It's been around since 1995 and almost every Internet user knows it: Internet Explorer. It has been living in the shadows for a few years – this month the Windows veteran will finally be discontinued. We explain what you need to know about the end of Internet Explorer.
For a generation, Internet Explorer was their first browser. Younger users may never have used it, because today Google dominates the browser world with Chrome. But Microsoft's browser veteran has stubbornly persisted under Windows and is mainly still used in companies.
But at least the Internet Explorer program will soon be over. According to Microsoft, it will be discontinued on Windows 10 on June 15, 2022. But as in recent years, a remnant of Internet Explorer is still being dragged along – and that even applies to Windows 11.
The end of Internet Explorer is not really surprising. Microsoft has been reorganizing its browser portfolio for some time: With the first Edge Browser, Microsoft launched a competitor for Chrome and Firefox in 2015 at the start of Windows 10, which was also intended to replace the in-house Internet Explorer 11.
But the original Edge was never really well-received by users, and ultimately Microsoft found the expense of its own browser too great. The legacy version of the Edge browser without a Chromium substructure has therefore not been supported since 2021. Instead, the new Edge was made available on a Chromium basis. In addition to Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, the browser even got a Linux version.
End of Support for Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer is still included in Windows 10.
Image: CHIP
As always, you have to listen carefully at Microsoft and read exactly what they are up to, because simple solutions are not their thing. You could have just said a few years ago that Internet Explorer and everything related to it would be retired by a certain date. But hard lines are not Microsoft's thing, which is also evident in Internet Explorer.
Internet Explorer 11 is retiring, that's for sure since last year. What is meant by this is the stand-alone program that you can use under Windows 10 to this day. The deadline for the end of support is June 15, as Microsoft reminds us in a blog post. From this date, Internet Explorer can no longer be started, the Edge Browser opens instead. However, only the client versions of Windows 10 are affected. Internet Explorer also runs on the following systems:
Windows 8.1Windows 7 with Extended SupportWindows Server SAC (Semi-Annual Channel)Windows 10 Client LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel)Windows Server LTSCWindows 10 IoT LTSC
Use Internet Explorer mode in Edge
The browser Internet Explorer dies, the technology lives on in Internet Explorer mode.
Image: CHIP
Edge is a modern browser that handles all everyday tasks with ease. If you still need the IE engine for old applications, you should use Edge and call up the relevant pages in Internet Explorer mode. The corresponding configuration is available in the "Default browser" area of the Edge settings. For example, it is set there that Internet Explorer may only open incompatible pages from Edge.
You can also manage a list of exceptions and generally allow Internet Explorer mode to be invoked from within Edge. Advantage: companies have a modern browser and can still use old web applications. So there's no real need to use full-featured Internet Explorer anymore. The Internet Explorer mode should be available at least until 2029, so the greyed-out technology will easily survive Windows 10.
Export data from Internet Explorer
You can export data manually from Internet Explorer.
Image: CHIP
If you still have data in Internet Explorer, you should export it from the browser by June 15, 2022. This is quite easy via "File" and the Import-Export menu. Alternatively, you can also initiate the data export via the bookmark management. For Internet Explorer users with further questions, Microsoft provides an FAQ page.
