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3 Ways to Completely Uninstall Internet Explorer 11 in Windows 10

Bashkarla
Internet explorer browser

Internet Explorer 11 is old, outdated, slow, and useless for most Windows users. Here’s how to uninstall Internet Explorer 11 in Windows 10.

Internet Explorer 11 in Windows 10 is old, outdated, painfully slow, and mostly useless for most users. That is the reason why Microsoft created a new browser called Edge from the ground up. It supports all the modern web standards, looks awesome, and works like a charm. Even so, Internet Explorer still ships with Windows 10.

Unless you are working in an office environment that still depends on websites and web services that work only on Internet Explorer, there is no reason to have Internet Explorer installed and running in your system. In fact, unless you specifically search for Internet Explorer, you cannot find it in Windows 10. Even Microsoft recommends you not to use Internet Explorer for your day-to-day internet use.

So, with that in mind, let me show you how to uninstall Internet Explorer 11 in Windows 10 using the Settings app, Control Panel, and PowerShell command.

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Windows 10 treats Internet Explorer as an optional feature, just like Windows Sandbox. However, unlike Windows Sandbox, which is disabled by default, Internet Explorer is enabled by default. That is the reason why you can search for it and open it from the start menu. By disabling the Internet Explorer optional feature, Windows will uninstall the necessary components, thus effectively uninstalling Internet Explorer from Windows 10.

1. Use Settings App to Uninstall IE 11

The Settings app has built-in options to uninstall IE 11 from Windows 10 properly. Follow the below steps, and you will be golden.

  1. Open the Settings app by pressing the keyboard shortcut Win + I.
  2. Go to “Apps -> Apps and Features“.
  3. On the right panel, click the “Optional Features” link under Apps & Features.
  4. In the options features list, find and click on the “Internet Explorer 11” option.
  5. Click on the “Uninstall” button.

As soon as you click on the button, Windows 10 will uninstall Internet Explorer 11 from your system. You will not see a confirmation message, but you can rest assured that it is removed. To complete the procedure, reboot Windows 10.

2. Use Control Panel to Uninstall Internet Explorer 11

Since the Internet Explorer is an optional feature in Windows, the easiest way to remove Internet Explorer from Windows 10 is to use the Control Panel’s optional Windows features tool. All it takes is unchecking a single checkbox.

  1. Open the start menu.
  2. Search for “Control Panel” and open it.
  3. Select “Large icons” from the top-right corner.
  4. Find and click on the “Programs and Features” option.
  5. Click the “Turn Windows features on or off” link on the sidebar.
  6. Scroll down and uncheck the “Internet Explorer 11” checkbox.
  7. Windows will show a warning message. Click “Yes” to continue.
  8. Press the “Ok” button in the main window.
  9. Click the “Restart Now” button to reboot Windows.

That is all. In the process of restarting, Windows 10 will make necessary changes and removes Internet Explorer. After restarting, you will no longer find or see Internet Explorer in Windows 10. If you want Internet Explorer back, select the “Internet Explorer 11” checkbox in step 6 and reboot Windows 10.

2. PowerShell Command to Uninstall Internet Explorer 11

To uninstall Internet Explorer in Windows 10, PowerShell offers a single line command. As soon as you execute the command, PowerShell basically does the same thing as the Control Panel method. i.e., it removes IE 11 from Optional Features in command-line mode. The biggest benefit of using the PowerShell command is that you don’t have to go through different menus like in the Control Panel or Settings method.

  1. Open the start menu.
  2. Search for “PowerShell“.
  3. Right-click on PowerShell and select “Run as administrator“.
  4. Execute the following command in the PowerShell window. 
    Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -FeatureName Internet-Explorer-Optional-amd64 –Online

  5. After uninstalling Internet Explorer, you will be prompted to restart Windows. Type Y and press Enter to reboot Windows 10.

After restarting, you will no longer find Internet Explorer on Windows 10.

It is that simple to uninstall Internet Explorer 11 in Windows 10. Comment below sharing your thoughts about Internet Explorer.

If you like this article, you might also like how to uninstall OneDrive on Windows 10 and how to disable reserved storage on Windows 10 (frees up around 7GB of space).

Featured image credit: Internet Explorer symbol by Christiaan Colen

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