Microsoft To Permanently Disable Internet Explorer For Windows 10

Microsoft officially retired its infamous Internet Explorer in June of last year. Though what that actually means is that it won’t be getting security updates, and would still be usable for those who just prefer it for whatever reason. But now, through an update to the modern Chromium-based Edge browser, Microsoft will be permanently disabling IE on certain versions of Windows 10.

In an update to an old support page, Microsoft says that this disabling of Internet Explorer will take place over the course of a few days, up to a week. When it happens, attempts to use IE11 will be forcefully redirected to Edge instead. The company will also remove the ability to reverse this change. Later, in June, the company will proceed to remove all visual references to the much maligned browser.

Worth noting at this point is that this will only affect Windows 10, and even then, there are exceptions. This includes the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) versions, as well as the interestingly named China Government Edition. If you’re still holding on to Windows 7 or 8.1, then Microsoft says that IE11 will remain in support, with the company noting that “Edge version 109 will be the last supported version”. Windows 11 should not be affected at all, since it doesn’t even ship with IE.

Back in 2021, when Microsoft first announced that it will be sunsetting Internet Explorer, the company noted that the Edge browser will still have an Internet Explorer compatibility mode. This is for companies with legacy websites, but even this mode will go away come June 2029. But for now, it’s an additional nail in the coffin, with another nail coming in June of this year. There may be more nails in the meantime between now and 2029, but that final one is still years away.

(Source: Microsoft)