How to Enable or Disable Edge Preload New Tab Page

Option 1Control Preloading from Edge Settings (For Your Account Only)

This is the quickest way to manage New Tab page preloading. It only affects your user account and doesn’t require special permissions.

Open Microsoft Edge

Launch Microsoft Edge (look for the blue and green swirl icon).

Access the Menu

Access the “Settings and more” menu by clicking the three dots in the top-right corner of the Edge window.

Navigate to Settings

From the menu that appears, find and click "Settings." It's usually near the bottom.

Find the New Tab Page Settings

On the left side of the Settings page, click "Start, home, and new tabs."

Toggle the Preload Feature

The "Preload new tab page" option appears under the "New tab page" section. This preload option is typically enabled by default. Flip the switch to "Off" to disable the preload feature, or back to "On" to enable the preload feature. Choose the setting you prefer!

Close the Settings Tab

You can now close the Settings tab in Edge. The change takes effect immediately.

Option 2Manage Preloading for All Users via Registry Editor (Advanced)

You can control whether Microsoft Edge preloads the New Tab page for all users on your computer by editing the Windows Registry. This advanced method requires administrator access and careful steps, so if you're not comfortable making registry changes, it's best to use the easier setting in Edge itself or ask for help.

Here's what we'll do:

• Registry Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge
• Key Name: NewTabPagePrerenderEnabled
• Value Type: DWORD (32-bit) Value
• Data Values:
  • Set the value to 1 to enable preloading for all users.
  • Set the value to 0 to disable preloading for all users.

If the key is missing or set to 0, it usually indicates the setting is enabled by default or controlled by the user's individual settings (as seen in Option One). Removing the key or setting its value to 0 allows user settings to manage it again.

How to Manually Edit the Registry

We will make these changes step-by-step using the Registry Editor.

Open the Registry Editor

Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard. This opens the "Run" dialog box. Type regedit in the box and press Enter, or click "OK."

A User Account Control (UAC) prompt might appear, asking for permission to make changes. Click "Yes."

Navigate to the Correct Registry Key

To set up Edge's preload policy for everyone, you need to find the right spot in the Windows Registry. Open the Registry Editor and go to this exact path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge. You can click through the folders or paste this path into the address bar and press Enter.

You can click through the folders on the left. Alternatively, click the address bar at the top, paste the complete path, and press Enter.

If the Edge key is missing under Microsoft, you will need to create it.

To create the key if it's missing: Right-click the Microsoft folder, select New, then Key. Name the new key exactly Edge and press Enter.

Create or Modify the Value

On the right side of the Registry Editor, where you see settings called 'Values', you'll create or change one to control preloading. To turn preloading on for all users, right-click in the empty space, choose 'New', then 'DWORD (32-bit) Value'. Name it exactly NewTabPagePrerenderEnabled and set its data to 1.

To Enable Preloading (Set Value to 1):

1. Right-click in the empty space on the right side.
2. Select New, then click DWORD (32-bit) Value.
3. Name the new value exactly NewTabPagePrerenderEnabled and press Enter.
4. Double-click the new NewTabPagePrerenderEnabled value.
5. In the "Value data" box, type 1. Make sure "Base" is set to "Hexadecimal."
6. Click "OK."

To Disable Preloading (Set Value to 0):

1. Follow the steps above to create or select the NewTabPagePrerenderEnabled value.
2. Double-click on it.
3. In the "Value data" box, type 0. Make sure "Base" is set to "Hexadecimal."
4. Click "OK."

To Reset to Default (Allow User Control):

If you wish to allow individual users to control this setting through Edge's options (as described in Option One), you can either delete the NewTabPagePrerenderEnabled value or change its Value data to 0. Deleting it is often the cleaner approach for a complete revert. To delete, right-click on NewTabPagePrerenderEnabled in the right pane and select "Delete." Confirm when prompted.

Close the Registry Editor

You can now close the Registry Editor window.

Apply the Changes

After making changes in the Registry Editor, you need to restart Microsoft Edge for them to work. Close all open Edge windows completely, then open Edge again. This usually applies the new preload setting for all users on your computer without needing to restart your whole PC.

Summary

You have two main ways to control if Microsoft Edge preloads the New Tab page. For your personal settings, adjust the 'Preload your new tab page' option directly in Edge. For everyone on your computer, you can use the Registry Editor, but be very careful and follow the steps exactly as shown.