Microsoft Ends An Era: Support For Internet Explorer 8, 9, And 10 Stops Next Week

Thanks for the info Donald, I also read that elsewhere, always good to have more input.

To sum it up, If you have Win 8 or 8.1 you are ok since you have IE 11, if you have Win7 and haven't already done so, upgrade to IE 11 ASAP.
If you have Vista you are out of luck and if you still have XP? and are using it on the Internet, well what can I say.

The other option of course is to switch to Firefox, especially if you are still using Vista, I say Firefox, but there others out there like Chrome....

Thank you Donald

I don't use Internet Explorer, should I delete the version I have on my Windows 7 computer to be safe? I am guessing yes but want to be sure. Will removing it affect any other programs and if I can remove it what is the most efficient way?

No, you really CAN'T uninstall Internet Explorer. It is integrated too tightly into the operating system. Just remove the icon shortcuts and ignore it!

There's 3rd party software called ***ntlite*** that allows you to prevent Internet Explorer from installing in the first place (free version) and remove it from current installations (paid version) of Windows 7 and later.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xplite#Windows_7_and_later

However this kind of thing is more for people who enjoy tweaking than the average user.

Wikipedia actually has an entire article on removing Internet Explorer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Removal_of_Internet_Explorer

It's not something most people would want to mess with.

Unfortunately, since IE is "integrated" with Windows, it can cause vulnerabilities even if you never use it for web browsing.
"Ask Leo" discusses this problem here:
***Am I at risk for Internet Explorer vulnerabilities even though I use a different browser?***.

Really good information, folks. Thanks!

I seem to remember the CEO of Big Fish years ago saying that IE needed to be installed in order for the Big Fish Game Manager to work. I assume that this is still the case, but I don't know this for sure.

Good info Jenny100... the Ask leo part has left me with questions though .... if it is used at times even if you are not using the browser.. when it stops being updated will that not affect us greatly??

Thanks for the information and the links. So I am assuming that since Internet Explorer can not be deleted easily I should just update it even though I am not using it to be on the safe side. Now to figure out how to update it...

This pc's OS is Vista with IE 9, since I don't care for Firefox any other suggestions?

If you mean will the programs that are using it stop working, that depends on how those programs are using it, and whether they will still work with the old IE.


Yes. If Windows Update doesn't find an IE udpate for you, and you have Windows 7, try the download "for IT professionals" here
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/Internet-Explorer-11-for-Windows-7-details.aspx


Seamonkey
Pale Moon
Opera

There are a lot of web browsers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_web_browsers

Hi Jenny100

Thank you for the info. I was checking around my computer where I have found that IE was updating itself to the latest version all this time. Since I have never used IE with this computer I never knew it was doing this. I have IE Version 11.0.9600 now so I think I won't change a thing and let it update itself in the background to be on the safe side. Great topic and great help, I love GB Glitches Forum.

Thanks Jenny, familiar with the two but will check out Pale Moon. Then look at the link.

All versions of IE will become unsupported eventually, MS only included it in Windows 10 for compatibility reasons - it's been replaced by Edge.

If that is so will replacing IE with Edge not affect Windows 7 or will this Edge only work on newer Windows versions. Wouldn't they have to keep supporting IE, Edge for Win7 or something as long as they are still supporting Windows 7 OS?

Key word here is "eventually." You will get Windows 7 and IE 11 support until Windows 7 support ceases in 4 years. Then you will have to upgrade to whatever iteration of Windows is out there which will mostly likely be updated versions of Windows 10 from what I'm reading.

Edge won't work with old operating systems like Windows 7.

Correct, Edge will only work with Windows 10 (and whatever comes after - maybe). I wouldn't expect anything other than critical updates for IE, MS intends to get rid of it.

I suspect most folks will avoid Edge, my experience with it has been somewhat lack luster.

Thanks Draclvr & Inland

Good to know as I won't be changing OS's until Windows 7 is no longer supported. So whatever OS will be available then will come with whatever browser Microsoft sees fit to incorporate into that OS will be fine with me then. I can then choose whatever I want to use then. For now I think I am as safe as can be hoped for with IE updating itself.

I've not been too impressed with Edge myself. They are supposed to continue adding features, but for now, it's just not giving me too many warm and fuzzies.

As for support for IE 11 it will be supported until January 10, 2023 if you are using Windows 8.1, which is the end of support lifecycle for W8.1

Any "warm and fuzzies" I ever felt for Microsoft - and there have been mighty few of them - started to evaporate when they gave us Win8 and disappeared altogether with the release of Win10 !!!!

Oh, goodness, you really need to look into Windows 10 more, Mad. It's not a return to the "old, really old" days, but there is a lot to like about it if you're willing to accept change. It's different, but much more like Windows 7 than anything. I've upgraded 3 people in their 80's to Windows 10 and they love it. I've got some people I've suggested they stay where they are (Window 7 and Windows 8.1) for differing reasons. But for the rest, they really like it.

Sorry, Draclvr. I've seen quite a bit of Win10 now - on computers belonging to other people - and can't generate any enthusiasm for it at all

Well, your Windows 7 will be just fine for 4 more years... then you will have to take the plunge!

Same here, Mad.
I don't like having to use it at all, but they switched the classroom computers at community college from Windows 7 to Windows 10. By default the Windows 10 Start Menu is full of twitching junk squares rather than the programs and utilities I need for class.

If I had to use Windows 10 at home, I'd have to spend more time tweaking the interface to get it to what I consider a usable state than any other version of Windows so far, including Windows 8. Windows 8 and 10 seem to be designed for people who really want a smart phone or tablet (or kiosk) rather than a computer.

