Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Microsoft finally, officially pulls the plug on Internet Explorer

Happy Valentine’s Day — Internet Explorer is now dead. After announcing it would phase out the legacy browser last year, Microsoft announced that it permanently disabled Internet Explorer 11 on consumer versions of Windows 10.

The browser was available on Windows 10 previously, despite Microsoft noting that it was “retired” and “out of support.” Windows 11 never shipped with Internet Explorer, with Microsoft moving to its new Edge browser.

An Internet Explorer desktop icon.
Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

Microsoft confirmed in December 2022 that it would proceed with its ultimate end-of-life update for older versions of Windows, which would disable Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) function for systems including Windows 10 Home, Pro, Enterprise, Edu, and IoT.

Recommended Videos

Previously, Microsoft shuttered functionality for Windows 11 versions of Internet Explorer on June 15, 2022, but left the browser functional on the older versions of Windows that were associated with businesses. The December announcement was a final warning for organizations to update to Microsoft’s current browser, Microsoft Edge, or risk having their companies disrupted due to incompatibility.

However, there are still some exceptions that will maintain support of the browser, including Microsoft’s Long-Term Servicing Channel for Windows 10 and versions such as the Windows 10 China Government Edition.

Today’s update will make it so that if you attempt to access Internet Explorer, it will not launch. It will also wipe all IE11-dependent applications from various Windows 10 systems.

Administrators and IT managers who have already taken actions to disable IE11 and update to Micrsoft Edge prior to February 14 do not have to take any action today. However, there is another update set for June 2023, which will remove IE11 visual references, including IE11 icons, from the Windows 10 Start Menu and taskbar.

Despite the eight-year curtain call on Internet Explorer, it also already lives on through Microsoft Edge with a “Reload in IE mode” button located in the taskbar to get you accustomed to using the newer browser. Internet Explorer mode allows you to view websites and applications based on legacy scripts and code in a more compatible fashion.

This feature will make it so Microsoft will continue to use the base technology that runs Internet Explorer, MSHTML and Trident engine, for the foreseeable future. The brand said it plans to support IE mode at least through 2029.

Fionna Agomuoh
Fionna Agomuoh is a Computing Writer at Digital Trends. She covers a range of topics in the computing space, including…
My quest to fully remove Microsoft Edge is finally complete
Microsoft Defender and Edge Security settings are open on a PC monitor.

I'm on a mission to eradicate Microsoft Edge from my PC.

It's not a slight against Microsoft -- I just don't particularly care for the Edge browser compared to some of the other best browsers out there. But Edge is different because Microsoft has tried -- and mostly failed -- to court its massive Windows user base, with some unsavory tactics, including making it nearly impossible to set a different default browser to massive, screen-overtaking popups when searching for the Chrome installer.

Read more
It’s official — Microsoft WordPad is dead after 29 years
A screenshot of Microsoft WordPad running on Windows 11.

The Windows 11 2024 Update, otherwise known as version 24H2, started rolling out yesterday, but if you've already updated, you might notice something is missing. WordPad's deprecation has become a reality, as it has been completely removed from the new version of Windows 11.

This might not be a big deal to most users -- the lack of people using the app is part of the reason it was deprecated, after all. If you don't know, WordPad has been around since Windows 95, and in terms of features and functionality, it offers more than Notepad, but less than Microsoft Word.

Read more
Microsoft is finally making Copilot+ laptops useful for AI
Microsoft Surface Pro 11 front view in tablet mode.

Microsoft's Copilot+ PC initiative has been a smash hit, with many of them landing among the best laptops, but not for the AI hardware inside. Now, finally, Microsoft is putting the neural processing unit (NPU) inside Copilot+ PCs to good use. Starting today and going throughout the next two months, Microsoft will begin rolling out the 24H2 update for all Windows 11 PCs, and in the process, unlock several features for Copilot+ PCs, including the highly controversial Recall.

Recall is definitely the star of the show here, which will start showing up on Copilot+ laptops with a Snapdragon X chipset throughout October. Last week, Microsoft laid the groundwork for the release of Recall, detailing the security architecture of the feature and addressing some major criticisms of it. Now, for example, Recall is turned off instead of on by default. Microsoft is also allowing users to filter websites and giving users more control over their snapshots, including deleting them all.

Read more