The new Microsoft Edge is based on Chromium and was released on January 15, 2020. It is compatible with all supported versions of Windows, and macOS. With speed, performance, best in class compatibility for websites and extensions, and built-in privacy and security features, it's the only browser you'll ever need. This article provides a quick summary of the key new features that will make Web browsing and working with Office 365 more efficient.
- With syncing, you can have your browsing data (i.e. bookmarks, preferences, plug-ins, etc) the same across all of your devices.
- With profles, you can sign-in and sync bookmarks, passwords and settings between Edge browser installations, including those on mobile devices and other computers.
- Microsoft Edge now uses the same core technology as Google Chrome, providing more Web compatibility.
- Open PDFs right in the browser — no need to utilize a separate app. Enterprise-grade features like Microsoft Information Protection, Inking, and form fill let you work securely right from the browser.
- Customize your new tab page to connect with your Office 365 account so you have quick access to Microsoft Search, recent and shared files, and pinned sites.
Table of contents:
Using Profiles
Click on the profile icon (it looks like a person) in the upper right hand corner of Edge, then click on the Sign in button. You can sign in with your @uwindsor.ca account or a personal Microsoft account. We recommend that you save your work or school related information in your @uwindsor.ca account, and personal information seperately in a personal account. You can be signed into multiple accounts at the same time, and Edge will create a new window for each profile.
You can switch between profiles by selecting them from the menu that appears when you click on the profile icon.
For more information, watch this video.
Click on the manage profile settings link in the menu to view the options that are organized into sections. The Sync section will let you choose what you want to sync from the cloud: favourites (bookmarks), passwords, etc. If you expand the passwords seection, you can review and delete the passwords that have been stored The Import browser data link will let you import data from other browsers (like Chrome or Firefox) into your Edge profile.
Customize your Default "Home" Pages
When you open the browser, or create a new tab, Edge will display a default page. You can customize and personalize this page. Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner to adjust the content and layout.
You can choose the page content to be based on Microsoft News, as shown below..
...or from Office 365. You can choose the layout which ranges from simple (focused) to complex (informational). Inspirational will be visual.
You can add links to your important Web sites by pressing the + sign in the tiles under the search bar.
Change Search Engine and Settings
If you want to change your search engine, click on your profile icon in the upper right corner and select Manage profile settings. Select Privacy and Services and look for Address bar at the bottom.
Working with Adobe PDF Files
Microsoft Edge comes with a built-in PDF reader that lets you open your local pdf files, online pdf files, or pdf files embedded in web pages. You can annotate these files with ink and highlighting. You can fill-in forms and print PDF documents. This eliminates the need to install Adobe Acrobat Pro or Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer.
Edge is configured to be the default program used to view PDF files. However, if this is not working properly on your computer, follow these steps to set Edge as your default PDF viewer:
- Go to Windows Settings
- Click on Apps
- Click on Default Apps on the left
- Scroll down and click the Choose default applications by file type link on the bottom of the page
- Scroll down the list of file extensions until you see .pdf
- If Microsoft Edge icon does not appear to the right from .pdf click on Choose a default and select Microsoft Edge from the list of apps.
- Close Windows Settings window, there is no save button that you need to click
When you open a PDF file in Edge, a special toolbar will appear above the PDF document with buttons for moving to specific pages, zooming in/out, drawing, printing and saving.
