Internet Explorer ripped out of Windows 10

Microsoft has warned businesses that are still clinging to the outdated Internet Explorer browser that it will no longer work in Windows 10.

Microsoft officially retired Internet Explorer 11 in June 2022, but Windows 10 users have still been able to run the browser. Some businesses have clung to Internet Explorer (IE) because they’re running legacy applications and have been either unable or unwilling to update for modern browsers. This is despite the fact that Microsoft Edge includes an IE mode that renders legacy apps using IE’s Trident engine.

Now, in an update to a blog post announcing Internet Explorer’s retirement, Microsoft has confirmed that Internet Explorer simply won’t open in most versions of Windows 10. “The retired, out-of-support Internet Explorer 11 desktop application has been permanently disabled through a Microsoft Edge update on certain versions of Windows 10 and will redirect to Microsoft Edge if a user tries to access it,” the update reads.

“You may be concerned about change management, so please check out the Internet Explorer Retirement Adoption Kit for ready-made content to help you notify users and leaders in your organization about the changes and help move them to Microsoft Edge.”

The retirement home

The Internet Explorer Retirement Adoption Kit is – you’ll be shocked to read – heavily geared towards migrating Internet Explorer to Microsoft’s own Edge browser. It includes email templates for employees and “executive stakeholders”, explaining the switch to Edge.

One such templated email to staff opens with: “Get ready for Microsoft Edge, a faster, more secure, and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer!”

We dare say companies might want to drink less of the Microsoft Kool-Aid and explain the changes to staff in less breathless terms.

Browser battle

Even with Microsoft’s attempts to strong arm Internet Explorer users onto Edge, the browser trails a distant third in overall browser market share, according to Statcounter. Google Chrome remains the undisputed top dog with a market share of 65.4%, followed by Apple’s Safari on 18.7% and Edge in third on 4.5%.

Microsoft is attempting to boost Edge’s appeal by introducing various AI features into the browser, such as automatic summaries of long web pages and the ability to generate text for emails and social media posts from short text prompts. Microsoft is currently testing these features ahead of a general release.