We’ve been running our new Quote of the Day segment for a few weeks, but I recently came across an intriguing line from former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, taken from a 2009 TechCrunch interview (via Fortune).

"The most successful by far is Firefox," Ballmer indicated. "Chrome is a rounding error to date. Safari is a rounding error to date. But Firefox is not. The fact that there’s a lot of competitors probably is to our advantage."

For context, Microsoft dominated the browser market at the time with Internet Explorer, which controlled about 74% of the global share. Google had only just launched Chrome in 2008, but competing was tough since Internet Explorer came pre‑installed as the default on Windows PCs, giving Microsoft an enormous advantage.

“It could have been demoralizing,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai admitted at a commencement address at Stanford University. “But with that California optimism, I told the team that the fact he went out of his way to dismiss us meant we were doing something right.”

The executive didn't discount that Chrome showed early success and momentum, but that triumph was short‑lived as user growth plateaued under various constraints. However, Pichai and his team didn't let up.

Fast forward to 2026, Google now runs the browser show with a massive 70.25% hold of the market share. Microsoft Edge comes in at a distant third with 5.14% of the market share.

Microsoft has been placed under fire by companies like Mozilla in the past for allegedly using "harmful designs and deceptive tactics" to give Edge a competitive advantage over other browsers on Windows 11.

The Firefox maker recently accused Microsoft of using 'dark patterns' to force its Copilot AI on Windows 11 users. It outrightly suggested that Microsoft's "intentional" re-direction with Copilot was only prompted by overwhelming feedback from users. "They’re really admitting that they made repeated choices to serve their business over their customers," Mozilla added.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

What you need to know

• Microsoft will permanently disable Internet Explorer on Windows 10 today.
• The change will occur through a Microsoft Edge update.
• Internet Explorer has been officially retired since June 15, 2022.

Microsoft has phased out Internet Explorer for several years. The browser was replaced by Edge years ago and was officially retired in June 2022. Today, Microsoft will disable Internet Explorer permanently on several versions of Windows 10. Affected systems will receive a Microsoft Edge update that will disable Internet Explorer. Microsoft outlines what will happen to specific versions of Windows in a Tech Community post.

Microsoft's post also lists key dates for Internet Explorer, including today:

Update: The retired, out-of-support Internet Explorer 11 desktop application is scheduled to be permanently disabled through a Microsoft Edge update on certain versions of Windows 10 on February 14, 2023. 

IE11 visual references, such as the IE11 icons on the Start Menu and taskbar, will be removed by the June 2023 Windows security update (“B” release) scheduled for June 13, 2023.

We highly recommend setting up IE mode in Microsoft Edge and disabling IE11 prior to this date to ensure your organization does not experience business disruption. Learn how >

Organizations that still rely on Internet Explorer will continue to have the ability to use IE Mode in Microsoft Edge, which will receive support until at least 2029.

Windows 10 LTSC and Windows Server are not affected by today's change.

Internet Explorer has been out of date for several years, so general users should have shifted to a different browser a while ago. Some organizations rely on Internet Explorer for web applications, but IE Mode should fill that gap.

Microsoft has invested heavily in its Edge browser, including releasing a version built on Chromium to be compatible with most websites. The company is also rolling out a new version of Edge with AI features that you can test now in preview.

What you need to know

• Windows 11 shipped with Internet Explorer disabled.
• Microsoft retired Internet Explorer on June 15, 2022.
• A Twitter user has figured out how to run Internet Explorer on Windows 11, despite the fact that the browser reached its end of support in June.

Microsoft's latest operating system was never meant to run Internet Explorer. Windows 11 shipped with the ancient browser disabled. Microsoft continued to move away from Internet Explorer in June 15, 2022 by officially ending its support. But like old habits, old browsers die hard. Twitter user XenoPanther figured out a way to get Internet Explorer to run on Windows 11.

In the depths of Windows, there's an ancient Internet options section. By following a few simple steps, you can open Internet Explorer:

• Open Start/Search.
• Search Internet options.
• Open the Control Panel.
• Click the Program tab.
• Click Manage add-ons.
• Select "Learn more about toolbars and extensions."

Following these steps will open a window running Internet Explorer. Why anyone would want to do this is another question, especially since Microsoft Edge has an Internet Explorer mode for anyone that relies on legacy software.

As far as we can tell, this workaround can be used on all versions of Windows 11. If you're dying to run Internet Explorer on Windows 11, you should probably act quickly. Microsoft never intended to have the old browser work on its new OS. There's a good chance that the company will remove the recently discovered workaround in a future update.

Following the retirement of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge saw a bump in market share. While the increased share may have been unrelated, Edge went from 10.12% to 10.64% in June 2022. Microsoft's browser now sits squarely in second place but trails Google Chrome by a significant margin. Chrome had a 66.93% market share in June 2022 and has hovered around that mark for quite some time.

What you need to know

• A recent issue with Microsoft Edge caused certain tabs to not respond when running in Internet Explorer mode.
• Microsoft resolved the bug using its Known Issue Rollback tool, which can automatically fix consumer devices.
• Enterprise-managed devices can resolve the issue through a special Group Policy.

Microsoft had to roll back an update that it recently released for its Edge browser. The KB5014019 update first shipped to devices in preview form on May 24, 2022. Unfortunately, it included a bug that prevented some tabs to work in Internet Explorer mode. Microsoft has since resolved the problem with its Known Issue Rollback tool (via Neowin).

"After installing KB5014019 and later updates, IE mode tabs in Microsoft Edge might stop responding when a site displays a modal dialog box," said Microsoft in a support document.

"A modal dialog box is a form or dialog box which requires the user to respond before continuing or interacting with other portions of the webpage or app. Developer Note: Sites affected by this issue call window.focus."

Known Issue Rollback is a relatively new capability that came out in March 2021. It can be used by Microsoft to issue fixes for non-security bugs. It can take 24 hours for the resolution to make its way to systems through Known Issue Rollback. The reversion process for the bug affecting IE mode tabs started shipping on June 24, 2022, so all consumer devices should have it by now.

The following platforms are affected by the bug:

• Client: Windows 11, version 21H2; Windows 10, version 21H2; Windows 10, version 21H1; Windows 10, version 20H2
• Server: Windows Server 2022

Enterprise-managed devices running the latest update can revert to a previous version by configuring and deploying a special Group Policy. Microsoft has a separate support document to help enterprise users.

The issue with IE mode comes at an inconvenient time for Microsoft, as it recently retired Internet Explorer. When the older browser became out of date, Microsoft pushed people to Edge. There's a chance that some people ran into the bug preventing tabs from working after swapping over to Microsoft's newer web browser.

The issue appears relatively minor and was quickly fixed, so people should be able to use IE mode without issue.

What you need to know

• Internet Explorer will be officially retired today, after over 25 years of allowing people to access the web.
• Users of Internet of Explorer will be progressively redirected to use Microsoft Edge with IE mode over the coming months.
• Internet Explorer will eventually be disabled permanently in a future Windows Update.

After over 25 years of service, Internet Explorer will be officially retired today, June 15, 2022. Despite being the butt of many jokes, Internet Explorer provided millions with access to the web, even if it was often only used to download other browsers. Over the next few months, people that try to open Internet Explorer will be redirected to Microsoft Edge with IE mode. Microsoft will completely disable Internet Explorer on many PCs through a future Windows Update.

Despite years of warning by Microsoft about its retirement, Internet Explorer is still used by quite a few organizations and sites. To help people transition, Microsoft added IE mode to Edge, which allows webpages that require legacy technologies to continue to function.

