Microsoft had previously announced they would retire Internet Explorer (IE) on June 15, 2022. For that reason, the web browser is no longer included in Windows 11 as it used to in previous operating systems.
Microsoft has now switched over to Microsoft Edge and replaced Internet Explorer. Edge provides an “IE Compatibility Mode” where it supports legacy websites designed for IE, allowing users to still be able to use older websites without having to redesign them.
That said, you can still install a standalone, portable version of Internet Explorer on Windows 11, thanks to our developers on GitHub. OpenInternetExplorer was released recently and is still in the early stages of development. Furthermore, it will not affect your current settings and can be used alongside other browsers and won’t take up a lot of your system’s resources.
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OpenInternetExplorer
OpenInternetExplorer is a freeware developed by AigioL and published on GitHub for users to benefit from. It is tiny .exe file that can run a separate instance of IE on your computer.
If you often need to enable and exit IE mode on Microsoft Edge, you can use OpenInternetExplorer to access content designed for Internet Explorer quicker.
Download OpenInternetExplorer
Follow the steps below to download the latest version of OpenInternetExplorer:
- Open the GitHub page for OpenInternetExplorer.
- Click OpenInternetExplorer.exe under Assets to download the file.
- Windows may consider the downloaded file dangerous. In that case, click on the down arrowhead and then click Keep.
- Now run the downloaded .exe file to launch Internet Explorer.
An IE instance will now open. You can now begin browsing and accessing websites designed for this browser. However, there are caveats with this version of IE.
You cannot open the link from another browser in OpenInternetExplorer. Thus, a link will need to be copied to the clipboard and then pasted into the IE’s URL address bar or entered manually.
Another thing that we noticed is that certain websites designed for modern web browsers are automatically redirected to Microsoft Edge. Furthermore, this small web browser does not include basic settings, due to which your customizations are limited.
Closing Words
The OpenInternetExplorer app is recommended for those who often need to switch back and forth from IE Compatibility Mode in Edge. To save time and hassle, this portable version of IE will make your lives easier with quick navigation to dedicated websites.
It is especially useful for organizations that demand the latest Windows version with support for legacy intranet websites.
