39-482: Internet Explorer (formerly Microsoft Internet Explorer and Windows Internet Explorer , commonly abbreviated as IE or MSIE ) is a retired series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft that were used in the Windows line of operating systems . While IE has been discontinued on most Windows editions, it remains supported on certain editions of Windows, such as Windows 10 LTSB/LTSC . Starting in 1995, it
78-458: A " quirks mode " in which it deliberately mimics nonstandard behaviors of old versions of MSIE for HTML and CSS rendering on screen (Internet Explorer always uses standards mode for printing). It also provides its own dialect of ECMAScript called JScript . Internet Explorer was criticized by Tim Berners-Lee for its limited support for SVG, which is promoted by W3C . Internet Explorer has introduced an array of proprietary extensions to many of
117-479: A broad range of web pages and provide certain features within the operating system, including Microsoft Update . During the height of the browser wars , Internet Explorer superseded Netscape only when it caught up technologically to support the progressive features of the time. Internet Explorer, using the MSHTML (Trident) browser engine : Internet Explorer uses DOCTYPE sniffing to choose between standards mode and
156-494: A different integrity level , each tab process can host multiple web sites. The processes use asynchronous inter-process communication to synchronize themselves. Generally, there will be a single frame process for all web sites. In Windows Vista with protected mode turned on, however, opening privileged content (such as local HTML pages) will create a new tab process as it will not be constrained by protected mode. Deprecation Too Many Requests If you report this error to
195-472: A feature of Microsoft Edge , enabling Edge to display web pages using Internet Explorer 11's Trident layout engine and other components. Through IE Mode, the underlying technology of Internet Explorer 11 partially exists on versions of Windows that do not support IE11 as a proper application, including newer versions of Windows 10 , as well as Windows 11 , Windows Server Insider Build 22463 and Windows Server Insider Build 25110. The Internet Explorer project
234-492: A lawsuit and a US$ 8 million settlement on January 22, 1997. Microsoft was sued by SyNet Inc. in 1996, for trademark infringement , claiming it owned the rights to the name "Internet Explorer". It ended with Microsoft paying $ 5 million to settle the lawsuit. Internet Explorer 2 is the second major version of Internet Explorer, released on November 28, 1995, for Windows 95 and Windows NT , and on April 23, 1996, for Apple Macintosh and Windows 3.1 . Internet Explorer 3
273-491: A potential security and privacy risk. In IE7 and later, when the cache is cleared, the cache files are more reliably removed, and the index.dat file is overwritten with null bytes. Caching has been improved in IE9. Internet Explorer is fully configurable using Group Policy . Administrators of Windows Server domains (for domain-joined computers) or the local computer can apply and enforce a variety of settings on computers that affect
312-635: A scripting environment to be plugged-in and to access the DOM tree. Internet Explorer 8 includes the bindings for the Active Scripting engine, which is a part of Microsoft Windows and allows any language implemented as an Active Scripting module to be used for client-side scripting. By default, only the JScript and VBScript modules are provided; third party implementations like ScreamingMonkey (for ECMAScript 4 support) can also be used. Microsoft also makes available
351-740: A syntax different from W3C CSS3 candidate recommendation, support for a variety of image effects and page transitions, which are not found in W3C CSS, support for obfuscated script code, in particular JScript.Encode , as well as support for embedding EOT fonts in web pages . Support for favicons was first added in Internet Explorer 5. Internet Explorer supports favicons in PNG , static GIF and native Windows icon formats. In Windows Vista and later, Internet Explorer can display native Windows icons that have embedded PNG files. Internet Explorer makes use of
390-587: Is still possible for users to launch the browser from the Control Panel 's browser toolbar settings or via PowerShell . On June 15, 2022, Internet Explorer 11 support ended for the Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel (SAC). Users on these versions of Windows 10 were redirected to Microsoft Edge starting on February 14, 2023, and visual references to the browser (such as icons on the taskbar) would have been removed on June 13, 2023. However, on May 19, 2023 various organizations disapproved, leading Microsoft to withdraw
