Internet Explorer 11 is no longer a supported standalone browser on the Windows 10 editions covered by Microsoft’s retirement. Support for the IE11 desktop app ended on June 15, 2022, and Microsoft permanently disabled it on affected Windows 10 versions through an Edge update on February 14, 2023. For compatible legacy websites, Microsoft’s supported path is Internet Explorer (IE) mode inside Microsoft Edge—not reinstalling the old browser. Windows 10 LTSC and Windows Server have separate lifecycle treatment, so check the exact edition before applying this answer to those systems.
What “retired” and “disabled” mean
Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) can refer to several different things. The retirement concerned the standalone desktop application—the browser users launched from Start, a desktop shortcut, or iexplore.exe. It did not mean that every IE-related Windows component disappeared.
- Standalone IE11: The retired desktop browser. On affected Windows 10 versions, Microsoft’s February 2023 disablement means it no longer opens normally; launching it generally redirects to Edge.
- IE mode in Microsoft Edge: A compatibility feature within Edge that uses legacy IE technology for selected sites. It is the supported option for compatible applications that still require IE behavior.
- IE components: Some underlying components remain available to support IE mode. Their presence does not make the standalone browser supported or restore it as a normal browsing option.
Microsoft’s retirement announcement and retirement FAQ describe the distinction between the retired app and IE mode.
When did IE11 support end?
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| May 19, 2021 | Microsoft announced the plan to retire the IE11 desktop application on specified Windows 10 editions. See the announcement. |
| June 15, 2022 | Support for the IE11 desktop application ended on the Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel and Windows 10 IoT Semi-Annual Channel editions covered by Microsoft’s announcement. |
| February 14, 2023 | Microsoft permanently disabled the retired desktop application on certain Windows 10 versions through a Microsoft Edge update. Launch attempts generally redirected to Edge. |
These are separate milestones: the support end date was not the same as the later technical disablement. Microsoft’s IE11 lifecycle page records the product’s support status.
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Which Windows 10 systems were covered?
The June 2022 end of support applied to the Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel and Windows 10 IoT Semi-Annual Channel editions specified in Microsoft’s announcement. Microsoft named supported Windows 10 Home, Pro, Enterprise, Education, and IoT editions within those in-scope release channels.
The retirement announcement excluded Windows 10 LTSC editions and Windows Server IE11 desktop applications; those systems follow separate lifecycle rules. Do not assume that every Windows installation received the same treatment on the same date. Confirm the Windows edition, release channel, and applicable lifecycle entry in Microsoft’s scope announcement and Internet Explorer and Edge lifecycle FAQ.
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What to use for a website that requires IE
Use IE mode in Microsoft Edge if the site is compatible and trusted. Ordinary websites should be opened in Edge’s modern mode; IE mode is a legacy compatibility mechanism, not a general-purpose alternative browser. Microsoft says IE mode is supported through at least 2029 and that it will give one year’s notice before retiring the mode. That is a minimum support horizon, not a promise of indefinite availability. See Microsoft’s lifecycle FAQ.
Try IE mode on an unmanaged device
- Open Microsoft Edge and enter
edge://settings/defaultBrowserin the address bar. - Under Internet Explorer compatibility, set Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode to Allow.
- Restart Edge if prompted.
- Open the legacy site. From Edge’s three-dot menu, select Reload in Internet Explorer mode.
Microsoft also documents adding specific sites to the IE mode pages list under Settings > Default browser. The visible controls vary by Edge version and management policy; its support instructions document a site-list workflow for non-Enterprise devices using Edge version 141 or later. Follow the current Microsoft IE mode instructions for your version.
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If the option is missing or greyed out
A greyed-out control commonly means an organization manages the device or has set a policy. The administrator may need to enable IE mode, permit unconfigured sites to be reloaded, or configure an Enterprise Mode Site List. Ask the organization’s IT administrator rather than trying to override policy locally. Microsoft explains the managed-device behavior in its IE mode support guidance.
How organizations should handle IE-dependent applications
For business applications, configure and test the replacement path before disabling standalone IE11 or changing user workflows. Microsoft provides a policy to disable IE11 as a standalone browser while retaining IE mode in Edge.
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- Inventory dependencies. Identify the application, URLs, user groups, authentication methods, controls, and workflows that still rely on IE.
- Test in Edge IE mode. Use representative accounts and real workflows, including sign-in, downloads, uploads, pop-ups, printing, and embedded controls.
- Build an Enterprise Mode Site List. List the sites that must open in IE mode and specify appropriate compatibility behavior. Confirm how the list is delivered to managed devices.
- Set Edge policies. Deploy the site list and IE mode configuration with Group Policy, Microsoft Intune, or the organization’s device-management platform.
- Pilot before broad rollout. Check that intended sites open in IE mode and that users can complete their work. Keep a documented rollback or remediation path for the pilot.
- Apply the standalone-disable policy when ready. Microsoft’s Disable Internet Explorer 11 as a standalone browser policy disables the desktop browser; it does not, by itself, mean IE mode must be disabled.
- Plan to remove the dependency. Set a migration, remediation, or replacement plan for the application rather than treating compatibility mode as a permanent application strategy.
Microsoft’s standalone IE11 disablement guidance covers the policy and Enterprise Mode Site List approach. Microsoft also documents Edge IE mode for managed deployments.
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IE mode is not a guarantee that every application designed for IE11 will work. Its suitability depends on the application’s specific browser dependencies and configuration. Test the whole workflow, not just whether the first page renders.
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- Plugins and controls: Unsupported or application-specific ActiveX controls, Java or Silverlight components, Browser Helper Objects, and custom plugins can prevent a workflow from working.
- Browser and document behavior: The site may require a particular document mode, security-zone setting, pop-up behavior, or authentication flow.
- Local integrations: File-system access, printing, or other machine-level integrations can behave differently from the old standalone browser.
- Launch method: A shortcut or another application may still try to open the standalone IE window instead of the configured Edge IE mode site.
If a site fails, first confirm that it actually loaded in IE mode and that the intended URL and document mode appear in the organization’s site list. Then check the failing workflow, policy delivery, authentication, pop-ups, downloads, printing, and required controls. Ask the application vendor whether it supports Edge IE mode. Microsoft describes the compatibility approach and its limits in the retirement FAQ and deployment guidance.
Can you reinstall or restore standalone IE11?
Do not use unofficial IE11 downloads, old installers, registry changes, or security-update workarounds to restore standalone browsing. On affected systems, such steps do not reinstate Microsoft support or security servicing, and they can introduce security and software-integrity risks. IE mode in Edge is the supported compatibility route.
If an application cannot run reliably in IE mode, work with its vendor on remediation or replacement. For business-critical software that cannot yet be changed, an organization may need a deliberately managed, isolated legacy environment; that is an IT risk-management decision, not a recommendation to restore IE11 for ordinary browsing.
What about Windows 11?
Windows 11 does not provide IE11 as a supported standalone browser. The supported IE-related option is IE mode in Microsoft Edge. See Microsoft’s Internet Explorer help.
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Security and migration
Use modern Edge for normal web browsing and limit IE mode to known, trusted legacy applications. Microsoft’s guidance cautions against treating legacy IE technology as a browser for general public-web use. An IE-mode rollout should therefore include a controlled site list, access limited to the required users, and a plan to remediate or replace the application. Microsoft’s current guidance on SmartScreen in Internet Explorer and IE mode on Windows 11 and its recommendation to switch to Microsoft Edge provide additional context.
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