Dependency on MS Edge

[fp3229]

A while ago I posted here about what seems to be a dependency of Zoom install (Windows) on MS Edge.

A few users assured me that there is no such dependency. The exchange has mysteriously disappeared,

Then I found the following record in the app that controls MS Firewall:

C:\users\name\appdata\local\zoom\plugin\webview2_x64\133.0.3065.82\msedgewebview2.exe

OTOH, it appears that the MS firewall disallowed the connection.

OTO there seems to be a call to msedgewebview2.exe in  a PLUGIN folder which is empty.

I run an older version of Win10 that I intentionally keep away from MS updates and I do not have and do not want MS Edge.

Zoom should not call an Edge plugin, but the plugin for the default browser.

Can anybody clarify what is going on here?

[storyhub]

Here is a quick lesson in software engineering. Msedgewebview2.exe is part of the Windows system and is NOT an EDGE PLUGIN.

Put simply Microsoft EdgeWebView2 is a stripped down version of the Microsoft Edge browser- based on Google Chrome that developers can use to run web code inside of applications you are using.

Specifically, WebView2 can run HTML, CSS, and JavaScript inside a standard non-web program, like something written in Visual C++ or .NET apps.

EdgeWebView2 is supported on all versions of Windows 10 and 11, as well as Windows Server 2016, 2019 and 2022.

Microsoft Edge WebView2 uses separate but equal code to the MS Edge browser install. That is why you have both MS Edge and MS EdgeWebView folders in your C:\PROGRAM FILES (x86).  Msedgewebview2.exe is located in the 2 versioned folders in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeWebView\Application on Windows 11.

If this works please click accept as a solution.

[fp3229]

Thanks for the explanation.

It's MS Windows firewall that calls it an Edge plugin and the error message says it cannot find MS EDGE to connect. Microsoft, not I.

As I explained in the earlier post that has disappeared, I am running an early version of Win10 from before Edge was introduced. I religiously have not permitted MS updates to touch it and I intend to use it as is as long as it works.

It has worked flawlessly since then--no update hassles, no learning new useless features/UIs, no spying, no privacy, no AI, no new hw requirements, none of that crap. I had not one security breach, and instead of wasting my time on updates that bring hassles and nothing I need, I did my work. I intend to keep it this way until it no longer works.

I have, however, strived to keep my apps up to date, including Zoom, and to date none have required new Win components. This may change,  in which case I will stop updating apps too and use them as is as long as they work.

Even if MSEdgewebview is part of Windows (I suspect another anti-competitive MS browser try), Zoom should not oblige MS -- it should seek the default browser to connect and not a MS component. As it is, it forces me to stop updating Zoom too -- if that's what they want, fine by me,  the earlier version works fine for me.

I have my system just as I need and won't let vendors mess it up with stuff I don't need and don't want.

End of rant. Thanks for your help.

[fp3229]

It looks like there is no solution to my problem. Not surprised.