General users of the outdated browser will be directed to IE mode in Edge and have their data, such as favorites, passwords, and settings, imported from Internet Explorer. A "Reload with IE mode" button will appear in the toolbar of Edge when users attempt to load a page that needs IE mode to function. People can set Edge to automatically open sites in IE mode as well.

IT professionals can automate IE mode for pages, which should reduce issues within organizations that require Internet Explorer for applications and sites. Admins can also set up a list of sites that require IE mode and have them automatically load with the tool.

Microsoft promises support for IE mode in Edge until at least 2029.

While Internet Explorer is now officially retired on several versions of Windows. The following versions continue to support the browser:

• in-support Windows 10 LTSC releases (including IoT)
• All Windows Server versions
• Windows 10 China Government Edition
• Windows 8.1
• Windows 7 with Extended Security Updates (ESUs)

Of course, organizations don't have to continue to use IE mode or Internet Explorer (on supported versions of Windows). Microsoft encouraged people to move over to Edge. "Instead of waiting to be redirected to Microsoft Edge, the easiest thing to do is to get started with Microsoft Edge today," said Microsoft.

Microsoft shared a farewell video to Internet Explorer earlier this year that also introduces people to Edge:

What you need to know

• Microsoft recommends organizations to retire Internet Explorer early.
• Internet Explorer will be disabled after June 15, 2022 but companies can shift away from the legacy browser already.
• Microsoft has tools to help organizations migrate to a more modern browser, including IE mode in Edge.

Microsoft will officially retire Internet Explorer after June 15, 2022, but organizations don't have to wait until that date to shift away from the legacy browser. A recent Tech Community post by Microsoft's Eric Van Aelstyn recommends that organizations set their own retirement date for Internet Explorer ahead of June 15.

While everyday users of the web likely moved to Edge or other modern browsers a long time ago, some companies still rely on Internet Explorer for certain sites. Microsoft has warned people about the impending end of Internet Explorer for years. Companies that were proactive and prepared for the switch don't need to wait until the cutoff date to leave Internet Explorer behind.

"Now you just have to wait until IE is disabled after June 15…. Right?" said Aelstyn. "That is one approach, but we know that waiting for something to happen can be stressful, especially with complex IT environments. So instead of waiting, we recommend that you schedule your own internal retirement date—the best way to prepare for IE disablement after June 15, is to proactively retire IE in your organizations before June 15."

The post outlines four steps to prepare to move away from the old browser:

1. Make sure IE mode is set up!
2. Schedule your internal IE retirement date
3. Inform your users and have them import their data
4. Broadly deploy the Disable IE policy on your internal retirement date

Microsoft also has a collection of resources to help organizations shift from Internet Explorer to a modern alternative. Links to all of the relevant pieces of information are in a list at the bottom of Microsoft's Tech Community post.

What you need to know

• Internet Explorer will be retired and go out of support for some versions of Windows 10 within the next three months.
• To prepare for the retirement of the browser, Microsoft has made several improvements to IE mode for Edge.
• Cookies can now be shared in both directions between IE mode and Edge, which is important for certain workflows.

Internet Explorer is only a few months away from retirement. The old browser will be officially retired on June 15, 2022 and will fall out of support for multiple versions of Windows 10. Microsoft gave plenty of notice about the end of Internet Explorer, but some organizations still rely on legacy technology within the older browser. To help ease the transition to modern browsing, Microsoft has rolled out updates to IE mode in Edge.

IE mode in Edge allows organizations to continue to use legacy elements of Internet Explorer but within Microsoft Edge.

Some web applications require support for IE COM objects to work properly. IE mode in Edge now fully supports IE COM objects, helping legacy apps to continue to function.

Microsoft has also rolled out bidirectional sharing for cookies between IE mode and Edge sessions. The ability to share cookies in both directions allows webpages and apps to share data across a session even if one site has to run in IE mode while another runs through Edge. IE mode already supported sharing cookies from modern sites to legacy webpages, but the browser can now share cookies in the other direction as well.

Microsoft shared how the National Australia Bank (NAB) saved thousands of hours by using IE mode for Edge. Previously, employees of the bank had to look at a guide to determine which browser to use with specific apps. The NAB consolidated to using Microsoft Edge with IE mode, removing a layer of complexity.

"Moving to Microsoft Edge boosted productivity by thousands of hours per day collectively across our 34,000 employees," said General Manager of Workplace Technology for NAB Greg Farmer.

What you need to know

• Internet Explorer Driver now lets you test website compatibility for Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge.
• Microsoft worked with the Selenium project to make it possible to test a page's performance in Internet Explorer mode.
• Internet Explorer 11 will reach its end of support on June 15, 2022 for some PCs.

Internet Explorer 11 will no longer be supported on some PCs as of June 15, 2022. While Microsoft's older browser was replaced years ago, some organizations still rely on it for legacy web content. To facilitate using older web content on a modern browser, Microsoft Edge has an Internet Explorer mode. Now, developers can use Internet Explorer Driver to test if their site works in Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge.

Microsoft worked with the Selenium project to make it easier to test site compatibility for Internet Explorer mode in Edge.

"With just a few changes to an existing test that runs against Internet Explorer, you can get your tests running in Internet Explorer (IE) mode in Edge," explains Microsoft. "By running your tests in IE mode, you will be able to verify that any legacy web content that runs in Internet Explorer will work as expected in IE mode in Microsoft Edge."

To run tests in Internet Explorer mode in Edge, a developer needs to have Microsoft Edge, Selenium 4 or later language bindings, and Internet Explorer Driver version 4.0.0.0 or later.

Microsoft outlines how to get started and how to perform tests in a recent blog post.

What you need to know

• Internet Explorer 11 is slated for retirement in 2022.
• Ahead of its expiration date, some companies have decided it's no longer worth catering to.
• Amazon's Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one such service that won't take IE 11 into consideration anymore.

It's widely known that Microsoft is ending support for Internet Explorer 11 in 2022. However, some companies are increasing the browser's irrelevance ahead of 2022 by no longer factoring it in when developing new features for their sites, services, and tools. One such company is Amazon, which has made IE 11 persona non grata within the Amazon Web Services (AWS) ecosystem.

Amazon doesn't mince words in its blog post announcing the end of AWS support for IE 11. If you're using the AWS Management Console, Amazon Chime, Amazon Honeycode, AWS Marketing, AWS Support, AWS Marketplace, AWS Documentation, or just about anything else with AWS in the name, Amazon has a message for you: "It is time to upgrade to a more modern & secure browser such as Edge, Firefox, or Chrome."

In that same blog post, Amazon breaks down the stages that will occur as it formally detaches AWS from IE 11.

• July 31, 2021 – Effective today, we will no longer ensure that new AWS Management Console features and web pages function properly on IE 11. We will fix bugs that are specific to IE 11 for existing features and pages.
• Late 2021 – Later this year you will receive a pop-up notification (and a reminder to upgrade your browser) if you use IE 11 to access any of the services or pages listed above.
• July 31, 2022 – One year from today we will discontinue our support for IE 11 and you will need to use a browser that we support.

In summary, if you use AWS for any of your operations, it's time to ditch IE 11 for good.

What you need to know

• Google released a report detailing how its Threat Analysis Group (TAG) protects users.
• The report highlights various threats that have been exposed in 2021.
• Those threats can be found just about everywhere, including Linkedin and Internet Explorer.

Nowhere on the internet is truly safe, and Google's report on recent threats serves to remind users of that fact (via Ars Technica). In the report, which cites numerous cyberattacks, two unlikely foundations for online villainy were listed: LinkedIn and Internet Explorer.

