Internet Explorer 11
Screenshot
Internet Explorer 11 in Windows 10
Developer(s)Microsoft
Initial releaseOctober 17, 2013; 8 years ago (2013-10-17)[1]
Stable release
11.0.220 (11.0.19043.1266) / September 30, 2021; 54 days ago (2021-09-30)
EngineMSHTML v8.0, Chakra
Operating systemWindows 7 SP1
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
Windows Server 2012
PlatformIA-32, x64, and ARM
Included withWindows 8.1
Windows 10
Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2016
Windows Server 2019
Windows Server 2022
PredecessorInternet Explorer 10 (2012)
SuccessorMicrosoft Edge (2015)
Size28–53 MB
LicenseProprietary, requires a Windows license[2]
Websitewww.microsoft.com/en-us/download/internet-explorer.aspx

Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) is the eleventh, final, and now deprecated version of the Internet Explorer web browser. It was released by Microsoft on October 17, 2013. IE11 was included with the release of Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 on October 17, 2013, and was released for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 on November 7, 2013. It is the successor to Internet Explorer 10, released the previous year, and is the default browser in Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2. Windows 8, and Windows Vista and earlier are not supported. IE11 was also included with the release of Windows 10 on July 29, 2015, but Microsoft Edge is the default browser in this version of Windows, and there, Internet Explorer is configured to run websites based on legacy HTML technologies. It is also the default browser in Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2022.

Since January 12, 2016, only the most recent version of Internet Explorer offered for installation on any given Windows operating system is supported with security updates, lasting until the end of the support lifecycle for that Windows operating system. On Windows 7 and 8.1, only Internet Explorer 11 received security updates until the end of those Windows versions' support lifecycles.[3] Support for Internet Explorer 11 is bound to the lifecycle of the Windows version it is installed on as it is considered an OS component, thus it is unsupported on Windows 7 due to the end of extended support on January 14, 2020. Internet Explorer 11 was made available for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard in April 2019. It is the only supported version of Internet Explorer on these operating systems since January 31, 2020.[4][5]

Internet Explorer 11 follows the OS component lifecycle,[6] which means it remains supported with technical and security fixes while operating systems including it as a component are shipped. This means that there is no date for end of support for Internet Explorer 11.[7] On August 17, 2020, Microsoft published a timeline indicating that the Microsoft Teams product would stop supporting Internet Explorer 11 on November 30, 2020, and Microsoft 365 products will end Internet Explorer 11 support on August 17, 2021.[8] In May 2021, Microsoft announced that support for Internet Explorer 11 on editions of Windows 10 that are not in the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) will end on June 15, 2022.[9] Internet Explorer 11 will not be supported on any editions of Windows 11, as a separate application, but it is supported, as IE mode in Edge, including on Windows 11.[10] Microsoft is committed to support Internet Explorer that way to 2029 at least, with one years notice before it discontinued.[11] The IE mode "uses the Trident MSHTML engine",[12] i.e. the rendering code of Internet Explorer.

Changes

IE11 features redesigned developer tools,[13] support for WebGL,[14] enhanced scaling for high DPI screens,[15] prerender and prefetch.[16] After launch IE11 got support for HTTP/2.[17][18][19] In addition, IE11 supports Full Screen and Orientation APIs, CSS border image support, JavaScript enhancements, DOM mutation observers, Web Cryptography API, video text track support, encrypted media support and an improved HTML editor.[20] IE11 uses Transport Layer Security v1.2 as the default protocol for secure connections and deprecates RC4 cipher suite.[21]

Internet Explorer 11 for Windows RT does not support Java and other add-ons.[22]

Removed features

Added features

Performance

In a November 2013 review by SitePoint, IE11 scored better than Google Chrome 30 and Firefox 26 in WebKit's SunSpider test and Google's WebGL test. It tied with Chrome for fastest in Microsoft's "fish aquarium" benchmark for WebGL and came last in Google's V8 performance benchmark. As a result of the speed improvements, the reviewer said "if you switched to Chrome for speed alone, you're now using the wrong browser." IE11 was also observed to use less memory with multiple tabs open than contemporary versions of Chrome and Firefox.[20]