429-607: Is the default web browser for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 . It became available for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 in February 2013. Internet Explorer 11 is featured in Windows 8.1 , Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows RT 8.1 , which was released on October 17, 2013. It includes an incomplete mechanism for syncing tabs. It is a major update to its developer tools , enhanced scaling for high DPI screens, HTML5 prerender and prefetch, hardware-accelerated JPEG decoding, closed captioning , HTML5 full screen, and
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#1732858654961468-406: Is the first Internet Explorer to support WebGL and Google's protocol SPDY (starting at v3). This version of IE has features dedicated to Windows 8.1, including cryptography (WebCrypto), adaptive bitrate streaming ( Media Source Extensions ) and Encrypted Media Extensions . Internet Explorer 11 was made available for Windows 7 users to download on November 7, 2013, with Automatic Updates in
507-500: Is the third major version of Internet Explorer, released on August 13, 1996, for Microsoft Windows and on January 8, 1997, for Apple Mac OS. Internet Explorer 4 is the fourth major version of Internet Explorer, released in September 1997 for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Solaris , and HP-UX . It was the first version of Internet Explorer to use the Trident web engine. Internet Explorer 5 is
546-486: The Component Object Model (COM) technology. It consists of several major components, each of which is contained in a separate dynamic-link library (DLL) and exposes a set of COM programming interfaces hosted by the Internet Explorer main executable, iexplore.exe : Internet Explorer does not include any native scripting functionality. Rather, MSHTML.dll exposes an API that permits a programmer to develop
585-608: The Internet Archive removed Internet Explorer from its list of supported browsers, due to the browser's dated nature. Since November 30, 2020, the web version of Microsoft Teams can no longer be accessed using Internet Explorer 11, followed by the remaining Microsoft 365 applications since August 17, 2021. WordPress also dropped support for the browser in July 2021. Microsoft disabled the normal means of launching Internet Explorer in Windows 11 and later versions of Windows 10 , but it
624-565: The Microsoft Silverlight runtime that allows CLI languages , including DLR -based dynamic languages like IronPython and IronRuby , to be used for client-side scripting. Internet Explorer 8 introduced some major architectural changes, called loosely coupled IE (LCIE). LCIE separates the main window process (frame process) from the processes hosting the different web applications in different tabs (tab processes). A frame process can create multiple tab processes, each of which can be of
663-480: The Temporary Internet Files folder to allow quicker access (or offline access) to previously visited pages. The content is indexed in a database file, known as Index.dat . Multiple Index.dat files exist which index different content—visited content, web feeds , visited URLs , cookies, etc. Prior to IE7, clearing the cache used to clear the index but the files themselves were not reliably removed, posing
702-617: The source code of Spyglass Mosaic , used without royalty in early versions) and security and privacy vulnerabilities , and the United States and the European Union have determined that the integration of Internet Explorer with Windows has been to the detriment of fair browser competition. Internet Explorer 7 was supported on Windows Embedded Compact 2013 until October 10, 2023. The core of Internet Explorer 11 will continue being shipped and supported until at least 2029 as IE Mode ,
741-510: The "Internet Explorer mode" feature, which enables support for legacy internet applications. This is possible through use of the Trident MSHTML engine, the rendering code of Internet Explorer. Microsoft has committed to supporting Internet Explorer mode at least through 2029, with a one-year notice before it is discontinued. With the release of Microsoft Edge, the development of new features for Internet Explorer ceased. Internet Explorer 11
780-582: The W3C XHTML+SMIL ), and the VML vector graphics file format. However, all were rejected, at least in their original forms; VML was subsequently combined with PGML (proposed by Adobe and Sun ), resulting in the W3C-approved SVG format, one of the few vector image formats being used on the web, which IE did not support until version 9. Other non-standard behaviors include: support for vertical text, but in
