web view is running 7 sessions without me even having Edge turned on.

Barbara van den Berg 0 Reputation points
2026-05-01T08:58:02.1633333+00:00

checking the properties, all but one of the items under web view have been modified 2 days before they were created. This may be causing errors. it's sure slowing my machine downweb view causing problems

Microsoft Edge | Speed and responsiveness | Windows 11

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest

  1. AI answer

    2026-05-01T08:58:19.23+00:00

    WebView2 (msedgewebview2.exe) is a shared web runtime that many Windows apps use to display web content, independently of the Edge browser UI. It is normal to see several WebView2 processes in Task Manager even when Edge itself is closed.

    Key points:

    1. Why there are multiple “WebView2” processes
      • WebView2 follows the same multi‑process model as the Chromium engine used by Edge.
      • Typical processes include a manager, GPU process, utility processes (network, audio, etc.), and one or more renderer processes.
      • Each app that uses WebView2 gets its own group of processes, and usually one renderer per embedded WebView control, similar to one renderer per tab in a browser.
    2. Why they start without opening Edge
      • Many Windows and Microsoft 365 apps use WebView2 under the hood (for example, Widgets, Teams, Office, Outlook, Weather, and other apps).
      • When any of these apps run or stay in the background, they can start WebView2 processes even if the Edge browser isn’t open.
    3. Resource usage and performance
      • In most cases, extra CPU or memory usage is caused by what the host app is doing with WebView2 (for example, heavy or poorly optimized web content), not by WebView2 itself.
      • To see which app is responsible, in Task Manager check the Processes tab: WebView2 processes are grouped under the parent app name on supported Windows 11 builds. On the Details tab they appear as msedgewebview2.exe.
      • If a specific app’s WebView2 group is consistently using a lot of CPU or memory, close or uninstall that app, or contact that app’s support.
    4. File dates (Created vs. Modified)
      • It is expected that the executable’s Modified date can be earlier than the Created date on disk. The modified date reflects when the file was built or last updated by Microsoft; the created date reflects when it was written to the local disk (for example, during an update). This mismatch does not indicate an error by itself.
    5. What to do if the system feels slow
      • Use Task Manager to identify which WebView2 process group (and parent app) is consuming the most resources.
      • Close or disable background apps that rely on WebView2 but are not needed.
      • If a particular app repeatedly causes high usage, report the issue to that app’s vendor or support channel.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
  2. Thomas4-N 21,315 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-07T08:39:01.1633333+00:00

    Hello Barbara van den Berg,

    Thanks for reaching out. I'm just adding a couple of points to put your mind at ease.

    Looking at your Task Manager screenshot, the 7 entries you're seeing are grouped under Search, not Edge/WebView2 directly. That's Windows Search's own UI host (SearchHost.exe), which is also Chromium-based and uses the same multi-process model — one manager, a GPU process, a few utility processes, and a renderer. Widgets, Teams, Outlook, the new Outlook, Weather, and many other apps spawn similar groups via WebView2, even when Edge itself is closed.

    On the timestamps: a Modified date earlier than the Created date is normal for installed system binaries and not a sign of corruption. The Modified date is when Microsoft built/signed the file; the Created date is when it was written to your disk during install or update. Copy or extract a file and you'll see the same pattern.

    For the slowness itself, the numbers in your screenshot (~380 MB across the whole Search group, with most children under 60 MB) shouldn't on their own bog down a Windows 11 machine. If something does feel heavy, switch to the Processes tab in Task Manager and sort by Memory or CPU — WebView2 children appear under their parent app name there, so you can see which app (Widgets, Teams, a third-party app, etc.) is actually driving the usage and act on that one specifically.

    Hope that helps clear it up.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.