Internet Explorer in Windows 10: Is It Necessary?

Although Microsoft Edge is now the default browser for Windows 10, Microsoft still includes Internet Explorer to support outdated content. But what is the old content? Is it safe to disable IE? In this article, we will answer these questions and describe the additional benefits of disabling Internet Explorer.

Reasons for disabling the Internet Explore

1 - Disk space

When Internet Explorer is off, you can free up about 150 MB on your hard drive.

2 - Security

All software and browsers generally have security vulnerabilities. By disabling IE, you will avoid any vulnerabilities that may occur through IE - thus making your system safer.

3 - Fewer menu items

With Internet Explorer on, some menu items are visible. For example, "Open with Internet Explorer". Once IE is turned off, these menu items are no longer visible. Ideal for those of us who prefer minimalism.

Reasons for Activating the Internet Explore

Internet Explorer was launched in 1995 and many older websites / web applications still rely on this browser to function properly. Below are the most common issues to check before disabling IE11.

1 - ActiveX

Probably the most common ActiveX control is Oracle's Java ActiveX for legacy applications. IE is the latest browser to support Oracle Java in a browser. Firefox 54 and later support for outdated Netscape NPAPI technology ceased, and Chrome discontinued support for NPAPI in version 45 in 2015.

A good example of what might stop working is older routers Cisco, as they require ActiveX to load the admin console that is a Java ActiveX / NPAPI component.

2 - SilverLight

Although its SilverLight competitor Microsoft, Flash will go out of support in October 2021, many websites still require it, and IE to function properly.

3 - Corporate Intranet Applications old type

At its height, Internet Explorer was extremely popular and many corporate intranet sites were created around the browser. Keeping this in mind, there are many who need the browser to run their applications smoothly.

4 - Web Sites

Although it is best practice to create a website that is compatible with all browsers, many web pages require Internet Explorer to function properly. Government sites, for example, were built on the basis of IE and were never updated.

5 - HTA

An HTA (HTML Application) application only works with IE.

If you're not sure whether you need Internet Explorer or not, we simply suggest turning it off and continuing browsing the sites you are used to. If you have problems, at worst you can simply reactivate IE. However, most of us can live without it, as not only will Windows 10 be safer, but it will also be a bit faster and with more disk space available.