For example, a threat detected on March 19, 2021, by Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) involved a Russian actor (likely government-backed, according to TAG) using LinkedIn Messaging to go after western European government officials. If the officials clicked the link in the message, they'd end up at a domain that would hit them with malicious payloads.

Google also outlined what happened with Internet Explorer earlier this year at the hands of North Korean attackers. To quote the report: "Earlier this year, North Korean attackers distributed MHT files embedding an exploit for CVE-2021-26411. These files are automatically opened in Internet Explorer when they are double clicked by the user."

Don't forget that Internet Explorer is entering formal retirement in 2022, meaning it's about as close to obsolete as a still-used browser can get. Yet it was a prime hub for ill-intentioned activity.

And these incidents are the tip of the iceberg. Recently, a Chinese group went after SolarWinds, a company that has suffered its fair share of attacks already this year at the hands of Russians.

Cybercrime is a daily occurrence, and the heightening frequency of large-scale attacks has become more and more apparent over the past few years. The question remains as to what can be done about it, given that detecting the problem is only half the battle.

What you need to know

• Internet Explorer 11 has suffered an issue preventing PDFs from opening.
• Apps that use the 64-bit WebBrowser control suffered the same problem.
• The issue has now been addressed by Microsoft.

In case you're one of the people who's been trying to open a PDF via Internet Explorer 11 to no avail, fear not: Microsoft heard you and has addressed the problem with its KB5004760 update.

Here's how Microsoft describes the issue and its current status, which is listed as the sole item under the "highlights" section of KB5004760's notes: "Updates an issue that might prevent you from opening PDFs using Internet Explorer 11 or apps that use the 64-bit version of the WebBrowser control. Additionally, a PDF might render as just a gray background when using the Adobe Acrobat plug-in."

For those of you not in the know, Internet Explorer's days are numbered. Microsoft is cutting off support to the aging browser in 2022 and putting it into retirement. For all your future browsing needs, Microsoft will expect you to hop over to its direct competitor in the space, Google Chrome, or to its own product, Microsoft Edge. Edge has a built-in IE mode to help you compartmentalize your love of Internet Explorer, so if you truly want to see the dying browser, you can still visit it at the digital retirement home Microsoft has set up for it inside the more relevant browser.

The whole Microsoft experience is changing. Internet Explorer, Windows 10, and all the other relics of yesteryear are on the way out. The Tomorrowland of Microsoft products is made up of Edge and Windows 11, and the company has not been afraid to announce that. So the fact that it's still addressing issues with Internet Explorer, such as the PDF bug, is a pleasant surprise.

What you need to know

• MHTML files will soon automatically open in Microsoft Edge's Internet Explorer mode.
• These types of files are a remaining use case for Internet Explorer.
• Internet Explorer will be officially retired on June 15, 2022.

We already knew that Microsoft's Internet Explorer is on its way to retirement, but Microsoft is giving the browser another push out of the door. According to the Microsoft 365 roadmap, some files will soon automatically launch in Microsoft Edge's Internet Explorer mode rather than opening in Microsoft Edge (via TechRadar).

Specifically, MHTML files will automatically open in Microsoft Edge. Microsoft explains that the most likely time for this new behavior to come up is when people try to open Outlook emails in a browser. The change will only affect how a link is opened if Internet Explorer is set as the default handler for that type of file.

Here's the description from Microsoft:

The listing states that the new behavior is rolling out now. It also states that the release date is July 2021, so it could be some time before you see the change on your PC. Microsoft says that the change will come with Edge version 92, which should arrive next month.

Internet Explorer will officially lose support and be formally retired on June 15, 2022, but Microsoft is trying to push people to modern browsers before that.

What you need to know

• Windows 10 Build 21387 is rolling out to Insiders in the Dev Channel.
• The build marks the retirement of the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application.
• Microsoft also turned off the "Eco mode" feature in the Task Manager as it refines its experience.

Microsoft just rolled out Windows 10 Build 21387 to Insiders in the Dev Channel. The build doesn't have any new features, but it does remove or turn off some notable features. Starting with Build 21387, Microsoft has retired the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application. This comes as no surprise, as Microsoft already announced the end of support for Internet Explorer.

The build also turns off the "Eco mode" feature in the Task Manager, though this feature seems set to make a return in the future. In the release notes of Build 21387, Microsoft explains that the feature was turned off while it refines the experience.

Here are all of the changes found in Windows 10 Build 21387:

• The Internet Explorer 11 desktop application is now retired as of this Insider Preview build. For additional details see https://www.bing.com/?ref=aka&shorturl=IEmodeblog.
• We are turning off the "Eco mode" feature in Task Manager in order to refine the experience and address several issues thanks to Windows Insider feedback.

There's also a long list of fixes in the build:

• We fixed an issue in the previous flight where during the upgrade and in the welcome screens displayed after first sign in, the text was unexpectedly using the Times New Roman font.
• We fixed an issue resulting in some Insiders seeing errors when trying to launch Notepad via the Run dialog.
• We fixed an issue for WSL users, preventing some Linux GUI apps from launching correctly via the shortcut that is automatically added to Start menu.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the reset or change PIN workflows not working.
• We fixed an issue where for some Insiders, night light was immediately turning off after being enabled.
• We fixed an issue in recent flights where you might unexpectedly get a "We can't find an audio device" error when trying to play audio from a connected Bluetooth speaker.
• We fixed an issue where explorer.exe might crash after repeated use of the touchpad gesture for switching Virtual Desktops.
• We fixed two issues impacting the ability to print using USB printers.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the Windows Update page potentially becoming unresponsive after clicking Pause Updates.
• We fixed an issue causing some devices to fail with error code 0xc1900101. While this fix will resolve the problem on some devices, there is a second issue causing the same error code (noted below). We're working on a fix for this issue as well.
• We fixed an issue where some devices were re-offered the .NET update after it is installed. After taking this build you should no longer be reoffered the .NET update. If you experience and issue getting Build 21387 because of a pending .NET update, you can work around the issue by pausing then un-pausing updates.
• We fixed an issue where some devices would crash with a DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION error when using OneDrive Personal Vault.
• We fixed a ctfmon.exe crash when using ATOK (a third-party IME) if reconversion was triggered in some win32 apps.

You can grab the latest build now through Windows Update if you're a Dev Channel Insider.

What you need to know

• Internet Explorer has lived a long, healthy life.
• Microsoft is ending support for it in certain versions of Windows 10 starting June 15, 2022.
• Edge will be the future of Microsoft's browser efforts.

Press "F" to pay respects to Internet Explorer 11, as it will soon be heading to Valhalla. Microsoft announced in a blog post that Internet Explorer is out and that Edge is the browser of the future.

In its blog post, Microsoft reminds users that Edge has an "IE mode" for whenever they need to access legacy apps and websites, so in a way, IE isn't really going anywhere. Except that it is: The Internet Explorer 11 desktop app itself will lose support and be formally retired on June 15, 2022.

It will live on in Edge like a ghost in the shell, but that's about it. At least, that'll be the case for many users. Some versions of Windows 10 will retain IE, as will other Windows operating systems. Here's what will be affected by the retirement.

