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Edge WebDriver on Windows

Overview​

On Windows, Dioxus applications use Microsoft Edge WebView2, which requires msedgedriver.exe for WebDriver automation when using the 'external' driver provider. The dioxus-service automatically handles Edge WebDriver version matching to prevent version mismatch errors.

This document only applies to the 'external' driver provider on Windows. The 'embedded' provider (recommended) has no Edge WebDriver dependency.

The Problem​

Tests using driverProvider: 'external' fail on Windows when the Edge browser version doesn't match the installed msedgedriver version:

Error: This version of Microsoft Edge WebDriver only supports Microsoft Edge version 144.
Current browser version is 143.0.3650.139

The Solution​

When driverProvider: 'external' and autoDownloadEdgeDriver: true, the dioxus-service automatically:

  1. Detects your Edge browser (WebView2) version
  2. Checks if a matching msedgedriver.exe exists
  3. Downloads the correct version if needed
  4. Configures PATH to use the downloaded driver

Configuration​

By default, auto-download is enabled for the 'external' provider:

services: [
  ['@wdio/dioxus-service', {
    driverProvider: 'external',
    appBinaryPath: './target/debug/my_app.exe',
    // autoDownloadEdgeDriver: true (default)
  }]
]

Manual Management​

Disable auto-download if you prefer to manage drivers yourself:

services: [
  ['@wdio/dioxus-service', {
    driverProvider: 'external',
    appBinaryPath: './target/debug/my_app.exe',
    autoDownloadEdgeDriver: false,
  }]
]

With auto-download disabled, you must ensure msedgedriver matches your Edge version manually.

How It Works​

1. Version Detection​

The service detects the WebView2/Edge version from:

  • Windows Registry: HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\Clients\{56EB18F8-B008-4CBD-B6D2-8C97FE7E9062}

2. Driver Check​

Checks if msedgedriver.exe in PATH matches the detected Edge version (major version comparison).

3. Download & Install​

If a mismatch is detected:

  • Downloads msedgedriver from https://msedgedriver.azureedge.net/{version}/
  • Caches in temp directory: %TEMP%\msedgedriver\{majorVersion}\
  • Adds to process PATH for test execution

Troubleshooting​

"Could not detect Edge version"​

Cause: Edge not installed or registry keys missing.

Solution: Install Microsoft Edge from https://www.microsoft.com/edge

"Failed to download msedgedriver"​

Causes:

  • Network/proxy issues
  • Microsoft's CDN temporarily unavailable

Solutions:

  1. Check internet connection and proxy settings
  2. Retry — CDN may be temporarily down
  3. Download manually from https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/webdriver/
  4. Place msedgedriver.exe in PATH

"Version mismatch" even after download​

Cause: Another msedgedriver.exe earlier in PATH is being used.

Solution: Check PATH order:

where msedgedriver.exe

Ensure the correct version appears first.

CI/GitHub Actions Issues​

GitHub Actions runners may have outdated Edge. Update if needed:

- name: Update Edge (if needed)
  if: runner.os == 'Windows'
  run: choco upgrade microsoft-edge -y

- name: Run tests
  run: npm run test:e2e

Manual Driver Management​

If you disable auto-download:

Check Edge Version​

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\Clients\{56EB18F8-B008-4CBD-B6D2-8C97FE7E9062}" /v pv

Download Matching Driver​

  1. Visit https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/webdriver/
  2. Download the version matching your Edge major version
  3. Extract msedgedriver.exe
  4. Add to PATH or place in project directory

Verify Installation​

msedgedriver.exe --version

Cache Location​

Downloaded drivers are cached at:

%TEMP%\msedgedriver\{majorVersion}\msedgedriver.exe

Example: C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Temp\msedgedriver\143\msedgedriver.exe

Platform Notes​

  • Windows: Edge driver management runs when driverProvider: 'external'
  • Linux: 'external' provider is blocked in v1 — use 'embedded'
  • macOS: 'external' provider is not supported — use 'embedded'

Recommendation​

Use driverProvider: 'embedded' for the simplest Windows setup — it works on all platforms without any external driver or Edge WebDriver management.

See Also​

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