Old habits die hard, and old browsers die harder! If you thought Internet Explorer was finally dead after being honorably retired by Microsoft and even getting a gravestone in the process, think again.
The vintage web browser was killed off for almost every consumer version of Windows on the bright sunny day of June 15, 2022. But it continues to live on in the depths of the latest operating system if you go seek it there.
Although Windows 11 does not officially come bundled with Internet Explorer, you can still launch IE straight from within the operating system.
This video from Tom Warren illustrates:
you thought Internet Explorer was dead, didn't you? muahahaha 😈
⎛⎝( ` ᢍ ´ )⎠⎞ pic.twitter.com/i5bXZwLRr3
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) August 3, 2022
The method works on all versions of Windows 11, including preview builds, and is clearly unintended. Microsoft appears to have forgotten to repurpose this legacy piece of code, which means that the company will likely get around to it in a future update.
A Twitter user first discovered this trick to launch IE in Windows 11.
Here’s what you have to do:
- Search for Internet Options in the Start Menu search bar.
- Open the Control Panel applet that pops up in search results.
- Go to the Programs
- Click on the Manage Add-ons
- Click Learn more about toolbars and extensions in the bottom-left corner of the window.
Viola, familiar old Internet Explorer is back again!
The retired web browser still functions normally. This is surprising because whenever you try to launch Internet Explorer in Windows 11, you are automatically redirected to Microsoft Edge.
Besides, the newer web browser also comes with a dedicated IE mode for legacy affairs.
As mentioned, this little trick slipped Microsoft’s attention. Now that it is common knowledge, expect the company to work fast to close this gap and address it in the next set of OS updates.
