Last updated: March 18, 2021
- Watch the companion video: How to turn off Internet Explorer on Windows 10
Windows 10 includes a new web browser called Microsoft Edge. Edge replaces Internet Explorer as the default web browser in the latest incarnation of the Windows operating system. Although Edge has become the defacto web browser, Windows 10 still includes Internet Explorer. It is on by default, and is not without its uses. For example, Internet Explorer allows Windows 10 users to access NPAPI plugin content like Java and Silverlight. You cannot uninstall Internet Explorer. But you can turn off Internet Explorer on Windows 10 if needed.
When you turn Internet Explorer off, it will no longer be available to any user on the computer. Neither you nor any other user of the PC will be able to launch Internet Explorer. Windows will move the associated files to a separate storage area on the system in the event you need to turn Internet Explorer back on again in the future. Other programs that are dependent on Internet Explorer may not be impacted because associated third-party program files remain accessible.
Turn off Internet Explorer on Windows 10
To turn off Internet Explorer on Windows 10, launch Control Panel. Navigate to Programs > Programs & Features. In the left navigation click the Turn Windows features on or off link. If prompted for User Account Control, input your admin password to proceed. Scroll down the alphabetical list of features to Internet Explorer 11.
Uncheck its check box to turn Internet Explorer 11 off. An information dialog displays to inform you of the potential affects of turning off Internet Explorer. If you want to continue, click Yes, then click OK.
Windows will display progress dialogs, such as Searching for required files, and Applying changes, as the associated Internet Explorer files are moved.
Once the process completes, Windows will prompt you to restart the computer. When the computer restarts, it turns off Internet Explorer. Click the Restart now button to restart the computer right away, or the Don’t restart button if you plan on restarting the computer later.
Related: Microsoft security chief: IE is not a browser, so stop using it as your default. (ZDNet)
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