Internet Explorer 11 for Windows

Internet Explorer 11 for Windows is the last build of Microsoft's discontinued web browser. Microsoft retired Internet Explorer on June 15, 2022 and now points everyone to Microsoft Edge, so before you download this build it helps to know what it can still be used for; the answers below cover the essentials.

What is Internet Explorer?

Internet Explorer was Microsoft's web browser for more than two decades. Its first release came on 16 August 1995, it was based on the early Mosaic browser, and Thomas Reardon is credited as its creator. Bundled with Windows, it became the browser most people used by default in the late 1990s and 2000s, and many company intranets and web applications were built specifically for it. Later versions followed up to Internet Explorer 11, the final release and the one listed here. Support for the browser ended on June 15, 2022: Microsoft retired the IE11 desktop application and later disabled it permanently on certain versions of Windows 10 through a Microsoft Edge update. That leaves the archived installer mainly of interest to developers testing legacy sites, to people curious about software history, and to those maintaining very old systems that cannot be upgraded.

Is Internet Explorer 11 safe to use?

Not for normal browsing. An old browser misses many years of security fixes and lacks support for modern web standards, so many current sites will break or refuse to load. Use it only in an isolated test environment, never for banking, shopping or email.

Which systems did IE11 support?

• Windows 10 (32-bit or 64-bit) and Windows 8.1 Update.
• Windows 7 with SP1.
• Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1.
• IE11 is not supported on Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012.

The details are in Microsoft's IE11 requirements document.

Where can I get it?

Microsoft's Internet Explorer download page explains the current status of the browser, and the support page covers remaining questions. The IE 11 installer is about 14.80 MB according to catalogue data. Avoid third-party sites that repackage old installers.

Does Microsoft still release updates?

Microsoft still publishes cumulative security updates for Internet Explorer components in supported Windows versions, for example KB5099415 from 14 July 2026. These do not bring the old browser back as a daily tool.

Is it free?

Yes. Internet Explorer was always free with Windows.

What are the pros and cons?

• Pro: useful for testing how legacy pages behaved.
• Pro: small installer.
• Con: discontinued and missing years of security fixes.
• Con: most modern websites do not work properly.

What should I use instead?

For everyday browsing on Windows, choose a supported browser from our listings: Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Opera. Edge is the browser Microsoft itself recommends as the replacement.