[FAQ] Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) Retirement and Disabled on Windows 10

Following is the original article posted on June 16, 2022:

In this article, we’ll discuss why did Microsoft decide to retire Internet Explorer (IE), how will Internet Explorer retire or expire and what will happen after Internet Explorer retires?

I still can’t forget the good old days of Internet Explorer web browser. There was a time when almost every Windows user was using Internet Explorer to browse the Internet. There was no Chrome or Firefox or other web browsers. Every website was developed to keep Internet Explorer in mind.

Internet Explorer was the default web browser in Windows operating system and it came bundled or built-in with all Windows versions. Whenever a user required to visit a website, the Internet Explorer icon on the Desktop helped him.

I still remember the time when I was using Netscape Navigator browser and I decided to switch to Internet Explorer when I switched from slow dial-up connection to fast broadband. Internet Explorer was a little bit slower in opening websites, that’s why I was using Netscape Navigator. But after getting broadband connection, I started using Internet Explorer as my primary web browser.

So suddenly what happened which forced Microsoft to retire Internet Explorer? And the most important question how will Microsoft retire Internet Explorer?

Let’s discuss in details!

Will Internet Explorer Retire in All Windows Versions?

No. Let me clear one big confusion about IE retirement! It’s only Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) present in Windows 10 operating system which is going to retire. Other Windows versions such as Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, good ol’ Windows XP and Vista will keep Internet Explorer older versions and users of these OS will be able to use IE without any problem. Of course, Internet Explorer is already removed from the latest Windows 11 operating system.

So you see there are some Windows versions which are excluded from Internet Explorer retirement. Here is the list of all Windows editions which will have Internet Explorer functional and working even after Internet Explorer retirement:

• All Windows Server versions
• Windows 7 with Extended Security Updates (ESUs)
• Windows 8.1
• Windows 10 LTSC releases (including IoT)
• Windows 10 China Government Edition

Remember future versions of above mentioned Windows editions will not include Internet Explorer.

When will Internet Explorer Retire in Windows?

Internet Explorer has been retired on June 15, 2022 but the retirement process will take a few days or months in completion as discussed below. Microsoft will start retiring Internet Explorer in all devices in phases by releasing updates.

Check following article for details:

[News] Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) to Retire on June 15, 2022

Why Microsoft is Retiring Internet Explorer?

An important reason behind Internet Explorer retirement is the availability of other 3rd party web browsers. Internet Explorer is a classic web browser and lacks lots of modern features. On the other hand, there are many 3rd party browsers available which support modern standards such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Vivaldi, etc.

When Firefox and Chrome were released, people started switching to these browsers as they provided refreshing user interface (UI), lots of useful and customizable features along with tabs support. Although Microsoft also added Tabs support to Internet Explorer in future versions but it was too late.

3rd party browsers also allowed users to customize their look-n-feel by installing several themes and adding new functionality by installing add-ons/extensions from their official stores.

At present there are very few people who still use Internet Explorer. Most of the times Internet Explorer is used to download and install other web browsers such as Chrome and Firefox.

Microsoft Edge is the Main Reason Behind Internet Explorer Retirement

If you ask the main reason behind the decision of retiring Internet Explorer, it’s Microsoft Edge. When Microsoft launched Windows 10, it came with a brand new built-in browser called Microsoft Edge. At that time Microsoft Edge was an UWP (store) app and was available exclusively for Windows 10 operating system only.

Windows 10 users liked the new Microsoft Edge browser but there were very limited features and functionality present in the UWP version of Microsoft Edge browser.

Later Microsoft launched a Chromium-based version of Microsoft Edge browser and released it for other Windows versions too such as Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1. Chromium is the same project which powers popular Google Chrome browser.

Since Microsoft Edge is based on Chromium, it comes with similar features which are present in Chrome. Now Microsoft Edge has become a popular browser like other 3rd party browsers and people are using it as their primary browser.

Microsoft is regularly updating it every month and now Microsoft Edge has become the default browser in Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems replacing the classic Internet Explorer.

So you see Microsoft is retiring Internet Explorer in favor of Microsoft Edge. Retiring Internet Explorer will help Microsoft in promoting and concentrating on Microsoft Edge browser.

How will Microsoft Retire Internet Explorer?

Now the question comes how will the Internet Explorer retirement happen? Is there an ON/OFF switch to retire Internet Explorer? NO. It’s not like Internet Explorer will stop opening or working suddenly. It’ll happen in phases.

Microsoft will release updates for Windows versions which will block or disable Internet Explorer. If you don’t update your Windows device, Internet Explorer will keep working. But remember, Microsoft will stop supporting Internet Explorer and will not release updates for it. So if a bug or security issue is found in Internet Explorer, it’ll NOT be patched.

Once the updates are installed in a device and the user tries to launch Internet Explorer, a message or banner will be displayed to the user telling him that Internet Explorer has been retired and he should switch to Microsoft Edge. There will be a link to switch to Microsoft Edge browser too.

After some time, all attempts to open Internet Explorer will automatically redirect to Microsoft Edge browser including shortcuts, direct commands, etc. This is the default behavior in Windows 11.

What will Happen After Internet Explorer Retires?

Once the Internet Explorer retirement completes, there will be no shortcut of Internet Explorer available anywhere in your device whether it’s Desktop, Start Menu or Taskbar.

As mentioned above, if you try to launch Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge will open automatically.

So basically, Internet Explorer will disappear from Windows machines and Microsoft Edge will take place of it.

How to Open Websites in Internet Explorer After Retirement?

Now another question comes! There are many websites which require Internet Explorer such as banking websites, organization portals, etc. How will a user access those incompatible websites in Microsoft Edge?

Microsoft was already aware of this problem and that’s why the company implemented and added IE Mode in Microsoft Edge browser.

IE Mode helps users in opening websites using Internet Explorer rendering engine in Microsoft Edge browser. So you can consider IE Mode as a mini Internet Explorer inside Microsoft Edge.

Using IE Mode any website can be opened using Internet Explorer rendering engine inside Microsoft Edge browser.

You can read details about IE Mode in following articles:

[Tip] Enable Classic Internet Explorer Mode in Microsoft Edge Web Browser

[Tip] Enable Hidden Secret IE Mode in Microsoft Edge Web Browser

Also Check:

[Tip] Block Users from Opening Internet Explorer and Redirect them to Microsoft Edge in Windows 10

[Fix] Internet Explorer Automatically Redirects to Microsoft Edge for Incompatible Websites

[Changelog] What’s New in Microsoft Edge 90 and Later Versions

Download Microsoft Edge Offline Installer (64-bit, 32-bit)