Internet Explorer once had a market share of almost 95 percent, but that’s long gone. Microsoft discontinued the browser in 2022 and is now even deleting it from Windows computers via an update.
Internet Explorer, originally released in 1995 as part of Windows 95, has gradually been replaced by the more modern Edge browser over the past few years. In Windows 8, Internet Explorer was still installed alongside Edge. With the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft stopped development. Since then it has only been available as legacy mode – for websites that are not compatible with modern browsers.
Internet Explorer disappears from Windows
In June 2022, Microsoft permanently discontinued Internet Explorer. Since then there have been no more security updates for the outdated browser – but it has still been possible to use it so far. But that should now also be the end of it. On its IT blog, the company announced an update for the Edge browser that completely disables Internet Explorer in Windows 10 for consumers. Users are automatically redirected to Edge when they try to open the program. A dialog box appears informing about the shutdown and redirection. In addition, bookmarks and personal settings should go seamlessly to Edge. For the time being, however, a few visual elements remain that are reminiscent of Internet Explorer. Microsoft plans to remove the icons in the start menu and taskbar with a security update in June 2023.
Although the browser disappears from the consumer versions of Windows 10, it remains in certain versions of Windows. These are mainly distributions of the OS for companies such as Windows Server and the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) of Windows 10 IoT and Windows 10 client. Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 are also not affected by the deletion because Microsoft discontinued support for both systems at the beginning of 2023. Windows 11 is also left out, since only Edge is installed on the operating system ex works.
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Why wasn’t the browser discontinued sooner?
Microsoft had already announced in 2015 that it would no longer develop Internet Explorer. Instead, the company focused on Microsoft Edge. It stuck with the old browser for a long time, mainly for one reason: Many companies still use older web applications that only work with Internet Explorer. In doing so, they are opting for the simpler solution, but are accumulating “technical debt” instead of switching to a more sustainable alternative. That’s why Microsoft only described Internet Explorer as a compatibility solution for older HTML applications that don’t run in newer browsers.
Many companies still have websites and applications that require Internet Explorer. So that you can still use your old software, Microsoft has now equipped the newer, Chromium-based version of the Edge browser with IE mode. Edge can use it to open pages that would otherwise only work with Internet Explorer 11. This makes it possible to surf the Internet safely and quickly with Edge – and still use older software in the same browser. According to the company, Microsoft Edge will be supported at least until 2029.