Just shy of its 27th birthday, Internet Explorer will be phased away. Microsoft said in May that, as of June 15th, the Internet Explorer 11 desktop app would no longer be supported for Windows 10’s Semi-Annual Channel. If you’re on Windows Server 2022 or a previous OS version with a long-term service extension, you’ll still have IE11 compatibility. Still, for the most part, software updates are no longer available. The Internet Explorer desktop software is missing from Windows 11.
If you only need compatibility with the older web engine, the Edge browser’s IE Mode will continue to receive support until 2029 or beyond. Microsoft, on the other hand, will not be subtle in urging you to use their newest browser. In the coming months, the business will “gradually” shift customers from IE to Edge, and with a Windows update, the old program will be completely disabled.
As reported by Engadet, the deadline brings a bittersweet chapter in Microsoft’s history to a close. Many people who hadn’t utilized early browsers like Netscape Navigator got their first taste of the web when Internet Explorer was released alongside Windows 95. It was influential in popularising the internet, and for some, it became synonymous with going online – by 2003, it had 95 percent of the market share, and Edge wouldn’t overtake it until 2019.
Microsoft Limits Explorer To Maintain Its Superiority
Internet Explorer, on the other hand, was tied to some of Microsoft’s worst practices. While bundling Internet Explorer with Windows aided newcomers to the web, it also restricted competition. The US antitrust action against Microsoft in 2001 was based on allegations that the company misused Internet Explorer limits to preserve its market dominance. The browser was also known for its lack of security (primarily through ActiveX controls) and non-standard rendering, which caused website designers to optimize for IE.
