Microsoft Releases Update to Kill Off Internet Explorer for Many Versions of Windows 10 ⇥ techcommunity.microsoft.com

Eric Van Aelstyn of Microsoft:

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.

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Will iexplore.exe be removed from devices?

No, but if a user tries to access it, they will be unable to open IE11 and will be redirected to Microsoft Edge.

I am sure nobody is mourning this, and it is a long time coming. But this update is a little different: unlike a software update where a newer version replaces an older one, this update prevents users from launching Internet Explorer.

I do not think Microsoft should have been required to have ongoing support for IE and, to be sure, other software platforms have issued updates to remove features — remember when iOS came with a first-party YouTube app? It is an interesting update, though, if only because it is rare for any vendor to force users to stop using software, let alone Microsoft.