Remove Internet Explorer from Windows – is it possible?

by Mike

Many Windows users do not make use of the already installed Internet Explorer. We will show you how to remove the browser

Can Internet Explorer be completely removed from Windows?

Unfortunately, Internet Explorer cannot be removed completely because some components are hard-wired to the system. However, you can partially uninstall it and disable the related services:

  • A certain Internet Explorer version is pre-installed under each Windows version. If you have updated to a newer version, it must first be uninstalled before IE can be completely disabled.
  • While you can’t uninstall Internet Explorer on Windows 8. However, you can disable the browser as you did with older versions of Windows.

Step 1: Uninstall Internet Explorer

Note: If you get stuck at point 3 of the instructions, there is only the pre-installed version of IE on your computer. In this case, proceed to the next paragraph.

  • Open the Control Panel and click on the “Programs” category at the bottom.
  • Select “Show installed updates” under “Programs and Features”.
  • Look for the “Internet Explorer” entry in the list of updates.
  • Right-click on the entry and select the “Uninstall” option.
  • Then click “Yes” and “Restart now”. Internet Explorer is now available in its original version.

Step 2: Disable Internet Explorer

  • Perform the first two steps as above and click the “Enable or disable Windows features” option on the left.
  • Search for Internet Explorer in the small window.
  • Uncheck the box and click the “OK” button. IE is now disabled and can no longer be opened.

Step 3: Prevent reinstallation

To prevent Internet Explorer from being installed again the very next time you update through Windows Update, you need to run a tool from Microsoft once. Download the appropriate tool and run it. You will need the tool for the particular version of IE that was last installed:

  • Internet Explorer 11
  • Internet Explorer 10
  • Internet Explorer 9
  • Internet Explorer 8

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