Uninstall Internet Explorer 11

Problem:

While it is generally strongly recommended to keep all software up to date, internal corporate IT systems sometimes depend on quirks in older versions of software, particularly Internet Explorer. For many years, large numbers of corporate PCs were stuck with Internet Explorer 6 because so much intranet software was written specifically for it, and all other browsers before or since have been largely incompatible with it. Today, there are still some web applications that simply refuse to work with Internet Explorer 11 but are perfectly fine with Internet Explorer 10.

Solution:

Internet Explorer is considered within Windows to be a Windows Update, and as such it can be removed, or “rolled back.” You can uninstall Internet Explorer 11 from Programs and Features in the Control Panel. This wikiHow article explains the procedure with animations showing exactly what to do.

Procedure:

  1. Open the Windows Control Panel.
  2. Click Programs and Features (or simply Programs if you are using the Category view).
  3. Click the View Installed Updates link.
  4. Locate the entry Windows Internet Explorer 11 and select it. Use the search box with the keywords “Internet Explorer” if necessary.
  5. Click Uninstall, confirm your choice as necessary, and restart the computer when prompted.

Limitations:

Internet Explorer will now be potentially less secure as it is no longer the most recent version. Additionally, any features introduced with Internet Explorer 11 will no longer be available.