Microsoft provides more details about the drawn-out death of Internet Explorer 11

You thought Internet Explorer was dead and buried? Almost... but not quite. IE11 is still clinging to life, but Microsoft has detailed plans to finish the task of killing it off.

While the company has used updates to disable the browser in Windows 10, parts of it remain in the operating system. Microsoft has now provided an update about how it plans to completely eliminate Internet Explorer 11 -- which remains accessible in certain circumstances -- from Windows.

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While Microsoft has, broadly speaking, disabled Internet Explorer in favor of Edge, IE is the browser that refuses to die. But this will not be the case for much longer, and the company has made a couple of updates to its Internet Explorer 11 desktop app retirement FAQ.

In the first updated section, Microsoft gives a bit of history to bring everyone up to speed:

When was the IE11 desktop application permanently disabled? (Updated:May 18, 2023)
The out-of-support Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) desktop application was permanently disabled on certain versions of Windows 10 on February 14, 2023 through a Microsoft Edge update. Note, this update will be rolled out over the span of a few days up to a week, as is standard for Microsoft Edge updates.

All remaining consumer and commercial devices that were not already redirected from IE11 to Microsoft Edge were redirected with the Microsoft Edge update. Users will be unable to reverse the change. Additionally, redirection from IE11 to Microsoft Edge will be included as part of all future Microsoft Edge updates.

Based on customer feedback, organizations will maintain control over determining the timing to remove IE11 UI elements from their devices, if they have not already done so. Note: IT teams can remove IE11 visual references on Windows 10 devices by using the Disable IE policy.

Additionally, over the coming months a small subset of exceptional scenarios where IE11 is still accessible will be redirected to Edge, ensuring users access a supported and more secure Microsoft browser. Details will be available in the Windows and Microsoft Edge release notes.

A second updated portion of the FAQ explains more about the future:

When will the IE11 desktop application be permanently disabled? (Updated: May 18, 2023)
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.

Users will see a dialogue box when they are transitioned to Microsoft Edge. When they try to click any IE11 icons or other entry points, they will be redirected to Microsoft Edge. Their browsing data is automatically brought over to Microsoft Edge from IE11 so they can seamlessly continue browsing.

Based on customer feedback, organizations will maintain control over determining the timing to remove IE11 UI elements from their devices, if they have not already done so. Note: IT teams can remove IE11 visual references on Windows 10 devices by using the Disable IE policy.

Additionally, over the coming months a small subset of exceptional scenarios where IE11 is still accessible will be redirected to Edge, ensuring users access a supported and more secure Microsoft browser. Details will be available in the Windows and Microsoft Edge release notes.

You can read the full FAQ here.

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