For some users, the internet browser is the first program installed on the computer, whether it’s a new purchase or a fresh installation of Windows. Among all other programs, the internet browser is simply the gateway to our favorite programs that meet our needs. Whether you’re used to using Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, or others, the way you think is the only way to download your favorite browser is to use Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer, if you are using an old version of Windows. This may be the easiest way, but it’s not the only way to download browsers on Windows. Let us introduce you to 3 other ways to download a browser without using a browser!
The first method: Using “Microsoft Store”
The Microsoft Store hosts more than 10,000 apps from various categories in Windows 10 and Windows 11. While this may seem like a small number compared to app stores for smartphones, it includes a significant number of well-known computer programs. With the developments Microsoft made to the store coinciding with the release of Windows 11 in 2021, which included notable improvements in the graphical interface, restrictions were lifted, allowing developers to publish their programs and apps on the store more freely without strict obligations. As a result, advanced applications like web browsers have started appearing on the store, with Mozilla Firefox being the first web browser to officially reach the Microsoft Store in November 2021.
The store still lacks the presence of the most popular browser, “Google Chrome,” but if you search, you will find many other well-known browsers including Opera, Brave, Opera GX, Yandex Browser, and Avast Secure Browser. All you need to do to install a browser this way is to open the Microsoft Store, either from the Start menu or by typing the command [ms-windows-store] after opening the Run window by pressing the Win + R keys together. Then search for the browser and click Install to download and install it.
The second method: Using Command Prompt (CMD)
This is the easiest way to download an internet browser on Windows without using a browser, relying only on the Command Prompt (CMD) or PowerShell to execute a command that either downloads the browser installation file from the internet or downloads and installs it without your intervention. In fact, we have previously reviewed different ways to download programs on Windows using the Command Prompt, and for the purpose of this explanation, we will rely on the first and easiest way which is using the “WinGet” command, which works on Windows 11 and newer versions of Windows 10, allowing you to download and install programs on the computer, as well as update installed programs, save a copy of programs, or uninstall multiple programs at once.
All you need to do is open the Command Prompt on Windows by pressing the Win + S keys together on the keyboard to open the search bar and then type “CMD” or “Terminal” if you are using Windows 11, and from the search results, click on the “Run as administrator” option to run the Command Prompt with administrator privileges. Once the Command Prompt window appears, you can install the internet browser with a simple command. For example, below are commands to install popular web browsers:
winget install Google.Chromewinget install Mozilla.Firefoxwinget install Opera.Operawinget install Brave.Bravewinget install VivaldiTechnologies.Vivaldi
The third method: Using the Microsoft HTML Help Tool
Everyone knows that Windows comes with a basic web browser, either Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer. However, what you may not know is that there is another hidden browser that has never left all versions of Windows, which is Microsoft HTML Help. This is not an internet browser but an interface designed by Microsoft to display web pages for user assistance through the Windows Help Viewer window, which usually shows instructions and tips for understanding how to interact with the system or a specific tool in it. However, it can now be used as a medium to download new browsers on the computer, but before we tell you how, it is necessary to consider that it is a very old program that relies on the Internet Explorer 7 kernel, so most official websites for downloading web browsers may not open at all.
To try this method, open the Command Prompt (CMD) and type [hh http://bing.com] then press Enter to open the Help Viewer window on the Bing search engine or you can edit the command to access the Google search engine if you prefer. Then search for the internet browser you need to download, and from the search results, you can access the download page.
As mentioned, most browser websites may not open due to the old technologies that the HTML Help program relies on, and in other cases, the site may load but when you click Download, nothing happens. However, through our experience, the tool was able to display the download page for Firefox, Opera, and Vivaldi, albeit in a very deteriorated form. But when you click Download, a window will appear asking you to specify the location to save the installation file, so click Save to select the location or Run to download the file and run it to then install the browser on the device.
