How to Remove Preferred Languages from Microsoft Edge using PowerShell

Question

I am trying to manage the preferred languages in my Microsoft Edge browser on Windows using PowerShell. Specifically, I want to remove certain languages that appear in the "edge://settings/languages" settings (e.g., Dutch).

To do this, I need to know which registry keys or paths in HKLM and/or HKCU I can target for removal. I plan to use the Remove-Item cmdlet in PowerShell to delete these registry entries.

For example, the PowerShell command I plan to use is:

Remove-Item -Path <registryPath> -Force -Recurse -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction Stop

Could anyone guide me on the exact registry keys or paths that correspond to the preferred languages settings in Microsoft Edge? Any assistance on how to identify and remove these entries correctly would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I wonder if this setting is not stored in the registry but maybe in the C:\Users\$Env:UserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default\Preferences JSON file. 🤔

P.S.2. I also posted this question here on Discord and here on Microsoft TechCommunity.

Answer 1

There is an Edge policy setting to define these. Normally, it's easiest to configure this using GPO or Intune policies, but you can set it locally with powershell too:

# HKLM=system-wide, HKCU=per-user
New-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\' `
  -Name DefinePreferredLanguages `
  -PropertyType REG_SZ `
  -Value "en-US,fr,es"

Note: this policy is Mandatory if set, so end users cannot change it

You can check whether it's been applied by going to about://policy in Edge

Microsoft Edge policy documentation

Supported language codes