Internet Explorer 11 desktop application delivered via the Semi-Annual Channel (SAC):

• Windows 10 client SKUs (version 20H2 and later)
• Windows 10 IoT (version 20H2 and later)

And here's a full list of what won't be affected by the retirement, courtesy of Microsoft:

• Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge
• Internet Explorer platform (MSHTML/Trident), including WebOC
• Internet Explorer 11 desktop application on:
• Windows 8.1
• Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESU)
• Windows 10 Server SAC (all versions)
• Windows 10 IoT Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) (all versions)
• Windows 10 Server LTSC (all versions)
• Windows 10 client LTSC (all versions)

You can read additional info about the end of IE via Microsoft's Internet Explorer 11 retirement FAQ. And remember that Microsoft truly is committed to keeping Edge in great shape as it fully takes over for IE, a fact that can be evidenced by the constant updates Edge receives.

Update, October 29 (6:50 AM ET): Microsoft reached out to clarify that it is possible to disable the redirection behavior. Microsoft outlines the steps on how to do so in a support document.

What you need to know

• Microsoft will soon force several websites to open in Microsoft Edge instead of Internet Explorer.
• The list of sites includes Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and several other big names.
• Internet Explorer hasn't been officially supported for several years.

Microsoft shifted away from Internet Explorer years ago, but some people still cling to the old browser. Soon, people will be forced away from Internet Explorer when trying to open certain sites. According to ZDNet, Internet Explorer will soon refuse to open over 1,000 websites, including Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

This change should occur next month. Following the switch, any time that someone tries to open certain sites within Internet Explorer, the site will open in Microsoft Edge instead. This feature has been in testing for some time, starting with Edge 84, which rolled out this summer. Starting with Edge 87, which should come out in November, Microsoft will start forcing the switch to Edge for certain sites.

The forced switch to Edge will occur for 1,156 websites, including big names like ESPN, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. The list of websites is held on a DLL file that Microsoft has built up.

When someone tries to navigate to one of the sites on Internet Explorer, they'll be met by a page that reads, "You've been redirected to Microsoft Edge where you can continue your browsing uninterrupted. To continue browsing seamlessly on Microsoft Edge, import your data and settings from Internet Explorer."

Of course, people can also choose to use a different browser than Edge or Internet Explorer.

Microsoft ended support for Internet Explorer 8, 9, and 10 four years ago, but some people still use it. This forced shift for several popular websites should bump a few more people over to more modern browsers, such as the new Microsoft Edge.

Luckily for those that are directed to Microsoft Edge, it's a solid browser that's earned a positive reputation. Microsoft recently switched to a Chromium base for the browser. The new browser has received positive reviews, including a 4.5/5 from our senior editor Zac Bowden.

What you need to know

• Microsoft 365 web apps will no longer support Internet Explorer 11 in August 2021.
• Microsoft Teams will drop support even sooner, at the end of November, 2020.
• While some features may continue to work, others will stop working or not be available in Internet Explorer 11.

Internet Explorer was already on its way out with the new Microsoft Edge taking its throne, but it's about to get another nail in the coffin. Microsoft announced today that Microsoft 365 apps will drop support for Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) on August 17, 2021 (via MSPU). Microsoft Teams will pull the plug a little sooner, with support for IE11 ending on November 30, 2020.

After the end-of-support dates, Microsoft says that IE11 will have a "degraded experience" with Microsoft 365 apps. This can include being unable to connect to Microsoft 365 apps and services, features not working, and new features not being available.

From Microsoft:

The news comes alongside word that support for Microsoft Edge Legacy is ending in March of 2021. Going forward, Microsoft is putting all of its weight behind the new Microsoft Edge, which it built with Chromium at its base. It also has a built-in "IE Mode" that offers compatibility with websites and legacy web apps that were built to work with Internet Explorer.

What you need to know

• Microsoft released new cumulative updates for Windows 10 today.
• The updates fix a remote code execution vulnerability in Internet Explorer.
• The optional updates are available for PCs running the Windows 10 May 2019 Update and earlier.

Microsoft today released a new set of cumulative updates for Windows 10 PCs running the May 2019 Update and earlier. Coming two weeks after this month's "Patch Tuesday" updates, the latest releases focus on fixing a single security issue with Internet Explorer.

The fix for Internet Explorer is the only thing included in these updates. Specifically, as noted in Microsoft's release notes, the updates focus on correcting a remote code execution vulnerability in all versions of Windows 10 save version 1511. Here's a description of the issue, from Microsoft's Security Update Guide:

These updates are optional, but they should be included as part of Microsoft's next round of "Patch Tuesday" cumulative updates in October.

You might not have been aware that IE can still be used in Windows 10. In this beginners guide we show you how to easily get to it anytime you want.

Activate Cortana either by saying "Hey Cortana, open Internet Explorer," or by typing in the box if you're not using voice or have Cortana disabled. Internet Explorer will show up immediately to be opened for use. To avoid doing this every time you want to use Internet Explorer, follow these simple steps.

1. Type "Internet Explorer" in the Cortana/Search box. (Saying "Hey Cortana, open Internet Explorer" isn't useful here.)
2. Right click on Internet Explorer in the Cortana/Search window.
3. To add Internet Explorer as a tile on your Start Menu click Pin to Start.
4. To keep it on your taskbar simply click Pin to taskbar.

Now, every time you need to use IE it's just a click away.

If you don't want to add extra clutter to your taskbar or don't use the search box at all, here's where else you can find it.

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Scroll down to Windows Accessories.
3. Open the folder.
4. Launch Internet Explorer.

Whichever method you use, you'll now be able to access the old browser if you really need it.

Updated March 11, 2019: We checked this guide to ensure it's up to date for 2019.

Although Microsoft Edge is your new default web browser (soon to be replaced with a version based on Chromium), Windows 10 still ships with Internet Explorer 11 as a legacy feature to support sites using old web technologies.

However, since the web has been evolving rapidly, developers are no longer maintaining sites for Internet Explorer, and you have plenty of other choices (including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Microsoft Edge), there's no reason to keep using the old browser as it can now only lead to security and stability problems.

If you no longer have a need for Internet Explorer 11, you can remove the browser in at least two different ways on Windows 10 using Control Panel and PowerShell.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to remove Internet Explorer 11 from your device.

• How to uninstall Internet Explorer using Control Panel
• How to uninstall Internet Explorer using PowerShell

How to uninstall Internet Explorer using Control Panel

To remove Internet Explorer 11 from Windows 10, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. On the right pane, under "Related settings," click the Program and Features option.

5. On the left pane, click the Turn Windows features on or off option.

6. Clear the Internet Explorer 11 option.

7. Click the OK button.
8. Click the Yes button to confirm.
9. Click the Restart now button.

Once you complete the steps, Internet Explorer 11 will be removed from your computer. Searching the "Internet Explorer" will highlight Microsoft Edge in the Start menu, and the "Open with Internet Explorer" option will be available in the main menu, but it won't work.

Using this method will remove the browser from your device, but not the files. If you need the old browser back, you can use the same instructions, but on step No. 6, make sure to check the Internet Explorer 11 option.

How to uninstall Internet Explorer using PowerShell

Alternatively, you can use PowerShell to remove Internet Explorer 11 from Windows 10. This is a particularly useful option when managing multiple computers and you want to create a script to save time uninstalling the app.

To remove IE11 using PowerShell commands, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to disable Internet Explorer 11 and press Enter:Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -FeatureName Internet-Explorer-Optional-amd64 –Online

4. Type Y and press Enter to confirm

After completing the steps, your device will restart to complete the process, and then IE will be gone from your installation.

If for some reason, you need the browser back, you can use the instructions, but on step No. 3, use this command instead:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -FeatureName Internet-Explorer-Optional-amd64 –Online

.

