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

If you want to disable Internet Explorer automatically redirecting to new Microsoft Edge browser, whenever you try to open websites, this tutorial will help you.

PROBLEM SYMPTOM:

You try to open a website in Internet Explorer (IE) web browser which comes preinstalled with Windows operating system. If the website is incompatible with Internet Explorer i.e. doesn’t support IE (for example facebook.com), Internet Explorer window closes and Microsoft Edge web browser is automatically launched with the same website (which you were trying to open in IE) opened in a tab.

In other words, whenever you try to open a website in Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge takes over and Internet Explorer redirects the website to Microsoft Edge web browser.

When the website is automatically redirected to Microsoft Edge, the browser displays following message screen for the first time:

Once you click on “Continue browsing” button, the message disappears and never appears again. Microsoft Edge successfully opens the website which you were trying to access in Internet Explorer.

After showing the above message screen, Microsoft Edge also shows following notification banner or header at the top:

You can click on the “Set as default browser” button present in the notification bar to set Microsoft Edge as default web browser in your computer system or you can click on Close (x) button to remove the notification banner.

After it, whenever you try to open an incompatible website in Internet Explorer, it automatically redirects the website to Microsoft Edge web browser.

So basically, you can’t open those incompatible websites in Internet Explorer browser.

PROBLEM REASON:

This is a feature by design. Newer versions of Microsoft Edge web browser come with this feature built-in which automatically takes over Internet Explorer whenever it detects a user is trying to open an incompatible website in Internet Explorer. While investigating the issue, I noticed that Microsoft Edge installs an add-on or extension in Internet Explorer with the name “IEToEdge BHO“. You can check it using “Tools -> Manage add-ons” option in Internet Explorer.

This add-on helps the BHO (Browser Helper Object) in checking all websites for incompatibility issues with Internet Explorer and if it finds a website incompatible with Internet Explorer, it closes Internet Explorer and redirects the website to Microsoft Edge browser.

Remember this will happen only if Microsoft Edge browser is installed in a computer system. Sometimes the user manually installs the browser and sometimes the browser is automatically installed via Windows Update.

PROBLEM SOLUTION:

Fortunately, Microsoft Edge comes with an option in its Settings which can be modified to disable or turn off this automatic redirection feature.

So with the help of this built-in option, you can prevent or restrict Microsoft Edge from taking over IE and automatically opening incompatible websites.

Once you disable this feature, you’ll be able to open incompatible websites in Internet Explorer window and Microsoft Edge will stop automatically opening them. The redirection from Internet Explorer to Microsoft Edge will be removed completely and permanently.

If you want to disable this automatic redirection feature, following steps will help you:

1. Open Microsoft Edge browser and click on the 3-dots menu button present at the right-side of the toolbar. Now select Settings option from the main menu.

Alternatively, you can press ALT+F keys together to show Edge Menu and then press S key to open Settings page.

You can also directly open Edge Settings page using edge://settings/ URL in address bar.

2. Now go to Default browser tab and in right-side pane, look for following option:

By default the option is set to “Incompatible sites only (Recommended)” which allows Microsoft Edge to take over Internet Explorer and that’s why Internet Explorer automatically redirects to Microsoft Edge for incompatible websites.

To disable the redirection functionality, set the option to “Never“.

That’s it.

Now try to open any website in Internet Explorer and it’ll no longer redirect to Microsoft Edge. Every website will open in Internet Explorer window.

PS: If you want the opposite and want Internet Explorer to always redirect to Microsoft Edge for all websites, you can set the above mentioned option to “Always“.

Also Check:

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

[Windows 10 Tip] Block or Prevent Automatic Installation of Microsoft Edge Browser via Windows Update

[Windows 10 Tip] Prevent / Restrict New Microsoft Edge from Replacing and Disabling Old Legacy Edge

[Fix] Prevent or Remove Microsoft Edge Automatic Installation in Windows 7 and 8.1

[Fix] How to Uninstall New Microsoft Edge in Windows 10? Uninstall Button Grayed Out or Disabled