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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Selenium no longer officially supports standalone Internet Explorer. For a legacy application that needs IE behavior, Selenium documents using Microsoft Edge’s IE Compatibility Mode with InternetExplorerDriver; for ordinary Edge automation, use EdgeDriver and match its major version to the installed Edge browser. These are distinct automation paths, and a standard Edge session does not test IE Mode behavior.
Does Selenium support Internet Explorer?
Not as a standalone browser target. Selenium’s IE-specific documentation says official support ended in June 2022. For sites that still need IE behavior, Selenium documents IE Mode in Microsoft Edge as the supported migration path. Selenium’s IE Driver documentation describes both the support boundary and the driver guidance.
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That distinction matters: IE Mode runs inside Edge, but Selenium uses the IE Driver classes for that mode. It is not the same as testing a site in Edge’s normal Chromium mode.
Choose the right Edge automation path
| What you need to test | Driver path | Key setup or caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Current Edge behavior | EdgeDriver |
Match EdgeDriver’s major version to the installed Edge browser’s major version. See Selenium’s Edge documentation. |
| Legacy IE-specific behavior | InternetExplorerDriver with Edge IE Compatibility Mode |
Configure IE Mode and use the IE Driver setup documented by Selenium. Standalone IE is not a currently supported target. See IE Driver documentation and IE Driver Server documentation. |
Before choosing, establish whether the application actually depends on IE-specific behavior, whether the test machine and browser configuration support the required mode, and whether you need to maintain a legacy test environment. Ordinary Edge tests cannot stand in for IE Mode tests.
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Run a legacy site in Edge IE Mode
Selenium’s documented route uses InternetExplorerOptions and InternetExplorerDriver. The exact attachment and executable-path configuration can vary by environment and IE Driver version, so use the current example for your language binding rather than assuming a snippet for one binding applies unchanged to another. Start with Selenium’s IE Driver guide.
As of IE Driver v4.5.0, Selenium says the driver can use Edge when IE is absent, as on default Windows 11 installations, and locate Edge automatically. If both IE and Edge are present, it can locate Edge automatically when configured to attach to Edge. Confirm the options and prerequisites against the current documentation for your machine.
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Install or manage the driver
IE Driver Server is a standalone executable, not a browser extension. Selenium documents downloading it and making it available on PATH, with additional configuration where needed. For current Selenium bindings, Selenium Manager handles driver management by default; Selenium’s driver installation documentation says automatic downloads are supported as of Selenium 4.6. In older Selenium versions or controlled environments, configure the executable through PATH or the binding’s Service options. See Selenium Manager and Selenium’s driver installation guidance.
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Run a standard Edge session
For non-IE Edge testing, use the Edge WebDriver integration for your Selenium language binding. The major version of EdgeDriver must match the major version of the installed Edge browser. Do not apply this as a substitute for IE Mode configuration: Selenium documents IE Mode with IE Driver classes, not the ordinary EdgeDriver path.
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Which IE Driver should you use?
Selenium recommends the 32-bit IE Driver because the 64-bit driver has known limitations. The IE Driver Server documentation says it has been tested with IE 11 on Windows 10; older IE and Windows combinations might work, but are unsupported. It also expressly does not support running the driver inside a Windows service process.
When the Selenium downloads page was checked on October 3, 2026, it listed Selenium 4.49.0, dated September 9, 2026, and IE Driver Server 4.14.0.0, with the 32-bit Windows IE download marked recommended. These are page listings observed on that date, not a guarantee that they remain the latest versions. Check the Selenium downloads page before installing.
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What Selenium’s IE support change means for maintenance
Selenium’s January 2022 blog recommended IE Mode in Edge for testing IE sites after IE 11’s announced retirement date, June 15, 2022, for certain Windows 10 versions. That post also reported a Microsoft Edge team commitment to support IE Mode until 2029 in connection with Windows 10 retirement. This is a historical statement from Selenium’s blog, not current lifecycle confirmation; verify the applicable Windows and Edge lifecycle directly with Microsoft before relying on it for deployment planning. See Selenium’s January 2022 post.
Troubleshoot common setup failures
- The session tries to launch standalone IE or cannot find the browser: Confirm that the test is configured for Edge IE Mode using
InternetExplorerOptionsandInternetExplorerDriver, and follow the current setup for whether IE, Edge, or both are present. - Driver executable cannot be located: Check that Selenium Manager is available in your Selenium setup, or put the IE Driver Server executable on PATH or configure its Service path explicitly. Verify you have an executable compatible with the target environment.
- Standard Edge session fails after a browser update: Check that EdgeDriver and Edge have matching major versions, as required by Selenium’s Edge guidance.
- Tests run differently in ordinary Edge and IE Mode: They exercise different browser behaviors and driver paths. Run the test in the mode the legacy application actually requires.
- Automation is hosted as a Windows service: Selenium’s IE Driver Server documentation expressly says that configuration is unsupported; run in a supported interactive environment instead.
- A 64-bit IE Driver behaves unreliably: Selenium recommends the 32-bit driver because of known limitations in the 64-bit version.
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is to save a website as an image or PDF rather than automate IE-specific interactions, a screenshot API is a different tool for the job. ScreenshotNeo accepts a URL in one GET request and returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. For example, using cURL:
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for parameters. It removes known cookie-consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture, with each cleanup step configurable. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed; response headers report the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server provides screenshot and PDF tools for AI agents. The free plan includes 1,000 shots a month with no card, and paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Screenshot capture does not replace Selenium when you need browser interactions or IE Mode testing. Learn about ScreenshotNeo or sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month, no card required.
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