Updated February 14, 2019: This guide has been revised to make sure it's current with the latest version of Windows 10.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

Microsoft may be winding down its operations for the holidays, but it's pushing out another set of cumulative updates for Windows 10 today. This time, there are patches for every Windows 10 release, and each is focused on one thing: Internet Explorer.

Details are scant in the release notes, but each update includes a "security update for Internet Explorer." All told, there are updates for each major Windows 10 version ranging from the October 2018 Update back to the initial release version.

If you're already on the October 2018 Update, you'll be able to snag the update with KB4483235 via Windows Update, ticking the build number up to 17763.195. Meanwhile, those still on the April 2018 Update will pick up KB4483234, with build number 17134.472.

For the rest of the releases, you can check out the release notes and build numbers at Microsoft's support site.

If you head to the Microsoft Answers forum for any expecting official technical support for an older Microsoft product, you'll soon be out of luck. The company announced today that it will no longer be providing technical support from Microsoft agents for a slew of products, including older versions of Windows and Office, along with Microsoft Band, Zune, and older Surface PCs (via MSPU).

Here's a look at all of the products that will be "discontinued across different forums in the community" as of July, 2018:

• Windows 7, 8.1, 8.1 RT
• Microsoft Security Essentials
• Internet Explorer 10
• Office 2010, 2013
• Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, Surface RT, Surface 2
• Microsoft Band – this topic will be locked. Users are invited to participate in Microsoft Band 2 topic.
• Mobile devices forum – Microsoft support will continue in "Other Windows mobile devices" topic
• Zune – this topic will be locked, but will remain available for browsing

According to Microsoft, the move is being made to "shift" its support scope. Staff will still moderate the forums, and community members are asked to continue to participate in topics that remain open. However, Microsoft says there will no longer be "proactive reviews, monitoring, answering or answer marking of questions."

There are a few things you'll hear in every conversation about internet security; one of the first ones would be to use a password manager. I've said it, most of my coworkers have said it, and chances are you've said it while helping someone else sort out ways to keep their data safe and sound. It's still good advice, but a recent study from Princeton University's Center for Information Technology Policy has found that the password manager in your web browser you might use to keep your information private is also helping ad companies track you across the web.

It's a frightening scenario from all sides, mostly because it's not going to be easy to fix. What's happening isn't the stealing of any credentials — an ad company doesn't want your username and password — but the behavior a password manager uses is being exploited in a very simple way. An ad company places a script on a page (two called out by name are AdThink and OnAudience) that acts as a login form. It's not a real login form, as in it's not going to connect you to any service, it's "just" a login script.

How it works

When your password manager sees a login form, it enters a username. Browsers tested were: Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Edge, and Safari. Chrome, for example, will not enter the password until the user interacts with the form, but it enters a username automatically. That's fine because that is all the script wants or needs. Other browsers behaved the same, as expected.

Once your username is entered, it and your browser ID are hashed into a unique identifier. You don't need to save anything on your computer or phone because the next time you visit a site that is using the same ad company you get another script acting as a login form and your username is once again entered. The data is compared to what's on file, and et voilà a unique identifier has been attached to you and can be (and is being) used to track you across the web. And this works because this is expected and "trusted" behavior. Besides a roadmap of your internet habits, data found to be attached to this UUID also includes browser plugins, MIME types, screen dimensions, language, timezone information, user agent string, OS information, and CPU information.

It works because of what's known as the Same Origin Policy. When content from two different sources is presented it is not to be trusted, but once a source is trusted all content for the current session is also trusted (trust in this sense means you're purposefully viewing or interacting with the content). You've directed your browser to a webpage and interacted with a login form on that page, so it's all treated as being trusted while you're on the page. In this case, though, the script was embedded into a page but is actually from a different source and shouldn't be trusted until you've clicked or interacted in some way to show you intended to be there.

If the offending page elements were embedded in an iframe or another method that matches the source and destination of the data, the automatic-ness of this exploit (and yes, I'll call it an exploit) wouldn't work.

A list of known sites embedding scripts that abuse login manager for tracking

There's a very good chance that the web publishers using ad services that exploit this behavior have no idea of what's happening to their users. While that doesn't exempt them from responsibility it is ultimately their product being used to harvest data from users without their knowledge, and that should make every site administrator concerned (and possibly very irate). As a user, there's not much we can do other than follow the same "incognito" web browsing practices used when we want to stay a little more private on the web. That means to block all scripts, block all ads, save no data, accept no cookies and basically treat each web session as its own sandbox.

Can it be fixed?

The only true fix is to change the way password managers work through the browser — both built-in tools and extensions or other plugins. Arvind Narayanan, one of the professors who worked on the project, puts it succinctly: "It won't be easy to fix, but it's worth doing."

Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Mozilla all shaped the web into what it is today, and they are capable of changing things to meet new issues. Hopefully, this is on the short list of changes.

Adobe has announced that it is finally preparing to pull the plug on one of the most maligned names across the internet: Flash. The company says that it will stop updating and distributing Flash Player by the end of 2020.

In addition to Adobe's announcement, Microsoft took to a separate post to outline its plans in the lead-up to Flash's demise. Specifically, for Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge, Microsoft will gradually phase out support for Flash over the next few years, culminating in dropping support entirely in 2020. From Microsoft:

• Through the end of 2017 and into 2018, Microsoft Edge will continue to ask users for permission to run Flash on most sites the first time the site is visited, and will remember the user's preference on subsequent visits. Internet Explorer will continue to allow Flash with no special permissions required during this time.
• In mid to late 2018, we will update Microsoft Edge to require permission for Flash to be run each session. Internet Explorer will continue to allow Flash for all sites in 2018.
• In mid to late 2019, we will disable Flash by default in both Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer. Users will be able to re-enable Flash in both browsers. When re-enabled, Microsoft Edge will continue to require approval for Flash on a site-by-site basis.
• By the end of 2020, we will remove the ability to run Adobe Flash in Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer across all supported versions of Microsoft Windows. Users will no longer have any ability to enable or run Flash.

Microsoft's plan lines up with other similar plans by Google, Mozilla and Apple — all of which have already begun limiting Flash to some extent in their browsers.

Despite its role in bringing rich content to the web, Flash has faded out of favor over time as it has gained a reputation for security woes and its impact on battery life. At the same time, other standards, such as HTML5, have become widely supported and adopted. Flash is still widely used across certain portions of the web, but a 2020 end-of-life date should ensure an ample transition period.

Google's Project Zero has exposed another security flaw in Microsoft software — this time in Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. As reported by The Register, the flaw was first disclosed to Microsoft on November 25, but has now gone public after exceeding Project Zero's 90-day disclosure deadline without a patch.

The bug in question could allow a website to crash the browser and execute code with just 17 lines of HTML. If you're into the nitty-gritty technical details of the issue, you can dive into the full explanation of the flaw at Project Zero's post.

This isn't the first time Google has publicly outed a flaw in Microsoft software without a patch being issued. Most recently, the two software giants butted heads in late 2016 after Google disclosed a bug in Windows just days after alerting Microsoft. Similarly, January of 2015 saw Google publish a Windows 8.1 vulnerability just days before a patch was set to go live.

It's not clear when or how quickly Microsoft might issue a fix for this particular flaw. The company curiously delayed its usual monthly round of fixes for February, noting that they'll arrive with March's Patch Tuesday on March 14. However, the company did issue a fix for a critical Adobe Flash bug just days later, so there's a chance we could see a security fix outside of the usual monthly schedule.

Microsoft has announced that it will soon start blocking outdated versions of Adobe Flash Player from running in Internet Explorer on Windows 7. Specifically, the company will start using its ActiveX control blocking feature to prevent web pages from loading content with outdated Flash controls on October 11.

