[BUG] Playwright throws exception "Browser closed" when testing against MS Edge

Context:

• Playwright Version: 1.25.0
• Operating System: Windows 10 x64
• .NET version: .NET 6
• Browser: MS Edge
• Extra: Visual Studio Enterprise 17.3.2

Code Snippet

[TestMethod]
public async Task LoadPlaywrightPage()
{
    var playwright = await Playwright.CreateAsync();
    var browser = await playwright.Chromium.LaunchAsync(new BrowserTypeLaunchOptions
    {
        Headless = false,
        Channel = "msedge"
    });
    var context = await browser.NewContextAsync();
    var page = await context.NewPageAsync();
    await page.GotoAsync("https://playwright.dev/dotnet/");

    Assert.IsTrue((await page.TitleAsync()).Contains("Playwright .NET"));
}

Describe the bug

Running Visual Studio Enterprise in non-admin, the above code throws this exception:

Test method PlaywrightTests.PlaywrightTests.LoadPlaywrightPage threw exception: 
   Microsoft.Playwright.PlaywrightException: Browser closed. 
==================== Browser output: ==================== 
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe --disable-field-trial-config --disable-background-networking 
--enable-features=NetworkService,NetworkServiceInProcess --disable-background-timer-throttling 
--disable-backgrounding-occluded-windows --disable-back-forward-cache --disable-breakpad 
--disable-client-side-phishing-detection --disable-component-extensions-with-background-pages 
--disable-default-apps --disable-dev-shm-usage --disable-extensions 
--disable-features=ImprovedCookieControls,LazyFrameLoading,GlobalMediaControls,DestroyProfileOnBrowserClose,
MediaRouter,DialMediaRouteProvider,AcceptCHFrame,AutoExpandDetailsElement,
CertificateTransparencyComponentUpdater,AvoidUnnecessaryBeforeUnloadCheckSync,Translate 
--allow-pre-commit-input --disable-hang-monitor --disable-ipc-flooding-protection --disable-popup-blocking 
--disable-prompt-on-repost --disable-renderer-backgrounding --disable-sync --force-color-profile=srgb 
--metrics-recording-only --no-first-run --enable-automation --password-store=basic --use-mock-keychain 
--no-service-autorun --export-tagged-pdf --no-sandbox 
--user-data-dir=C:\Users\MyUserId\AppData\Local\Temp\1\playwright_chromiumdev_profile-XJmwuh 
--remote-debugging-pipe --no-startup-window pid=35316 [pid=35316][out] Opening in existing browser session. 
=========================== logs =========================== 
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe --disable-field-trial-config --disable-background-networking 
--enable-features=NetworkService,NetworkServiceInProcess --disable-background-timer-throttling 
--disable-backgrounding-occluded-windows --disable-back-forward-cache --disable-breakpad 
--disable-client-side-phishing-detection --disable-component-extensions-with-background-pages 
--disable-default-apps --disable-dev-shm-usage --disable-extensions 
--disable-features=ImprovedCookieControls,LazyFrameLoading,GlobalMediaControls,DestroyProfileOnBrowserClose,
MediaRouter,DialMediaRouteProvider,AcceptCHFrame,AutoExpandDetailsElement,
CertificateTransparencyComponentUpdater,AvoidUnnecessaryBeforeUnloadCheckSync,Translate 
--allow-pre-commit-input --disable-hang-monitor --disable-ipc-flooding-protection --disable-popup-blocking 
--disable-prompt-on-repost --disable-renderer-backgrounding --disable-sync --force-color-profile=srgb 
--metrics-recording-only --no-first-run --enable-automation --password-store=basic 
--use-mock-keychain --no-service-autorun --export-tagged-pdf --no-sandbox 
--user-data-dir=C:\Users\MyUserId\AppData\Local\Temp\1\playwright_chromiumdev_profile-XJmwuh 
--remote-debugging-pipe --no-startup-window pid=35316 [pid=35316][out] Opening in existing browser session. 
============================================================ 
at Microsoft.Playwright.Transport.Connection.InnerSendMessageToServerAsync[T](String guid, String method, Object args) in 
//src/Playwright/Transport/Connection.cs:line 167 at Microsoft.Playwright.Transport.Connection.WrapApiCallAsync[T](Func`1 
action, Boolean isInternal) at Microsoft.Playwright.Core.BrowserType.LaunchAsync(BrowserTypeLaunchOptions options) in 
//src/Playwright/Core/BrowserType.cs:line 61 at PlaywrightTests.PlaywrightTests.LoadPlaywrightPage() in 
C:\MyProjects\PlaywrightPlayground\PlaywrightTests\PlaywrightTests.cs:line 115 at 
Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestPlatform.MSTestAdapter.PlatformServices.ThreadOperations.ExecuteWithAbortSafety(Action action)

If I open Visual Studio with “Run as administrator”, the test runs fine and MS Edge opens successfully. I have a Stack Overflow post about this here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/73651755/playwright-throws-exception-browser-closed-when-testing-against-ms-edge/

Thank you.

[mxschmitt]

This was really helpful! Turns out the UserDataDir policy breaks Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge if you run the browser headed, this ends up in getting the Opening in existing browser session. when launching the browser. I’ll talk with our team later today what to do then, but most likely nothing we can fix on our side.

I’d recommend contacting your IT to move this group policy from Microsoft Edge to Microsoft Edge - Default Settings (users can override). So the setting is not enforced, and Playwright can change it.

[arc95]

Thanks, @mxschmitt, for working on this. Your help is much appreciated.