819-468: The Windows 10 Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) and on Windows Server until 2021, primarily for enterprise purposes. Internet Explorer is still installed in Windows 10 to maintain compatibility with older websites and intranet sites that require ActiveX and other legacy web technologies. The browser's MSHTML rendering engine also remains for compatibility reasons. Additionally, Microsoft Edge shipped with
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#1732858654961858-535: The accessibility framework provided in Windows. Internet Explorer is also a user interface for FTP, with operations similar to Windows Explorer. Internet Explorer 5 and 6 had a side bar for web searches, enabling jumps through pages from results listed in the side bar. Pop-up blocking and tabbed browsing were added respectively in Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7. Tabbed browsing can also be added to older versions by installing MSN Search Toolbar or Yahoo Toolbar . Internet Explorer caches visited content in
897-424: The browser was discontinued in 2016 and ended support on June 15, 2022 for Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel (SAC), in favor of its successor, Microsoft Edge . Internet Explorer was once the most widely used web browser, attaining a peak of 95% usage share by 2003. It has since fallen out of general use after retirement. This came after Microsoft used bundling to win the first browser war against Netscape , which
936-438: The change. Other versions of Windows that were still supported at the time were unaffected. Specifically, Windows 7 ESU, Windows 8.x , Windows RT ; Windows Server 2008 / R2 ESU, Windows Server 2012 / R2 and later; and Windows 10 LTSB/LTSC continued to receive updates until their respective end of life dates. On other versions of Windows, Internet Explorer will still be supported until their own end of support dates. IE7
975-496: The default web browser for Windows 7 (later default was Internet Explorer 11) and Windows Server 2008 R2. Internet Explorer 9 is the ninth major version of Internet Explorer, released on March 14, 2011, for Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 , Windows Vista Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 with the Platform Update . Internet Explorer 10 is the tenth major version of Internet Explorer, released on October 26, 2012, and
1014-541: The default web browser for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 . Internet Explorer 7 is the seventh major version of Internet Explorer, released on October 18, 2006, for Windows XP SP2 , Windows Server 2003 SP1 and as the default web browser for Windows Vista , Windows Server 2008 and Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 . IE7 introduces tabbed browsing. Internet Explorer 8 is the eighth major version of Internet Explorer, released on March 19, 2009, for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and as
1053-425: The fifth major version of Internet Explorer, released on March 18, 1999, for Windows 3.1 , Windows NT 3 , Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0 SP3, Windows 98 , Mac OS X (up to v5.2.3), Classic Mac OS (up to v5.1.7), Solaris and HP-UX (up to 5.01 SP1). Internet Explorer 6 is the sixth major version of Internet Explorer, released on August 24, 2001, for Windows NT 4.0 SP6a, Windows 98, Windows 2000 , Windows ME and as
1092-488: The following weeks. Internet Explorer 11's user agent string now identifies the agent as " Trident " (the underlying browser engine) instead of "MSIE". It also announces compatibility with Gecko (the browser engine of Firefox ). Microsoft claimed that Internet Explorer 11, running the WebKit SunSpider JavaScript Benchmark, was the fastest browser as of October 15, 2013. Internet Explorer 11
1131-633: The inner HTML property, which provides access to the HTML string within an element, which was part of IE 5 and was standardized as part of HTML 5 roughly 15 years later after all other browsers implemented it for compatibility, the XMLHttpRequest object, which allows the sending of HTTP request and receiving of HTTP response, and may be used to perform AJAX , and the designMode attribute of the content Document object, which enables rich text editing of HTML documents. Some of these functionalities were not possible until
1170-662: The introduction of the W3C DOM methods. Its Ruby character extension to HTML is also accepted as a module in W3C XHTML 1.1, though it is not found in all versions of W3C HTML. Microsoft submitted several other features of IE for consideration by the W3C for standardization. These include the 'behavior' CSS property, which connects the HTML elements with JScript behaviors (known as HTML Components, HTC), HTML+TIME profile, which adds timing and media synchronization support to HTML documents (similar to
