Internet Explorer is installed on almost all Windows computers. If you don't want to use it, you can remove it from the features you can use on Windows 10. On computers running Windows 10, 7, and 8, you can also turn it off in the Control Panel. Keep in mind that Internet Explorer cannot be removed from your machine as it is with other programs.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Use Windows 10 settings
Step 1. Open Start
Click on the Windows logo at the bottom left of the screen.
Step 2. Open settings
To do this, click on the cogwheel icon at the bottom left of the Start window.
Step 3. Select Applications
You will find this option in the settings window.
Step 4. Go to Applications and Features
This is a tab at the top left of the window. Click on it to open a list of programs installed on your machine.
Step 5. Click Manage Optional Features
This link is located directly under the Applications and Features heading at the top of the window. Click on it to open a list of optional features installed on your computer (including Internet Explorer).
Step 6. Select Internet Explorer 11
You'll find it at the top of the page, but you may need to scroll down if you have multiple optional features installed (e.g. languages).
Step 7. Choose Uninstall
This option is located under the Internet Explorer 11 heading and removes the browser from your computer.
Step 8. Wait for Internet Explorer 11 to disappear
It should only take a few seconds. At the end of the process, the Internet Explorer 11 header will disappear from the page.
Step 9. Restart your computer
Click on To start up
, select On Off
then choose To restart in the context menu. After your computer restarts, you will no longer see Internet Explorer.
Method 2 of 2: Use the control panel
Step 1. Open the Start menu
Click on the Windows logo at the bottom left of the screen.
- If you are using a Windows 7 computer, click
- On Windows 8, place your mouse cursor at the top right of the screen and click on the magnifying glass icon that appears.
Step 2. Go to the control panel
Type control panel, then click on the blue icon Control panel at the top of the Start window.
Step 3. Click Programs
This is the header at the bottom of the control panel window.
- If the View by header at the top right of the window reads Large icons or Small icons, click instead Programs and Features.
Step 4. Select Turn Windows features on or off
This option can be found either under the Programs and Features heading at the top of the page or at the top left of the page. Click on it to open a pop-up window.
Step 5. Uncheck Internet Explorer 11
You will find this option at the top of the window. Click the checked box next to the Internet Explorer 11 header to uncheck it.
Step 6. Choose Yes at the command prompt
This confirms that you want to remove Internet Explorer from your computer.
Step 7. Click OK
This option is at the bottom of the window. Click on it to begin uninstalling Internet Explorer.
This process may take several minutes
Step 8. Select Restart Now
The Restart now option is located at the bottom left of the window. Upon restart, Internet Explorer 11 will be gone from your computer.
Advice
- While Internet Explorer cannot actually be uninstalled from your computer, disabling it may prevent certain files, such as HTML documents or PDFs, from being opened.
- Internet Explorer has been replaced by Microsoft Edge as the default browser for computers running Windows 10. It should therefore not open by default.
