Windows 11 will officially remove Internet Explorer and keep IE mode only in Edge

Internet Explorer, an antique-level browser, has always been rarely used for most users, but it seems to be indispensable. However, Microsoft has always wanted to remove it from the Windows system. In the early days of Windows 10, Microsoft hoped to use the self-developed Edge browser to completely replace IE.

Microsoft’s latest statement clearly stated that Windows 11 has removed the IE browser, and the default web browser is Edge, but in fact, the front-end program of IE is gone. The MSHTML engine it uses is still retained in the system. It is used to drive the IE mode in Edge because there are still some websites that are only compatible with IE, which requires Edge to enable IE mode to browse these web pages correctly.

One exception is the LTSC version of Windows 11 that Microsoft is geared towards enterprises, but is widely liked by some gamers. This version will continue to include the IE browser. However, Microsoft has previously announced that the IE browser will stop supporting on June 15, 2022, and the LTSC version is no exception, considering that Windows 11 will be available at the end of this year, so IE has only existed on Windows 11 LTSC for more than half a year.

However, due to the old version of ActiveX control built into the IE browser, it is still used in many corporate websites, so Microsoft said that the IE mode in Edge will be supported at least until 2029. You don’t need to worry that you won’t be able to use online banking until next year and beyond. After all, the IE browser has been an antique for more than 20 years since 1997.