New Edge/Chrome hybrid Surface Pro problems - Help!

[AndyCalling]

Hi folks. Not been keeping up with Windows changes, too much life to deal with over the last few years. Suddenly there's this Edge update and it's causing me issues on my Surface particularly. I have struggled to get the old Edge back as well as they've made that hard to do (I worked out how to do it in the registry luckily). They are as follows:

So, I noticed the 'X' to close was showing in tablet mode. Odd, that shouldn't happen. Seems like it isn't going into tablet mode at all. I mean, the window goes full screen but nothing else. This causes the following issues:

Firstly, the scroll bars stay in visible desktop mode and won't hide until you need them. I have turned the feature off and on again in Windows settings and it still works with the original edge and all my other touch apps from the store, but not in new Edge. That is pretty annoying.

Secondly, the system back button on the taskbar (only shows in tablet mode) doesn't work properly. Instead of going back a page, it acts like the Windows button next to it and dumps me back to the start screen. This is hugely annoying, as most touch apps use it properly so I'm never going to get muscle memory changed for this one app.

Aside from the tablet mode issue, for some reason this new Edge seems to suck up battery power like a demon. No idea why because when I scroll with touch the screen is not smooth at all. It 'catches' and lags far more than the original Edge which is very clear when I run them side by side. How is this using loads more power for noticeably worse performance?

Getting the thing to put tiles on the start screen is massively more annoying than the original Edge. Why make it so hard? The original Edge made it a struggle to add sites to the desktop. Now we also have a struggle adding them to the start screen. Why make it so hard? Who benefits from these painstaking processes?

OK, so some of these things will likely be due to MS releasing this new browser too early as is their usual trick. Still, I am hopeful some of these issues cam be addressed with settings and tweaks, or even a bit of registry kung fu.

So, please, can anyone give me a helping hand?

 

[AndyCalling]

UPDATE: OK, so I'm still keen to get any info you have on this stuff (especially the back button) but I can help with some things after a bit of experimental doings.

So, if MS forced the new Edge on you you lose the old Edge. If you got in there before it installed you could have avoided the issue with a reg tweak. If not, you need to do this to get both Edge versions at once:

Open regedit and back up key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\ClientState\{56EB18F8-B008-4CBD-B6D2-8C97FE7E9062}

Then delete it. ONLY after backing up. This is the key that informs Windows the new awful browser update is engaged. You will need to restore it later.

Reboot.

Now, add the following key in regedit:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate]

"Allowsxs"=dword:00000001

This tells windows to allow legacy edge as well as awful edge.

Reboot.

So now you have the legacy edge link as well as the new one on your Start Screen all apps.

Don't forget to restore that backup reg key now. You only need to remove it to get it fixed, then you replace it.

 

[AndyCalling]

Next, if you want to add shortcuts to the start screen you must first right click on the desktop and make a new website shortcut there. You will need to copy and paste the link. Once done, you can go to the location of your start menu shortcuts in the file manager and then cut and paste your new link there from the desktop. You can now pin it to the start screen from the all apps screen.

 

[AndyCalling]

Next, if you want a decent scroll bar back that auto hides, you need to go to the new Edge start menu link in all apps and follow it to the location in the file manager. Now, edit the link to show the following parameter after the Target entry:

--enable-features=OverlayScrollbar

Now when you launch you get a more helpful set of auto hiding slim line scrollbars.

I still can't fix the big back button problem, nor can I get the battery usage and speed back to normal. Any help appreciated.

 

[RTGent]

Next, if you want a decent scroll bar back that auto hides, you need to go to the new Edge start menu link in all apps and follow it to the location in the file manager. Now, edit the link to show the following parameter after the Target entry:

--enable-features=OverlayScrollbar

Now when you launch you get a more helpful set of auto hiding slim line scrollbars.

I still can't fix the big back button problem, nor can I get the battery usage and speed back to normal. Any help appreciated.

Not entirely sure which back buttons you are referencing. Edge has its own back -and forward, buttons on its upper-left corner. Internet Explorer has the same back and forward buttons, but Edge ones are not as nice-and-big (are they adjustable?). The "task-bar" or "big back" button is for backing out of Edge, as it is with other applications: Sort of like the auto or sometimes-hidden system back buttons in WP and Android -they're system back keys or buttons. Again, not sure if I'm understanding you -though I'm still learning from you.
P.S./qualifier: I still haven't installed the latest Edge -still clicking "maybe later".

 

[RTGent]

Next, if you want a decent scroll bar back that auto hides, you need to go to the new Edge start menu link in all apps and follow it to the location in the file manager. Now, edit the link to show the following parameter after the Target entry:

--enable-features=OverlayScrollbar

Now when you launch you get a more helpful set of auto hiding slim line scrollbars.

I still can't fix the big back button problem, nor can I get the battery usage and speed back to normal. Any help appreciated.

Follow-up response: After updating to the latest Edge on my Surface 3, I found the same problem with the back button: it taking me fully out of the browser instead of to the prior page. I didn't have PATIENCE and couldn't find a way to restore the prior Edge, so I went to restore back to 1909. On doing so. it encouraged me to do two available updates instead. However, that took "forever" on my S3, so I just went back in to the restore and I am back to 1909 with the prior Edge and working back button. I'm getting the annoying update-Edge popup, but I'm ignoring it or pressing "maybe later". We're ready for 2004, but I'll wait awhile before giving that and the new Edge another try.