In a recent development, reports have emerged indicating that the Microsoft Edge browser erroneously identified the Google Chrome installation file (ChromeSetup.exe) as malicious software. This detection glitch affected about one in five installations of the Microsoft Edge 116 stable version.
Despite Edge’s built-in security measures designed to shield users from malware and potentially harmful files, an oversight occurred in properly identifying the ChromeSetup.exe file, which notably belongs to Google’s alternate browser.
When attempting to download Chrome using the Edge browser, users were met with a warning message presenting options to either save or remove the flagged file. Microsoft has consistently taken steps to encourage Windows users to adopt Edge, using various tactics to anchor users within their own browsing ecosystem.
For instance, users searching for Chrome through the Bing search engine are prompted to remain with Edge, accompanied by claims of Edge’s technological equivalence to Chrome. However, the curious twist in this narrative is Edge classifying the Chrome installation file as malicious software.
Unfortunately, Microsoft has yet to divulge the specific reasons behind the misclassification of ChromeSetup.exe as a threat. This alert seems to have had limited circulation and has likely been rectified by Microsoft in subsequent updates. As of now, no official statement from Microsoft has addressed this incident.
