Internet Explorer 11 (IE) was never the main browser in Windows 10, a place held by Microsoft Edge. But IE continued to ship with Windows 10 for compatibility reasons, and IE11 remained installed and accessible in most versions of Windows 10 even after security updates ended in June 2022.
That ends today, as Microsoft support documentation says an update to the Microsoft Edge browser will completely disable its older cousin Internet Explorer in most versions of Windows 10, pushing users to Edge.
How will the transition from IE to Edge happen?
The Edge browser will “automatically” transfer bookmarks and other browsing data from IE and display a dialog that informs users of the procedure. Clicking on any IE icon or trying to launch it from the Start or Run menus will automatically open Edge instead of IE.
Remember that Microsoft never delivered a version of Internet Explorer in its most recent Windows 11 system, so nothing will change if you are already using the latter.
The last traces of IE… until next June, or even 2029!
Internet Explorer is not quite dead. The app’s visual references will remain in Windows 10 until removed by a security update around June 2023, according to Microsoft’s support document. And Internet Explorer will remain accessible on Windows Server, non-consumer versions of Windows 10 like LTSC versions (Long-Term Servicing Channel) of Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 IoT (Internet of Things / Internet of Things) and Windows 7 and 8 (which are no longer supported with new security updates or versions of Edge since last month).
And the underlying MSHTML renderer will continue to be included in Microsoft Edge’s IE compatibility mode, which will be supported until 2029. Microsoft says it will give users a year’s notice before removing the mode. IE, so it could be nearly a decade before Internet Explorer’s zombified corpse ends up having both feet in the grave.