In August 2015, SitePoint again benchmarked IE11 in its review for Microsoft Edge, where Edge 12, Chrome 44 and Firefox 39 were also present. IE11 came last in Apple's JetStream test (which replaced SunSpider) and Google's Octane test (which replaces V8) but it came second in Microsoft's "fish aquarium" test, after Edge.[29]

History

Though an internal build of IE11 was leaked on March 25, 2013,[30] its first preview version was not formally released until June 2013, during the Build 2013 conference, along with the preview release of Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1.[31] On July 25, 2013, Microsoft released the developer preview of Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.[32][33]

Legend:
Old version
Older version, still maintained
Latest version
Latest preview version
Future release
History of Internet Explorer releases
Name Version Release date Works on New features
Old version, no longer maintained: Developer Preview Old version, no longer maintained: 11.0.9431.0[34] June 26, 2013[31] Windows 8.1 WebGL, CSS border image, improved JavaScript performance, major update to Internet Explorer Developer Tools,[33] hardware-accelerated JPEG decoding,[35] closed captioning, HTML5 full screen,[36] HTML5 prerender, HTML5 prefetch,

Windows 8.1 only: cryptography (WebCrypto),[33] adaptive bitrate streaming (Media Source Extensions),[37] Encrypted Media Extensions,[36] SPDY v3[18]

July 25, 2013[34] Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2[33]
Old version, no longer maintained: Release Preview Old version, no longer maintained: 11.0.9600.16384[38] September 17, 2013[38] Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2[39] Performance improvements
Current stable version: Internet Explorer 11 Current stable version: 11.0.9600.20045[40] October 17, 2013 Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 8 (unofficially), Windows Server 2012, Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 Update Versions: 11.0.240 (KB5003636)[40][41]
Current stable version: Internet Explorer 11 Current stable version: 11.0.10240.19060 July 29, 2015 Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022 and Windows 11 (unofficially) Released in Windows 10. Microsoft Edge is the default browser from Microsoft in this version of Windows. Internet Explorer is set up to run websites, based on legacy HTML technologies, which are not, or improperly, supported in Microsoft Edge.
Current stable version: Internet Explorer 11 (Version 1803) Current stable version: 11.0.17134.2208 April 30, 2018 Windows 10 (Spring Creators Update) Update Version: 11.0.126 (KB4505050)
Current stable version: Internet Explorer 11 (Version 1903) Current stable version: 11.0.18362.1256 May 21, 2019 Windows 10 (May Update) Released in Windows 10 update KB4516046[42]
Current stable version: Internet Explorer 11 (Version 20H2) Current stable version: 11.0.19042.1266 October 20, 2020 Windows 10 (October 2020 Update) Released in Windows 10 update KB4586768[43]

While there were no other releases of Internet Explorer, an update for Windows 7 and 8.1 was released on April 2, 2014 which added Enterprise Mode, improved developer tools, improved support for WebGL and ECMAScript 5.1.[44]