From Microsoft:

Starting on October 11, 2016, we're expanding the out-of-date ActiveX control blocking feature to include outdated versions of Adobe Flash Player. This update notifies you when a Web page tries to load a Flash ActiveX control older than (but not including):

• Adobe Flash Player version 21.0.0.198
• Adobe Flash Player Extended Support Release version 18.0.0.241

It's important to note that this only applies to Internet Explorer 11 running on Windows 7 SP1 or Windows Server 2008 R2. If you're running Windows 8.1, Windows 10 or Windows Server 2012R2, you'll remain unaffected since Windows Update automatically installs important Flash updates.

If you're curious, Microsoft has provided a running list of outdated ActiveX controls that it is blocking, including older versions of Java and Silverlight.

Microsoft is adding more features to its OneNote Web Clipper add-on for Chrome, Safari and Internet Explorer browser users. It adds features like a preview mode, support for adding YouTube videos and more.

Here's a quick look at what's new and improved in OneNote Web Clipper, which allows OneNote users to quickly save parts of web pages on the app.

• Preview—Ever wonder exactly what was about to show up in OneNote once you clipped? Problem solved! Now all clipping modes—full page, region, article, recipe and product—provide a preview so what you see is what you get.
• YouTube and Vimeo support—You can now clip videos from YouTube and Vimeo pages into OneNote.
• Highlight text—When you clip an article, product or recipe you can highlight sections of text, and those highlights will be saved to OneNote.
• Clip multiple regions in one go—Clip multiple regions of a webpage and save them all in a single OneNote page.
• Use your own title—Change the title of your page in the preview window before sending it to OneNote.
• Articles your way—Change the font size and type in your article to improve readability before you even clip it to OneNote.

You can download the new version of Web Clipper from Microsoft's OneNote site.

Businesses with PCs that have Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 installed can check out some improvements in today's cumulative updates for those operating systems. The changes are specifically for users of the Internet Explorer 11 browser.

In a blog post, Microsoft stated:

Microsoft has announced that the upcoming Windows 10 Anniversary Update will offer businesses some improvements if they use both the Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11 web browsers.

Microsoft kept supporting IE11 in Windows 10 on PCs due to the fact that many businesses still use web-based applications that support the browser. It also allowed Edge users to open up IE11-based sites in Enterprise Mode. In a blog post, Microsoft detailed how they plan to improve opening IE11 sites in Edge:

The Windows 10 Anniversary Update will also allow businesses to just open IE11 sites with the applications they need to use, and open all other sites in Edge:

It has finally happened. Microsoft has been dethroned in the competitive web browser market. Google's Chrome has taken the number one spot, according to latest marketshare figures released by Net Marketshare. Microsoft's own Internet Explorer has gradually been losing shares of the pie as the browser became more unpopular due to lack of innovation and strong competition from the likes of Firefox and Chrome.

While the company is clearly reacting to this current trend with the release of Edge, Microsoft still has some way to go before it is able to go head to head against Chrome. Extensions, improved usability and more will need to be packed into Edge to make it the Internet Explorer we always so desperately wanted. As noted by LifeHacker, it's quite the sudden change too, with Chrome only sitting on 27% last year, while IE had a comfortable 54%.

Fast forward to 2016 and Chrome now has 41.66%, just tipping over Microsoft at 41,35%. Sure, there's really nothing between the two web browsers but many still rely on Internet Explorer due to legacy platforms and applications that are still compatible with only specific versions of the software package. Microsoft will be looking to improve Edge in Windows 10 to attract web users back to its own offerings, but as touched on already the company has some way to go.

How are you finding Microsoft Edge, and do you see it going up against Chrome anytime soon?Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

If you are using Windows 7, but are also still using Internet Explorer 8, 9 or 10 as your main web browser, Microsoft wants to let you know that you should really switch over to IE 11. The company has revealed it will be sending notifications to those users on Tuesday, January 12 to upgrade to IE 11.

The notifications are part of Microsoft's previously announced plans to end support for IE 8, 9 and 10 for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on January 12. If you are still using Windows Vista, IE 9 will continue to be supported until official support for Vista itself ends in mid-2017. Business and enterprise users who really want to keep using the older browsers can get rid of the notifications to upgrade via a registry change.

Windows 10 users still have IE 11 for backwards compatibility with older web apps, but Microsoft seems determined to slowly end the IE brand in favor of its new Microsoft Edge browser which was introduced with Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile.

Source: Microsoft; Via: The Next Web

While Microsoft launched its new Edge browser with Windows 10 earlier this year, there are still a lot of PC users, especially in business and enterprise settings, that are using Windows 7 and the older Internet Explorer browsers. Microsoft is adding more Enterprise Mode features in Internet Explorer 11 to prepare businesses for the end of support and update for all the other versions of IE after Jan. 12, 2016 in Windows 7.

Right now, IE11 supports document modes for emulation of the IE5, IE7, IE8, IE9, IE10, and IE11 engines, along with Enterprise Mode emulation for IE7 and IE8. Enterprise Mode has now added support for HTTP ports and Microsoft has launched the Web Application Compatibility Lab Kit to help businesses and IT managers set up Enterprise Mode.

For businesses who want to upgrade to Windows 10 but still need to use IE11 instead of Edge for their web-based applications, Enterprise mode can now be set up so that when IE11 goes to a more modern website, it will automatically open via Microsoft Edge.

Source: Microsoft

All currently supported versions of Windows, including Windows 10, are getting a out-of-schedule security update today. The patch is designed specifically to fix an issue that was discovered in all versions of Internet Explorer.

Normally, all Windows security patches are issued on the second Tuesday of each month, also known as "Patch Tuesday". However, Microsoft felt the need to release this patch outside the normal time frame. It is labeled as a "Critical" update for all versions of Windows, and "Moderate" for Windows servers. Microsoft says:

The patch does not affect Windows 10's new web browser, Microsoft Edge.

Source: Microsoft; Via: ZDNet

Microsoft will be cracking down on web banner ads that are designed to be misleading and could deliver malicious software or content in the near future. The company has updated its unwanted software evaluation criteria, and will start enforcing those changes on June 1 via the SmartScreen Filter in Internet Explorer.

Microsoft says:

Here is what web banner ads must not do under Microsoft's new criteria:

• Must not mislead or deceive, or confuse with the intent to mislead or deceive
• Must be distinguishable from website content
• Must not contain malicious code
• Must not invoke a file download

Under the changes, Internet Explorer will issue a warning when the SmartScreen Filter detects what it believes to be a misleading ad banner, such as the examples shown above.

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft will no longer have "Do No Track" as the default setting for its future web browsers, including "Project Spartan". The company says it is making this change in order to avoid conflicting with the latest "Do Not Track" standard as created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Here is the language of the standard from the W3C:

In today's announcement, Microsoft said:

Microsoft enabled "Do Not Track" as the default for Internet Explorer 10 in 2012 and it was enabled again for IE11. The decision was praised by privacy groups but was heavily criticized by online advertising companies. Microsoft said today that even though "Do Not Track" will no longer be set as the default for its future browsers, they will provide clear information about how to turn that feature on for users. It added:

Source: Microsoft

Information security is always one of those topics that is hard to report on, especially with the sheer number of devices available today. The problem lies in what is dangerous, what is bad, or what is no-big-deal. Frankly, opinions vary on the risks and threats involved.

One neat feature in Windows Phone is the ability to select text and hit the Search key. The Windows Phone OS copies the information over to Bing (or Cortana), and it lets you search without having to copy/paste the selection. It is super useful and certainly convenient for speedy searches.

