How to uninstall Internet Explorer from your Windows Device

In this article, we shall learn how to uninstall Internet Explorer from your Windows Device. Uninstall Internet Explorer and explore the latest Microsoft announcement on IE11 on June 15, 2022. Certain Windows 10 versions will stop supporting the application. Alternatively, switch to Microsoft Edge – serving traditional and cutting-edge websites and apps. The Edge browser’s IE mode provides legacy support for sites requiring the application. Please see how to Enable Internet Explorer Mode in Edge in Windows 11, and Process Explorer: Replace built-in Task Manager.

Additionally, Microsoft will give one year’s notice before retiring IE mode. There are many ways to uninstall Internet Explorer from Windows or Windows Server.

However, going to Apps > Optional Features would be the simplest way to remove IE from the server. The Deployment Image Service and Management (DISM) can be used to uninstall the IE11 application from Windows Server and even PowerShell. In this write-up, I will show you how to uninstall Internet Explorer from your Windows or Windows Server PC.

Note that Microsoft Edge’s Internet Explorer mode, which enables backward compatibility, will be supported at least until 2029. Take a look at some of the following related guides: Internet Explorer: How to disable IE via Group Policy or Windows Registry Settings, and how to Activate Full-Screen (Kiosk Mode) in Internet Explorer.

Why Do You Need to Uninstall Internet Explorer?

Microsoft Edge is a reliable browser that receives regular updates and offers more features than IE.

Doing so is secure because Microsoft Edge has already replaced Internet Explorer on Windows Server and Windows OS. To access websites that work in IE, you can simply use Microsoft Edge in IE mode.

Although Internet Explorer has reached the end of its support life, updates will still be provided for Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 10, and later versions.

Allowing Internet Explorer to remain on your PC might pose some security risks as it is no longer supported, which means it won’t be receiving security updates from Microsoft again.

Kindly refer to some of these interesting links: how to forcefully remove Microsoft Edge Browser the hard way from your device, and how to Block downloads on Microsoft Edge using GPO on Windows Server 2019 and 2022.

Removing Explorer from Windows

Click Start on your Windows or Windows Server PC and type ‘Internet Explorer’ into the search box to check for its presence. If the Internet Explorer app appears in the search results, it means it is installed on the Windows or server.

Removing from Windows Server

In this section, I will show you how to uninstall Internet Explorer from your Windows Server. Uninstalling from Windows also follows the same methods for Windows Server.

To uninstall Internet Explorer from Windows Server, we will explore two methods:

1. Uninstalling Internet Explorer through the Settings App
2. Uninstalling Internet Explorer from Windows Server using DISM

Also, see How to use the Process Explorer from SysInternals Tools, and How To Add Google Drive To File Explorer in Windows.

Removing through the Settings App

Here, we’ll examine how to remove Internet Explorer from Windows Server through the Settings app.

To do so, open the Settings App by pressing Win + i. When the Settings app opens up, click on Apps

Next, click on Manage Optional Features in the Apps & Features window.

Now, scroll down to where you will locate Internet Explorer

Once you locate it, click to reveal the Uninstall option. Click on the Uninstall button to uninstall from your Windows Server.

Note: You need to restart your Server to completely remove Internet Explorer from your Server

Uninstallation from Windows Server using DISM

Using DISM is an alternative way to remove Internet Explorer. You can remove IE11 from Windows Server with just one command. Launch the command prompt on your Windows server while logged in as an administrator, then enter the command listed below to remove Internet Explorer using DISM.

dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:Internet-Explorer-Optional-amd64

To complete the uninstallation of Internet Explorer using DISM, restart the server. 

To uninstall Internet Explorer from Windows, use the same method as stated above.

I hope you found this article useful on how to uninstall Internet Explorer from your Windows Device. Please feel free to leave a comment below.