Removal of Internet Explorer

The idea of the removal of Internet Explorer (IE) from Windows was proposed during the United States v. Microsoft Corp. case. Later, security advocates[who?] took up the idea as a way to protect Windows systems from attacks via IE vulnerabilities.

The process of removing Internet Explorer from a personal computer has changed over the browser's version history, but the nature of many of its upgrades and installation methods has been a matter of public interest. The first version to be included was version 2 with Windows 95 in late 1996. Later, users who upgraded to IE3 (which came out in 1996), could still use the last IE, because the installation converted the previous version to a separate directory.[1] However, Internet Explorer 4 created a controversy with its shell integration with Windows Explorer. With later versions, removal (or inability to do so) became more complicated. With the release of Internet Explorer 7, shell integration began being reduced, such as changing ActiveX hosting and a different look than Windows Explorer.

It was proposed that a special version of Windows 7, Windows 7 E, would be shipped without Internet Explorer in Europe as a result of EU antitrust investigations against Microsoft.[2][3][4][5] However, in July 2009, Microsoft canceled the Windows 7 E editions due to negative reactions from computer manufacturers.[6] In 2015, Microsoft released Microsoft Edge which firstly based on EdgeHTML on launch along with Windows 10, until it became Chromium-based in 2020 which replaced IE's status as the default browser in Windows 10. IE 11 is still available and preinstalled on Windows 10, but users setting up their computers for the first time have to actively seek it from the Windows Accessories folder in the Start menu since it is not pinned to the taskbar by default.[7] The main reason for keeping Internet Explorer in Windows 10 is to run websites based on legacy HTML technologies which are not or improperly supported in Microsoft Edge.

On May 19, 2021, Microsoft announced that Internet Explorer will be no longer supported on June 15, 2022[a] and as part of transition, IE mode will be available on the new Microsoft Edge which allows launch older ActiveX controls and legacy websites until at least 2029.[8] Internet Explorer was removed upon the release of Windows 11, although it was disabled and some of its files are still stored in Windows' Program Files folder. Users that are trying to run iexplore.exe via Run command will be redirected to Microsoft Edge.[9] Additionally, if it is run for the first time since the release of Edge Chromium, IE11 will now open a new tab that redirects to Edge's website, with a notice that "some websites no longer support Internet Explorer". Internet Explorer is also disabled on Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel after installing the February 14, 2023 security update. Visual references of the browser were originally designated to be removed on Windows 10 on June 13, 2023,[10] however on May 19, 2023, Microsoft withdrew the change due to objection by organizations.[10]

Since mid-2023, around a year after IE was retired, the MSN website has removed all compatibility with Internet Explorer, resulting in a fallback experience on IE11.

  1. ^ "By having IE3 rename your previous version, Microsoft gives you a fallback in case IE3 crashes. IE3 also scans for Netscape bookmarks and converts them to IE3 favorites." [1]
  2. ^ "Windows 7 Pre-Order Offer". Microsoft. Archived from the original on August 19, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  3. ^ "No IE onboard Windows 7 in Europe". BBC. June 12, 2009. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  4. ^ "Windows 7 to be shipped in Europe without Internet Explorer". Ars Technica. June 11, 2009. Archived from the original on September 1, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  5. ^ John, Bobbie (June 12, 2009). "European version of Windows 7 will not include browser". guardian.co.uk. Archived from the original on February 18, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  6. ^ Warren, Tom (August 1, 2009). "Microsoft scraps Windows 7 'E' version for Europe". Neowin. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  7. ^ "Microsoft Edge". microsoft.com. Microsoft. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  8. ^ Lyndersay, Sean (May 19, 2021). "The future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge". Windows Experience Blog. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  9. ^ Warren, Tom (June 21, 2021). "Windows 11 is deleting Internet Explorer". The Verge. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Internet Explorer 11 desktop app retirement FAQ". Microsoft. June 13, 2022. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.


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