How to use IE Mode to replace the recently discontinued Internet Explorer

With Windows 11, Microsoft got rid of some outdated apps and features, including the long-hated Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer is an old and outdated browser, Microsoft plans to completely remove IE. However, some proprietary applications and websites still require Internet Explorer functionality to run.

Internet Explorer has always been a part of Windows since its launch with Windows 95 OSR1 in 1996. However, from Windows 11, Internet Explorer will be removed as this browser is discontinued, replaced by Microsoft Edge Chromium. Even from June 15, 2022, Internet Explorer will be discontinued on some popular versions of Windows 10.

For many users, the demise of Internet Explorer has no effect on them. But the reality is that there are still some users who are still using web services that depend on Internet Explorer.

Therefore, in this article, TipsMake.com will show you how to use Internet Explorer on Windows 11 as well as Windows 10 through the built-in IE mode in Microsoft Edge and through extensions.

Method 1: Enable IE Mode in Microsoft Edge

If you're looking for Internet Explorer as a standalone application (like in Windows 10), then unfortunately you won't find it. The only way to get Internet Explorer working on Windows 11 is to use Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer Mode following the steps below.

Although Microsoft Edge is the default web browser, you can change it to Chrome, Firefox, or any other browser. If you notice your Windows 11 PC is slow to boot, you can disable startup apps to increase boot time.

Microsoft naturally understands that there are still users using services that depend on Internet Explorer. Therefore, the software giant has integrated into the Chromium-powered Microsoft Edge browser a mode called IE Mode. In this mode, your website will be loaded using Internet Explorer compatible technologies.

It's rare to encounter a site that's not compatible with Edge, but some older government and education sites still require Internet Explorer. Thanks to IE mode in Edge, you can still use legacy websites until Microsoft Edge support is added. It's also worth noting that Microsoft has committed to supporting IE mode in Edge until 2029, so this functionality will persist for a number of years to come.

To activate IE Mode you need to do the following:

1. Open Microsoft Edge
2. Click the Settings and more button (3 horizontal dots) in the upper right corner of the browser

1. Select Settings

1. Click Default browser

1. Under Internet Explorer compatibility, select Allow in the Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode section

1. Microsoft Edge will ask you to restart the browser to complete the installation

Now, every time you access a website that requires IE Mode, you can open Settings and More then click Reload in Internet Explorer mode . After you press the button, the page will be reloaded in IE Mode.

You can also save pages to load in IE Mode so they automatically open in IE Mode each time you visit by clicking the Add button in the Internet Explorer mode pages section under Allow sites to be reloaded in. Internet Explorer mode.

Method 2: Use the IE Tab extension

IE Tab is an extension of Blackfish Software. It gives you the ability to access websites and services that depend on Internet Explorer right on the Chrome browser. The only limitation of this extension is that it charges a fee to use and only supports Google Chrome.

Initially you can download and use it normally, but at some point IE Tab will stop working, requiring you to spend money to continue using it. IE Tab's current fee is 19 USD/user for a lifetime license.

How to install IE Tab is as follows:

1. You access IE Tab on the Chrome store using the following link
3. Click Add to Chrome to install the extension

1. Next you need to download and install IE Tab Helper by visiting the following link
3. After installation, when you need to access a page using Internet Explorer, just access it on Chrome then click on the IE Tab icon and the page will be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode.

1. You can also set up a list of pages to automatically load using Internet Explorer mode by clicking on the three-dot menu of the IE Tab extension, then selecting Options , then scrolling down to the Auto URLs section , then entering the address in the dialog box, then clicking Add.

Have you discovered other ways (or other programs) to properly open pages in full IE mode? If so, please leave your comments in the comments section below!

Wish you success!

Isabella Humphrey

Update 16 August 2024