Internet Explorer is outdated and a security risk. Here is how to disable Internet Explorer and block users from opening IE in Windows.
Internet Explorer is the bane of Windows. No matter what Microsoft says or does, some users still use Internet Explorer for one reason or another. A couple of main reasons are compatibility with older websites or web services and ignorance. For example, I’ve seen many elderly use Internet Explorer browse the internet and get things done.
Unlike the older versions of Windows. i.e., Windows 7 and 8, Windows 10 and 11 has a new browser called Microsoft Edge. The new browser is compatible with almost all newer web technologies; it is efficient & powerful and can even deal with old Internet Explorer-only websites and web services. As such, there is no need to use Internet Explorer any longer. In fact, Microsoft even says so and tries to redirect Internet Explorer websites to the new Edge browser. That is one of the reasons why I wrote a guide on how to uninstall Internet Explorer.
If you don’t want to uninstall Internet Explorer but want to stop yourself or other users from opening and using the IE browser, you can disable it. That way, you will get the best of both worlds. i.e., you don’t have to worry about IE and can enable and use it as and when needed.
So, without further ado, here is the Windows guide that shows you how to block or disable Internet Explorer in Windows completely.
Follow one of the above two methods to get the block Internet Explorer.
Disable Internet Explorer from Group Policy
If you are running Windows 10 Pro, you can disable Internet Explorer from Group Policy Editor. You need to enable a single policy, and you are good to go.
- Press the “Windows key + R” shortcut.
- Type “gpedit.msc” and press Enter.
- Go to the “Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Internet Explorer” folder.
- Double-click on the “Disable Internet Explorer 11 as a standalone browser” policy
- Select the “Enabled” option.
- Select “Always” from the Options dropdown menu.
- Click “Apply.”
- Press “Ok.”
- Close the Group Policy Editor.
- Reboot Windows.
First, we need to open the Group Policy Editor. To do that, use the “gpedit.msc” run command or search for “Edit Group Policy” in the Start menu.
After opening the Group Policy Editor, go to the “Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Internet Explorer” folder. Here, double-click on the “Disable Internet Explorer 11 as a standalone browser” policy.
Now, select the “Enabled” option to enable the policy. Next, select “Always” from the “Options” dropdown menu. Click the “Apply” and the “Ok” buttons to save changes.
Finally, close the Group Policy Editor and reboot the computer. This action will apply policy to Windows. Once it is applied, no user can open the Internet Explorer. If they try, the user will get a “This action is restricted. For more information, please contact your system administrator.” error message.
To revert the change, set the policy to “Not configured.”
Disable Internet Explorer from Registry Editor
By creating and modifying a new registry value called “NotifyDisableIEOptions,” you can block Internet Explorer in Windows. Here is how.
- Search for “Registry Editor” in the Start menu and open it.
- Go to the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft” folder.
- Right-click on the “Microsoft” folder.
- Select “New -> Key.”
- Type “Internet Explorer” as its name.
- Right-click on the “Internet Explorer” folder.
- Select “New -> Key.”
- Type “Main” as the new folder name.
- Right-click on the “Main” folder.
- Select the “New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value” option.
- Type “NotifyDisableIEOptions” as the new value name.
- Double-click on the “NotifyDisableIEOptions” value.
- Set the Value Data to “1.”
- Click “Ok.”
- Close the Registry Editor.
- Reboot Windows.
First, open the Registry Editor. You can do that by searching for “Registry Editor” in the Start menu. After opening the registry, go to the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft” folder.
Now, right-click on the “Microsoft” folder and select “New > Key” to create a new folder. Name the folder as “Internet Explorer.”
Now, right-click on the “Internet Explorer” folder, select “New > Key” to create a new folder. Name the folder as “Main.”
Right-click on the “Main” folder and select the “New > DWORD Value” option.
Name the new DWORD value as “NotifyDisableIEOptions” and press Enter.
Next, double-click on the “NotifyDisableIEOptions” value, set its Value Data to “1,” and click “Ok.”
Finally, close the Registry Editor and reboot the computer.
After rebooting, users can no longer open the Internet Explorer browser.
To revert the changes, delete the “NotifyDisableIEOptions” value.
That is it. It is that simple to disable Internet Explorer in Windows.
I hope that helps.
If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.
