Is Internet Explorer really really “retired”? Not quite…
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Microsoft implemented another gate to keep people on most client versions of Windows 10 from running Internet Explorer 11 on Feb 14. But does Internet Explorer still exist?
The news probably doesn’t come as a shock to many, but Internet explorer is retiring. Microsoft has been trying to move people off of the good old IE browser for years and it was officially retired last year.
When was Internet Explorer Retired?
On June 15, 2022, the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application ended support on certain versions of Windows 10, and now Microsoft is making it tough to even launch the nearly 30 year old application.
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On launch attempt, users will now be redirected to Edge.
“For organizations with a dependency on legacy Internet Explorer-based sites and apps, sites will need to be configured to open in Microsoft Edge using Internet Explorer (IE) mode,” Microsoft said in a statement.
“Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge enables backward compatibility and will be supported through at least 2029. Additionally, Microsoft will provide notice one year prior to the retirement of IE mode,” said Microsoft.
According to an article at The Verge, “The underlying technology that powers Internet Explorer, the MSHTML and Trident engine will continue to remain in support, though. Microsoft has moved to its Chromium-powered Edge browser as the default in Windows 11, but the MSHTML engine is still part of Windows 11. It exists to power IE mode in Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft says it will support IE mode in Edge through at least 2029.”
So it looks like Internet Explorer is officially retired though it has quite reached end of life.
“Not quite”…
For those still trying to run IE you can find workarounds to force it into submission, but we’re not really recommending it.