1209-774: The software. Although bearing a name like NCSA Mosaic, Spyglass Mosaic had used the NCSA Mosaic source code sparingly. The first version, dubbed Microsoft Internet Explorer, was installed as part of the Internet Jumpstart Kit in the Microsoft Plus! pack for Windows 95 . The Internet Explorer team began with about six people in early development. Internet Explorer 1.5 was released several months later for Windows NT and added support for basic table rendering. By including it free of charge with their operating system , they did not have to pay royalties to Spyglass Inc, resulting in
Internet Explorer - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-407: The standards, including HTML, CSS, and the DOM. This has resulted in several web pages that appear broken in standards-compliant web browsers and has introduced the need for a "quirks mode" to allow for rendering improper elements meant for Internet Explorer in these other browsers. Internet Explorer has introduced several extensions to the DOM that have been adopted by other browsers. These include
1287-437: The user interface (such as disabling menu items and individual configuration options), as well as underlying security features such as downloading of files, zone configuration, per-site settings, ActiveX control behavior and others. Policy settings can be configured for each user and for each machine. Internet Explorer also supports Integrated Windows Authentication . Internet Explorer uses a componentized architecture built on
1326-445: Was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year. Later versions were available as free downloads or in- service packs and included in the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) service releases of Windows 95 and later versions of Windows. Microsoft spent over US$ 100 million per year on Internet Explorer in the late 1990s, with over 1,000 people involved in the project by 1999. New feature development for
1365-467: Was made available for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard , the only still supported edition of Windows 8 in April 2019. Microsoft Edge was officially unveiled on January 21, 2015 as "Project Spartan". On April 29, 2015, Microsoft announced that Microsoft Edge would replace Internet Explorer as the default browser in Windows 10. However, Internet Explorer remained the default web browser on
1404-432: Was started in the summer of 1994 by Thomas Reardon , who, according to former project lead Ben Slivka, used source code from Spyglass, Inc. Mosaic, which was an early commercial web browser with formal ties to the pioneering National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) Mosaic browser. In late 1994, Microsoft licensed Spyglass Mosaic for a quarterly fee plus a percentage of Microsoft's non-Windows revenues for
1443-478: Was supported until October 10, 2023 alongside the end of support for Windows Embedded Compact 2013 , while IE9 is supported until January 13, 2026 alongside the end of ESU support for Premium Assurance customers on Windows Server 2008 . Barring additional changes to the support policy, Internet Explorer 11 will be supported until January 13, 2032, concurrent with the end of support for Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021. Internet Explorer has been designed to view
1482-1031: Was the dominant browser in the 1990s. Its usage share has since declined with the launches of Firefox (2004) and Google Chrome (2008) and with the growing popularity of mobile operating systems such as Android and iOS that do not support Internet Explorer. Microsoft Edge, IE's successor, first overtook Internet Explorer in terms of market share in November 2019. Versions of Internet Explorer for other operating systems have also been produced, including an Xbox 360 version called Internet Explorer for Xbox and for platforms Microsoft no longer supports: Internet Explorer for Mac and Internet Explorer for UNIX ( Solaris and HP-UX ), and an embedded OEM version called Pocket Internet Explorer, later rebranded Internet Explorer Mobile , made for Windows CE , Windows Phone , and, previously, based on Internet Explorer 7, for Windows Phone 7 . The browser has been scrutinized throughout its development for its use of third-party technology (such as
1521-616: Was the final release, and Microsoft began the process of deprecating Internet Explorer. During this process, it will still be maintained as part of Microsoft's support policies. Since January 12, 2016, only the latest version of Internet Explorer available for each version of Windows has been supported. At the time, nearly half of Internet Explorer users were using an unsupported version. In February 2019, Microsoft Chief of Security Chris Jackson recommended that users stop using Internet Explorer as their default browser. Various websites have dropped support for Internet Explorer. On June 1, 2020,
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