

      Please read my text carefully! In the context of the browser installation the update warning is misleading and will not help to solve the problem.

      • Me 2 years ago

        Wolfgang , please read the documentation carefully. The update warning is not misleading. You need to make sure to have the KB mentioned on the Edge documentation installed. Did you confirm to have required KB installed on Windows (from November 2019)?

        The fact that it works with Edge 79 is suggests that you don't have the required updates installed.

        • Wolfgang Sommergut 2 years ago

          After the setup showed the above message, I checked if there were any updates outstanding. But the system has been up to date.

          Since you insisted, I checked again. And yes, the OS is fully patched. I have even been able to update MS Edge from v79 to to v87 using the integrated online updater. But after completely uninstalling Edge and running setup.exe to install Edge v87 again, I got the exact same misleading error message. So what we see here is clearly a setup problem.

          P.S. I’m talking about Windows Server 2019 Core, not about Windows 10

  5. t 2 years ago

    I just installed Chrome, why bother with Edgehead ?smiley

  6. Fidtz 2 years ago

    Glad I found this farcical situation before trying to get a Microsoft browser working on a Microsoft OS, thanks very much!

  7. Devil 2 years ago

    The command “winver” is not supported on Hyper-V 2019 oder Server Core.

  8. Collin Mariner 2 years ago

    Unbelievable. This is a microsoft browser on a microsoft OS. I was able to install chrome, duckduckgo and firefox. with one click each. Why on earth can’t MS get this right?

  9. Dawesi 2 years ago

    It’s a headless os and people are ‘surprised’ they can’t add a gui… #hilarious

    Adding a browser makes it a security black hole… just don’t do it!

  10. Sol 2 years ago

    I agree, there is no need to have a browser on Core when there are ps commands to download files. However, if you like to mess around, until winget is officially release you can use choco package manager to install microsoft edge. Just install choco uising the ps iwr or .net webclient command to download the powershell install script and you can then install MS Edge

    Seems to work fine.

  11. Dennis 2 years ago

    Microsoft Edge automatic updates using WSUS / Windows Update fails on server core. Is there a known solution to this problem?

    Best regards,
    Dennis.

  12. Joseph Gignac 2 years ago

    I know this is a old post but since it’s the first that shows up when you search for Edge install on core I figured I would add this to the comments. If you have a offline server. Download the offline installer from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

    Installing from the installer will normally result in you need to install updates before proceeding.

    Adding:
    reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate /v Allowsxs /t REG_DWORD /d 1

    Should eliminate this message and allow you to install the more updated version without internet access or Prompt to update

  13. Dennis 1 year ago

    @Joseph Gignac

    I was about to post the same thing 🙂

  14. George Kreamer 1 year ago

    Thanks @Joseph Gignac for the post regarding that registry key! Where I work we cannot just download the latest patches or software versions but have to use approved ones. On a standard GUI Server 2019 new build I could not install Edge until I added that regkey.

    Lifesaver!

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