However, there does seem to be one instance where this feature works where it should not: password fields.

The security vulnerability

When using Internet Explorer, text entered into a password field replace the characters with an asterisk. So instead of 'dummypassword' you see a series of *************. The mask is there so that if someone is overlooking your shoulder, they cannot see your password (unless they saw each letter being entered).

This security protection is standard across web browsers, operating systems, and it should be familiar to most of you.

The issue with Windows Phone is that you can select that field, highlighting the masked text and reveal the password using the Search key. Instead of searching for a series of asterisks, the password is revealed in full, pasted right into the search dialog screen.

Is this a big deal?

So the question is, how big a deal is this? Presumably, for someone to take advantage of this security hole, the person would need to be in possession of your phone.

One could argue in this situation, if your phone is already stolen and they have open access to the operating system, well, you have bigger problems. Passwords could be reset with email, which is likely on that very phone. Pictures, documents, notes, etc. are also all up for grabs.

Nevertheless, other operating systems like iOS do not allow this behavior.

Furthermore, if your phone is PIN unlocked, someone would not need to steal your phone to make usage of this trick. Many people let Internet Explorer manage their passwords, allowing the password box to auto-fill when logging into a website. A potential thief could just as easily go to the browser, load up Facebook and when it fills in the field, use this flaw to grab your password.

Fixed in Windows 10?

Although this flaw is exposed on Windows Phone 8.1, it looks like in Windows 10 for phone it cannot. We tried it on our Lumia 830 with the Windows 10 preview installed and were not able to replicate the vulnerability. Furthermore, Internet Explorer is supposed to be supplanted by the Project Spartan browser, giving Microsoft another shot at making sure this – and other – vulnerabilities do not exist.

Microsoft should fix this

We would consider this a low-level threat as it would require someone have access to your phone. Additionally, if IE is not managing your passwords, it is even harder.

Regardless, it is a flaw that should be addressed by Microsoft. We gave an example of how this could be exploited even without someone stealing your phone or waiting for you to enter a password. Password fields should never let you copy information, and although on desktop browsers you can use Javascript tricks to grab the password this is a separate issue than a simple copy/paste risk.

Update: Microsoft's Security Response Center has responded to Peter's report filed earlier. The news is not so comforting.

However, Microsoft's Windows and Windows Phone teams can still patch this on their own, so we will keep an eye out to see if that happens.

The problem was brought to our attention by Peter M., and also posted on Reddit

In an expected move, Microsoft will look to drop the Internet Explorer brand altogether for Project Spartan. The new Windows 10 browser will sport a new name, according to Microsoft marketing chief Chris Capossela during the company's Convergence event. Internet Explorer itself isn't going away anytime soon, but the successor will start with a clean slate.

As reported by The Verge:

What's more is Microsoft is likely to include the company brand in the new browser name, thanks to research carried out with some Chrome users in the UK preferring 'Microsoft' at the front of the secret name. All we need to know is the final name that Microsoft finally settles with, and for the company to release a Windows 10 build for Insiders to test drive the new experience. Unfortunately, the next build won't be 10036.

Source: The Verge

Microsoft has confirmed that the new EdgeHTML.dll rendering engine for Internet Explorer is being used in the newly launched Windows 10 techical preview for phones. The new engine is already being used in the Windows 10 preview for desktops.

Microsoft says:

The company also went over some of the other features that have been put into this first Windows 10 for phones preview release in terms of its support of web platforms:

The new web browser that Microsoft is currently working on, under the code name Project Spartan, is not part of this first Windows 10 preview for phones. However, it will use the same rendering engine that IE currently has in this build. Project Spartan will replace IE entirely in a future preview build of Windows 10 for phones.

Source: Microsoft

There's been a bunch of reports and alleged screenshots recently about "Spartan", the code name for the rumored new web browser that Microsoft may be developing for Windows 10. Today, another new report claims to have even more information about Spartan's features, including word that it may have inking support.

The Verge, citing unnamed sources, states that Spartan will allow users to write notes on a web page via a stylus and then save those notes via OneDrive so they can be seen and shared by others. Those folks can even write their own notes on the page, according to the report. Spartan will also allow users to group tabs in any form, but a planned feature to offer custom themes has reportedly been cancelled, at least for now.

The story also claims that Spartan will incorporate Microsoft's Cortana digital assistant. It states:

The Verge says that Spartan will be released via the Windows Store, but it won't be a universal app, claiming that Microsoft will release a version for Windows 10 desktop users and a separate version for tablets and smartphones. However, both will have the exact features. The story also agrees with an earlier rumor from ZDNet that a version of Internet Explorer will still ship with Windows 10 for the desktop to help with backwards compatiblity for older websites.

Once again, we have to point out that Microsoft has yet to officially confirm or deny anything about Spartan. We should learn more on Jan. 21 about the company's plans for the browser, and Windows 10, as part of Microsoft's major press event that will be held in its headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

Source: The Verge

Microsoft has discontinued the use of the Browser Choice menu for Windows users in Europe, ending a requirement of the company's agreement with the European Commission to offer such a menu.

In a message on its Windows support page this week, the company stated:

That agreement with the European Commission was part of an anti-trust settlement, due to concerns that bundling Internet Explorer with Windows was creating an unfair advantage for Microsoft's browser against other browsers like Mozilla's Firefox and Google's Chrome.

In 2012, the European Commission announced an investigation of Microsoft, claiming that the Browser Choice menu was not available for many Windows users in Europe. Microsoft later admitted that a technical error kept the menu from showing up on many Windows 7 PCs. As a result, the European Commission fined Microsoft $732 million in 2013 for violating the terms of the agreement.

Source: Microsoft, Via: WindowsITPro

Microsoft has once again partnered up with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to launch the annual Santa Tracker website. The website enables those eagerly awaiting Santa's arrival to track the bringer of joy and presents as he travels across the world. This year the web team brings new games, an improved experience and better mobile support.

Starting on December 24, when Santa begins his long journey, visitors to the website will be able to track his progress on a 3D globe. While Microsoft is clearly pushing Internet Explorer, the company has worked with open standards, meaning the portal should work on all modern platforms (including mobile).

Microsoft will be giving away some prizes, so be on the lookout for opportunities to send in your favorite holiday traditions, memories and wishes to Skype via video message and be featured on the website. Oh, and for Windows Phone owners, why not track Santa with Cortana? Simply ask "where is Santa now?"

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft is giving web developers a way to run Internet Explorer on nearly every major operating system via a new service called RemoteIE, Simply put, it will let them use the browser on OS X, iOS or Android devices, in addition to Windows, via the Azure RemoteApp, without the need for a typical virtual machine.

The version of IE that's can run on the RemoteIE system is the same one that's available with the recently launched Windows 10 Technical Preview. Microsoft stated:

There are a few caveats with RemoteIE. One is that Azure RemoteApp only works with Windows Server 2012 or later versions of the server OS. Also, each session lasts for only 60 minutes so developers will have to log in again after that time limit is up to continue. However, this should give those website creators a number of new options when developing sites that are designed to work with the latest build of IE.

Is Microsoft doing a better job in adding more developer support for Internet Explorer, including from non-Windows users?

Source: IE blog

For the past few years, the research firm Net Applications has shown that worldwide, Internet Explorer 8 has been the most used PC web browser. Now the firm's newest stats show that Microsoft's latest browser, IE11, has jumped ahead of IE8 and is now in the number one spot for the first time.

