Regardless of how I set the startup option in Microsoft Edge to 'Open a new tab', it consistently and automatically restores tabs from my previous session whenever I open a local HTML file.

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Regardless of how I set the startup option in Microsoft Edge to 'Open a new tab', it consistently and automatically restores tabs from my previous session whenever I open a local HTML file.

XYZ 20

For the past month, I have been troubled by an issue with my Microsoft Edge browser: Whenever I open any local HTML file, the browser automatically restores and opens tabs from a previous browsing session.

I have consulted several well-known AI assistants, including DeepSeek, but none of their suggested solutions have resolved this problem. These AIs consistently recommended the same step: going to "Settings" → "Startup, home, and new tabs" and setting the "On startup" option to "Open a new tab."

However, my setting was already correctly configured to "Open a new tab," not "Restore previous sessions." Although the setting is correct, the browser's actual behavior contradicts it, which has prevented the issue from being resolved.

If I launch the Edge browser itself directly, it does not automatically open the old tabs. The issue occurs specifically and consistently when I open any local HTML file.

Initially, I suspected the cause might be specific code within certain HTML files. However, I have ruled this out. I tested by creating a blank document, saving it with an .html extension, and opening it. The problem persisted—Edge still automatically opened the previous session's tabs.

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Answer 1

It seems that you are experiencing an issue where Microsoft Edge restores tabs from a previous session when opening local HTML files, despite having the startup option set to "Open a new tab." This behavior can be frustrating, especially since it does not occur when launching Edge directly.

One possible explanation for this issue is that Microsoft Edge may be designed to restore tabs in certain scenarios, such as when opening files that are associated with the browser. While the settings for startup behavior are configured correctly, the browser might still prioritize restoring previous sessions in specific contexts, like opening local files.

To troubleshoot this further, consider the following steps:

Check for Updates: Ensure that you are using the latest version of Microsoft Edge, as updates can fix bugs and improve functionality.
Disable Extensions: Sometimes, browser extensions can interfere with normal operations. Try disabling any extensions you have installed to see if that resolves the issue.
Reset Edge Settings: If the problem persists, you might want to reset Edge settings to their default values. This can often resolve unexpected behavior.
Clear Cache and Cookies: Clearing your browser's cache and cookies can also help eliminate any corrupted data that might be causing issues.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, it may be worth reporting the problem to Microsoft support for further assistance.

References:

Answer 2

XYZ 20

Thank you for your help! I tried the method you suggested of disabling the extensions, and it successfully resolved the issue. It seems the problem was indeed caused by one of the extensions. Thank you very much!

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Regardless of how I set the startup option in Microsoft Edge to 'Open a new tab', it consistently and automatically restores tabs from my previous session whenever I open a local HTML file.

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