Windows star Internet Explorer dies

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Internet Explorer is dead. Microsoft is retiring from IE today after nearly 27 years. The old web browser is about to die in favor of Microsoft Edge, with support officially withdrawing for IE 11 today.

It’s the end of the Internet era, after Microsoft initially moved away from the Internet Explorer brand with the release of Windows 10 in 2015.

For consumers, there are not many changes.

Internet Explorer use has declined in recent years, with StatCounter showing that IE has less than half a percent of the total browser market share.

Microsoft has been trying to prevent people from using Internet Explorer for years now, and the company previously classified it as a “compatibility solution” rather than a browser that companies should actively use.

Goodbye Internet Explorer browser.

Microsoft will start rolling out a new claim in the next few months that will redirect those who are still using Internet Explorer on Microsoft Edge.

Ultimately, Internet Explorer will be permanently disabled as part of a future Windows update.

While Microsoft switched to the Chromium-based Edge browser as the default browser on Windows 11, the MSHTML engine that powers Internet Explorer is still part of Windows 11.

It is exclusively for IE mode in Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft says it will support IE mode in Edge. At least until 2029.

Companies have largely moved to Edge’s IE mode for web applications and sites that are so old that they still require Internet Explorer.

Microsoft created this IE mode for Edge in 2019, and it supports older ActiveX controls that many older sites still use.

Spiritually, Internet Explorer will live through this mode, but there will be no Internet Explorer cakes anymore.