Net Applications, which takes its data from unique visitors to its many websites, says that for October 2014, IE11 had 24.05 percent of the worldwide browser market share, well ahead of September's 17.13 percent. IE8 also came crashing down from the number one spot to number two with 17.31 percent, well below September's 22.20 percent.

So what happened? Net Applications also recorded a big increase in Windows 8.1 in October for PC operating system market share, along with a huge drop for the older Windows XP. IE8 is the last version of Internet Explorer to support Windows XP so a drop in the use of the older OS would certainly affect IE8's market share, as would a rise in the use of Windows 8.1 would most likely lead to more people using IE11.

Which web browser do you use the most while on your PC desktop or notebook?

Source: Net Applications

Did you install all your updates today on Windows 8.1 for Patch Tuesday? Then you might notice the new tab page looking a little bit different in Internet Explorer. The new tab page now displays a Bing search box right above your frequently visited web pages.

Download all the updates you see waiting for you in Windows Update. Install them and restart your PC to notice the new Bing search box in the new tab page within IE. This is for desktop Internet Explorer, not the touch friendly version.

What do you think of the subtle change? Will you use it to search Bing or continue to just type in the address bar?

Thanks for the heads up everyone!

Microsoft gets highly technical in their latest Internet Explorer blog post that describes the improvements that have been put into the Chakra JavaScript engine in Internet Explorer for the Windows 10 Technical Preview.

Most of this blog is not for the ordinary layman but it's still a fascinating look at how Microsoft has tried to improve IE for Windows 10. Here's an example that describes a new method in IE for faster performance when loading websites and apps.

Remember, this is just the preview build of IE in Windows 10. Microsoft is holding off on releasing the full version of Internet Explorer 12 until sometime in the future. In the meantime, what do you think about Microsoft's efforts to improve performance in IE via this preview build?

Source: IE blog

Microsoft has already announced that the version of Internet Explorer that is available in the Windows 10 Technical Preview supports the HTTP/2, but in a new blog post today, the company says that is actually huge news for websites; especially the developers who make them and the busniness that depend on them for revenue.

Microsoft says that even a small amount of a delay in loading a website can have massive consequences for the people who need them to load faster. It states:

While Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 supported the SPDY 3.0 protocol in IE11, Microsoft has now decided to end their support for SPDY in favor of HTTP/2. It states:

Microsoft offers some instructions on how web designers and owners can go ahead and get their sites ready for HTTP/2 by downloading the Windows 10 Technical Preview and using its developer tools. It also supports server support as well. Do you support Microsoft's push for the HTTP/2 protocol?

Source: Microsoft

While the desktop version of Internet Explorer is supposed to be the only one available on the Windows 10 Technical Preview, there is a way to access the Modern UI version of IE in this preview build as well, if you want a more touchscreen-based experience.

A man who goes by the Twitter handle "AdamUCF" has created a script that can be accessed and downloaded on the Pastebin website. After downloading it, you will have to change the file extension name to to .ps1. After that, you just right click the file and open it with Powershell to access the Modern IE version.

Our editor in chief Daniel Rubino has tried this script out and found that the Modern IE runs very well, and very fast, with his Surface Pro 3 tablet. However, he does say that if you close out the IE browser, you will need to run the .ps1 file every time to access the Modern version again.

As we reported yesterday, the Windows 10 Technical Preview does not yet have the upcoming Internet Explorer 12 web browser, but it does have a few improvements over the current Windows 7 and 8.1 versions of IE11. If you have tried this script, what do you think of the Modern IE running in this early build of Windows 10?

Source: AdamUCF on Twitter, PasteBin

While today's release of the Windows 10 Technical Preview for Enterprise does not contain IE12, there are some improvements in its version of the Internet Explorer web browser that have been included in the preview build.

In a blog post, Microsoft said one of the additions is support for the HTTP/2 networking protocol. Microsoft said, "HTTP/2 builds on our experience delivering SPDY/3 support in IE11 and enables improved performance on the Web using techniques including multiplexing, header compression and Server Push."

Microsoft has also made some improvements to IE's Chakra JavaScript engine.in the Windows 10 Technical Preview, saying, "The changes include streamlining of Chakra's execution pipeline to deliver faster startup, optimizations in Chakra's Just-in-Time compiler to increase script execution throughput, and enhancements to Chakra's Garbage Collection subsystem to deliver better UI responsiveness for apps and sites." Finally, the browser "switches the parsing of domain names to use the algorithms and domain list found at http://publicsuffix.org.

Much like it has for Xbox Music, the Xbox One console and other products. Microsoft has set up an Internet Explorer Platform Suggestion webpage via UserVoice. to get feedback from its users for the future development of IE. It states, "By using the UserVoice voting system, we'll be able to see exactly which feature suggestions are the most requested by the web developer community which will help us prioritize our work."

What suggestions would you give the IE team to use in possible future versions of the browser?

Source: Microsoft

Windows Phone 8.1 has been released, at least in its Developer Preview form, for several months now, but we are still learning about what Microsoft has put into the OS. Late on Friday, the company offered some information on the HTML5 video and audio changes and improvements it has made for the version of Internet Explorer 11 that was made for Windows Phone 8.1.

In a blog post, Microsoft stated:

Videos that play in IE11 do so by default inside the webpage they are hosted on, but website coders also have the option to have the clip play in full screen mode using the FullScreen API. The popular video site Vimeo is an example of a service that chooses that option. IE11 with Windows Phone 8.1 also supports Media Source Extensions to offer users solid audio and video streaming without the use of plug-ins. Finally, it offers closed captioning of videos in the same way as the IE11 version of Windows 8.1 does.

What has your HTML5 video and audio experience been like when using IE11 for Windows Phone 8.1?

Source: IEBlog

The next version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser, IE12, could be using the internal code name "Spartan". If so, this is just the latest example of the company using a code name that has a reference to their Halo Xbox game franchise.

ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley stated that, according to her own unnamed sources, Microsoft has chosen "Spartan" as IE12's code name. A reference to "zSpartan" was spotted in the recent screenshot and video leaks of Microsoft's next version of Windows and Foley also notes that the same code name has been spotted in a number of Microsoft online job listings. Halo fans know that Spartan is the name used in the game series to describe members of the human super-soldier program, which includes the franchise's lead character, Master Chief.

Microsoft used "Cortana", the name of Halo's main AI character, as the code name for its digital assistant in Windows Phone 8.1 and then decided to go ahead and use it for its public release as well. Even the code name for the next version of Windows, "Threshold" has a Halo reference. It is the name of a gas giant planet that has appeared in the series.

What do you think of Microsoft continuing to use Halo references for internal software code names?

Source: ZDNet

A new rumor claims that the next version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser for PCs, IE12, will have a flat design that is described as a mix of what's being used for Google's Chrome and Mozilla's Firefox browsers.

Neowin, using unnamed sources, says that the tabs in IE12 will be on top of the URL bar and will look like rectangles. The report says they will start on the far left of the browser window. The back, forward and refresh buttons are supposed to be below the tabs and next to the URL bar.

The report also says that IE12 will have some kind of extension support, similar to what Chrome has. The desktop version of IE11 does support plug-ins but the Modern UI version of IE11 on Windows 8 and 8.1, shown above, did away with third party plug-in support

Keep in mind that even if this new report is accurate, it's more than possible that Microsoft will make changes to IE12 before its official launch. IE12 is expected to be included in the next version of Windows, code named "Threshold", but it's possible that it won't be ready by the time that a rumored public preview of Threshold may be released in late September or early October.

What do you think about the prospect of IE12 having a look that's closer to Chrome or Firefox?

Source: Neowin