Windows 8 and 10 are the only versions of Windows that require 3rd party software just to make the desktop and Start Menu usable (Classic Shell, for example). But at least Windows 8 did not automatically install what it considered to be "new" drivers -- drivers that may or may not be compatible with your hardware, or with games or other 3D software you are using.

Despite that Windows 10 has an option to disable automatic updating of drivers, it doesn't seem to work properly, as noted here
http://winsupersite.com/windows-10/stop-automatic-driver-updates-windows-10
Unfortunately the solution someone found in the comments to the above link (to use gpedit.msc) is not applicable to Windows 10 Home. Though there is a procedure to add gpedit.msc to versions of Windows that don't include it by default, it's been reported to contain adware or simply "not work" for everyone.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/3f7pa3/how_to_add_gpeditmsc_to_windows_10_home/

People who only use their computers for web browsing and email would be just as well served by Linux.
It's only when you have to use Windows-specific software that you need Windows.

I'm seriously contemplating never using Win10, unless, over the next couple of years, my Son in Law can tweak it SO much that he could install me a version with which I'd be comfortable and enjoy using

As for games ....
I've probably already collected enough to play and replay and be kept entertained for YEARS And I still have time to gather more ....

AND there are other solutions for email etc.

There have always been tons of other options for email and browsers. And there are other solutions if you don't want Windows. Many people use Macs and computers with Linux on them. The gaming options are not as good, but they are not Windows! Unfortunately, Windows 10 is pretty much it for the forseeable future if you don't like Windows. But you've got 4 more years with Windows 7, so enjoy it!

Yes. I'm fully aware that Win10 is going to be "it"

However, I expect to be enjoying Win7 for a lot longer than another four years. After all, I'm still enjoying WinXP and Win98SE !!

Me too for Windows XP! Haven't fired up that computer for quite a while since I took it off the internet though. Maybe when you have to take Windows 7 off the internet to just keep for gaming, you can get a Mac or something else for internet use... having the best of all worlds!

I've no doubt my Son in Law will find some kind of a solution for me, Draclvr

One thing we know for sure you will always have is all the ways to play games possible!

I sincerely hope so !!

Interesting benchmarks on Internet Explorer alternatives...

The Best Browser to Replace Internet Explorer is.......

User interface and configurability are much more important than a few milliseconds of speed. Speed is more dependent on bandwidth than anything else anyway (and occasionally on DNS server response time). Are you even going to notice if a browser takes half a second longer to load a website? I doubt it. But you're certainly going to notice if it takes you 2 minutes to dig down and locate any settings you want to adjust.

People didn't continue using IE6 for so long because it was faster.
They used it because it had a familiar interface, unlike IE7 or later.

I couldn't agree more - I have tried mightily to like Chrome, but the user interface just doesn't do anything for me. I also tried Opera and just couldn't like the user interface.

Seamonkey seems to have the best out-of-the-box user interface -- that is, unless they've "updated" it to something useless in the latest version. Last time I installed it it was fine though.

One advantage of Firefox is that people have developed Add-Ons like "Classic Theme Restorer" so you can get the user interface back to something like it used to be.

I really hate the Chrome Interface where some of the most useful controls are buried several layers deep. A few years ago I took a class where one of the assignments was to set up a computer with certain programs installed and with the homepage of three web browsers (IE, Firefox, and Chrome) set to display a certain webpage when the browser was opened. Firefox and IE were no problem, but no one in the class could figure out how to do it in Chrome. Even with "help" sites like this
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95314?hl=en
there seems to be no easy way to set the browser to open with a specific website displayed. (And I don't mean opened in a 2nd tab). Apparently Google doesn't want you to do this because they bury it deep and make it needlessly complicated. Eventually the instructor showed us how to do it, and it was indeed buried, not called what you'd expect it to be called, and the process was nothing like setting the homepage in the other browsers.

My experience exactly with Chrome... The simplest things I took for granted in IE and Firefox were - while not impossible - needlessly difficult. Chrome is also the only browser that has caused so many problems that I have uninstalled it on at least two computers. I thought it was just me trying to get it to work smoothly, but one individual has his son-in-law look at it. The son-in-law was in a very elevated position in the military for IT security. He also gave up, so I didn't feel so bad.

Thanks for that link, Draclvr

I, too, have tried Chrome twice and uninstalled it twice - on both my WinXP and Win7 machines.
So, as far as Chrome is concerned, that's it for me.

I am sticking with IE and Firefox for the time being. At least I feel as though I'm still "in charge of my own machine" with those two, at the moment, anyway

I'm still kicking my backside for not upgrading to Win 7, when it was offered.

Terri are you still on xp?

Vista on one her older computers, I think. I don't think Windows 7 was ever offered as a free upgrade though. I remember getting it really cheap though - like maybe $15? But that was 6 years ago, so I'm probably not remembering correctly.

Hi Winfrey. No, my old pc is Vista.

Hi Drac. I was offered Win 7 but think I was afraid I'd mess it up if I tried to upgrade the pc, now I wish I had gone for it.

You can get Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 for about $50 at Amazon. Never too late!

Be careful about the ones that say "for refurbished PC."
One reviewer said

Sometimes there's a reason they're cheap like that.

Very good point, Jenny. I should have said to stay away from those "refurb" deals. The ones for builders should be OK though and they are roughly the same price. Obviously no "open" boxes either.

I bought the PC in 2009 and am thinking I would probably not spend any more on it, I would rather purchase a new one if I have a major problem with it. At least that's my thinking for now.

Dell had a free option to upgrade to Windows 7 if you bought one of their Vista computers within a certain time range (when they were just starting to introduce Windows 7 and most new computers still had Vista). I don't know if Terri's computer is a Dell, but other manufacturers may have offered the same deal.

It's a HP and I was offered the upgrade but didn't take it, was afraid I would mess up my pc since I know so little about computers.