With the release of Windows 11,[45] Internet Explorer is no longer preinstalled on any new devices (the application that is, while its core component is). Microsoft Edge is the only preinstalled browser in the operating system. An Internet Explorer mode is however provided in Microsoft Edge to run legacy websites.[46]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Windows 8.1 is available now". Microsoft News Center. Microsoft. October 17, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  2. ^ "Microsoft Pre-Release Software License Terms: Internet Explorer 11 Developer Preview". microsoft.com. Microsoft. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  3. ^ "Support for older versions of Internet Explorer ends on January 12, 2016". Microsoft. January 5, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  4. ^ Tung, Liam. "Microsoft makes final push to rid world of Internet Explorer 10". ZDNet. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  5. ^ "Lifecycle FAQ". support.microsoft.com. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  6. ^ "Lifecycle FAQ - Fixed Policy". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  7. ^ "Internet Explorer 11". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  8. ^ "Microsoft 365 apps say farewell to Internet Explorer 11". techcommunity.microsoft.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  9. ^ Sean Lyndersay (May 19, 2021). "The future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge". Microsoft. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  10. ^ Tom Warren (June 25, 2021). "Windows 11 is deleting Internet Explorer". The Verge. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  11. ^ "Lifecycle FAQ - Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  12. ^ "What is Internet Explorer mode?". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  13. ^ "What's new in F12 Tools (Preliminary)". MSDN. Microsoft. June 26, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
  14. ^ "WebGL (Preliminary)". MSDN. Microsoft. July 25, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  15. ^ "High DPI support (Preliminary)". MSDN. Microsoft. July 25, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  16. ^ "Prerender and prefetch support (Preliminary)". MSDN. Microsoft. July 25, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  17. ^ "HTTP/2: The Long-Awaited Sequel". IEBlog. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  18. ^ a b Lardinois, Frederic (June 26, 2013). "Microsoft Confirms IE11 Will Support Google's SPDY Protocol". TechCrunch. Aol. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  19. ^ Foley, Mary Jo (November 7, 2013), Microsoft releases for download IE11 for Windows 7, retrieved November 7, 2013
  20. ^ a b c Buckler, Craig (November 7, 2013), "Internet Explorer 11: the Review", SitePoint.com, retrieved November 7, 2013
  21. ^ Peteroy, William (November 12, 2013). "Security Advisory 2868725: Recommendation to disable RC4". Security Research & Defense. Microsoft. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  22. ^ "Install Java in Internet Explorer". Windows Help. Microsoft. January 12, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  23. ^ Zakas, Nicholas C. (July 2, 2013). "Internet Explorer 11: "Don't call me IE"". NCZOnline. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  24. ^ "Ctrl+Q disappeared from IE11?, Microsoft Connect". Microsoft. July 30, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  25. ^ EricLaw [ex-MSFT] (September 24, 2013). "IE11 Changes: IEInternals blog". IEInternals. Microsoft. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  26. ^ "New group policy settings for Internet Explorer 11". Microsoft TechNet. Microsoft. April 6, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  27. ^ "HTTP Strict Transport Security comes to Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 8.1 and Windows 7". Microsoft.
  28. ^ "Windows patch KB 3139929: When a security update is not a security update". InfoWorld. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  29. ^ Buckler, Craig (August 18, 2015). "Microsoft Edge: the Review". SitePoint.
  30. ^ Sakr, Sharif (May 25, 2013). "Internet Explorer 11 user agent makes browser look like Firefox, thumbs nose at legacy CSS hacks". Engadget. Aol. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  31. ^ a b "Introducing IE11: The Best Way to Experience the Web on Modern Touch Devices". IEBlog. Microsoft. June 27, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  32. ^ "Internet Explorer 11 Developer Preview: FAQ". microsoft.com. Microsoft. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  33. ^ a b c d Thurrott, Paul (July 25, 2013). "Internet Explorer 11 Developer Preview for Windows 7". Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  34. ^ a b Internet Explorer 11.0.9431.0 may be downloaded from "Internet Explorer 11 Developer Preview for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2". Download Center. Microsoft. July 25, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  35. ^ Bradley, Tony (July 26, 2013). "Why Internet Explorer 11 is the right browser for business". PC World. IDG. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  36. ^ a b Brinkmann, Martin (July 25, 2013). "The Internet Explorer 11 Preview for Windows 7 is now available". Ghacks.net. ghacks Technology News. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  37. ^ Williams, Mike (July 26, 2013). "Internet Explorer 11 Developer Preview now available for Windows 7". BetaNews. BetaNews, Inc. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  38. ^ a b Internet Explorer 11.0.9600.16384 may be downloaded from "Internet Explorer 11 Release Preview for Windows 7 64-bit Edition and Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit Edition". Download Center. Microsoft. September 17, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  39. ^ Thurrott, Paul (September 18, 2013). "Release Preview Version of IE 11 for Windows 7 is Now Available". Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  40. ^ a b Popa, Bogdan (November 13, 2013). "Internet Explorer 11.0.1 Released for Windows 8.1 Users". Softpedia. SoftNews. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  41. ^ "Internet Explorer 11". Softpedia. SoftNews. July 25, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  42. ^ "cumulative-security-update-for-internet-explorer". support.microsoft.com. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  43. ^ "cumulative-security-update-for-internet-explorer". support.microsoft.com. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  44. ^ Announcing an updated version of Internet Explorer 11 – available on Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and Windows Phone 8.1, April 3, 2014, retrieved July 27, 2014
  45. ^ Blog, Windows Insider (June 28, 2021). "Announcing the first Insider Preview for Windows 11". Windows Insider Blog. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  46. ^ Warren, Tom (June 25, 2021). "Windows 11 is deleting Internet Explorer". The Verge. Retrieved June 29, 2021.

External links

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