How-To

Windows 10 Tip: Find and Use Internet Explorer When Needed

By Brian Burgess

Updated May 13, 2021

Microsoft introduced a cleaner and faster browser in Windows 10 called Microsoft Edge. But sometimes you might need IE, here’s how to find and use it.

Microsoft introduced a cleaner and faster browser in Windows 10 called Microsoft Edge. Like Internet Explorer (IE), it was proprietary and was built into Windows 10. Unfortunately, the browser never caught on. Most people would use it once just to download and install Chrome or Firefox. In fact, Microsoft has since removed legacy Edge from Windows 10.

Since then, the company has released a new version of Edge based on Chromium code. It comes preinstalled on Windows 10 and is also cross-platform. It’s available on macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS.

Microsoft obviously distanced itself from IE with the release of Windows 10, but it is still available. It’s not out in plain view for easy access anymore. By default, there is no IE icon on the taskbar or desktop and no live tile on the Start menu.

But because some businesses run proprietary apps and services, the company still includes the outdated browser for compatibility. Here’s how to find it.

Find and Use Internet Explorer on Windows 10

To find Internet Explorer on Windows 10, hit the Windows key and type: internet explorer, and select the result from the top. Or, you can type: ie 11 into the search box on the taskbar to find it.

If you think you’ll be needing IE more often than on rare occasions, right-click on it, and select Pin to Start or Pin to Taskbar for easier access.

IE 11 should only be used if the site or service you’re running at your place of employment needs it. Regular users shouldn’t use it. If you don’t even want it searchable on your PC, check out how to turn off IE 11 on Windows 10.