To solve the problem that Windows 11 cannot change the default browser, first check whether the .html, http, and https protocols in the default application settings point to the target browser; secondly, enterprise users can disable the locking policy through group policy, and home users can try to modify the registry key dontdisplaydefaultbrowserprompt to 0; finally, update the system, reset or reinstall the browser, and close third-party software that may interfere.

Windows 11 default browser settings can sometimes be a headache, especially when you want to set Chrome, Edge, or other browsers as default, the system prompts "Can't change the default browser." This problem is not particularly rare, especially after some systems are updated. Here are some practical solutions that can help you solve this annoying tip.

Check account permissions: Are you an administrator?

If you are using a restricted account (such as a family account or a non-admin account), you may not have permission to modify the default browser at all. At this time, the system usually does not explicitly tell you that it is because of permissions, but instead directly pops up the prompt "Can't change default browser".

Recommended operations:

• Make sure you are currently logged in to the administrator account.
• You can view the current account type through Settings > Accounts > Home and Other Users.
• If you are not sure, you can try switching to another account with administrator privileges and try again.

Re-associate the default application using system settings

Sometimes file associations and protocol handlers are not configured correctly, which can also cause the browser to be set to default.

The steps are as follows:

• Open Settings > Apps > Default Apps
• Scroll down to find "Set default values ??by protocol or file type"
• Find common web page related entries such as .html , http , and https
• Make sure they all point to the browser you want to set as default

If these entries are empty or gray-out-of-selectable, there may be restrictions in the system policy or registry.

Modify Group Policy or Registration (for Professional Users)

If you are an enterprise version of Windows user, or use third-party management tools, you may encounter the situation where Group Policy locks the default browser settings.

Inspection method:

• Press Win R to enter gpedit.msc to open the local group policy editor
• Navigate to Computer Management > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer
• Check if there is a policy to "Prohibit the default browser to change" that is enabled

If you are using the Home version of Windows without the Group Policy Editor, you can try to modify the registry:

• Open the Registry Editor ( regedit )
• Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System
• Check if there is an item named dontdisplaydefaultbrowserprompt , if there is a value of 1, change it to 0 or delete it

?? Note: It is best to back up before modifying the registry to avoid problems caused by incorrect operations.

Update system or reset browser settings

Sometimes the problem may be caused by the old system version or the abnormal status of the browser itself.

You can try:

• Update Windows to the latest version (Settings > Windows Update)
• Reset settings inside the browser to ensure it is in normal state
• Uninstall and reinstall the browser and try setting the default again

In addition, some third-party security software or optimization tools may also interfere with the default browser settings. You can temporarily close or uninstall to see if there is any improvement.

Basically these common methods. Some situations may require combining several methods to completely solve the problem, but most of the time, you can solve it by following the above steps step by step.

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