Microsoft Reroutes Internet Explorer to Edge
Microsoft is doing its level best to kill off Internet Explorer. Users of the browser will soon find many key websites automatically open in the Edge browser instead.
There hasn't been a new edition of Internet Explorer since 2013 and it's understandable many people would think it had died out altogether with Microsoft putting all its efforts into Edge instead.
However, Statcounter estimates that more than 2.5 percent of desktop and laptop computers are running Internet Explorer. It's harder to estimate the total number of computers, but it's plausible the number of people using Internet Explorer is in the tens of millions. That's despite it being increasingly outdated, unsupported by major websites, and far from secure. (Source: statcounter.com)
Microsoft appears unwilling or unable to remotely block Internet Explorer from working or even uninstall it from people's computers. However, it is now taking a substantial action when it comes to sites which are flat out incompatible with Internet Explorer in Windows.
Edge Opens Automatically
Instead of simply loading the page and leaving the user to deal with whatever problems or disappointment arises, Internet Explorer will instead trigger the Edge browser to open the page. The user will also see a pop-up window that explains what has happened.
To clear the pop-up window, the user will have to click a button marked "Continue browsing." Unless the user unchecks a pre-checked box, clicking the button will also copy browsing data and setting from Internet Explorer into Edge.
Business Users Retain Control
Meanwhile Internet Explorer will remain open but, rather than the requested page, will show a message explaining that the site doesn't work in IE. It will also note that Edge has a special browser mode that can display pages in an "Internet Explorer" mode. This could be useful for outdated sites which are coded assuming they will appear in Internet Explorer.
Naturally this change will only affect computers which have Edge installed alongside Internet Explorer (which includes almost all Windows 10 PCs where uninstalling Edge is practically impossible). Meanwhile businesses which have both browsers running on their networks will have an option to configure or switch off the automatic "open in Edge" setup. (Source: zdnet.com)
What's Your Opinion?
Is Microsoft right to make this move? Should it simply leave Internet Explorer users to deal with any problems? Do you or anyone you know still use Internet Explorer?
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Comments
No more .mht
Having tried to move to EDGE from IE, and found that I cannot view pages saved as .mht, and I cannot save pages with animated GIF's retaining their informative facilities I have had to keep using IE.
Then, we come to Onedrive uploads - IE frequently has problems reporting problems with files.
EDGE seems to have problems too - but how can I tell what files when the EDGE session just disappears.
And then - looking at the US-CERT reports I note that processes in the EDGE browser can escape from the Microsoft 'Sandbox' and take control of Windows-10.
My view - If Microsoft had been bothered to make EDGE as functional as IE then there would be no need to force people to stop using IE.
Same as with windows 7, if 10 was not so much more problematic to manage then who would not have taken the free upgrade offer.
IE remains the default for MHT's?
I continue to use my ISP's email service, and since I don't want the files to go anywhere but my one instance of Outlook, I still keep everything in my long-serving outlook.pst file. On some sites, when I click on "open in web browser" I get the option to open in Edge, but many others, especially local news feeds, always open as an .MHT in IE. I can select any browser I want as a default, but the only workable option for .MHT's remains IE.
For example, I can go into File Explorer, and set Opera as the default to open .MHT's and it will. I click on an email in Outlook, and opera dutifully opens it - as a page of HTML code. Not really what I was hoping to see.
IE in EDGE
I have seen hints that microsoft will be setting up an IE mode in EDGE
Now those are AFAIK just rumours, and it could be that the IE mode is just the display of web pages.
So that will be an improvement in that EDGE will become as stable as IE, and will allow saving of web pages that include animated GIF's, and the ability to open the .mht's
Remember OE that did newsreader, and held the emails in a folder structure and was replaced with Mail that did not - each email becoming a single file and attachments ...
Then having given up on that - and being edged, then pushed onto the slope that led to Outlook - and a need to have paid for OFFICE, I found I had to get a separate newsreader, and then deal with the file type security of attachments and the no longer splitting messages into parts that were reassembled on receipt.
Yes - I realised that I had to decide - to follow the business world or not be able to work with the business spreadsheets or documents.
Anyhow - back to the .mht,
I understand that some browsers can be switched to save in .mht mode ( MHTL5? )
as in you setup the browser to run in one mode or the other, and get no choice at the time of deciding you needed a usable single file version of a webpage saved.
@Drag - re protect users - well if the product had been well written as in according to the declaration that Microsoft was concerned with users security, and then maintained properly, - maybe even allowing users to control cookies
( ask to see cookies and you get to see and play with an extract from the cookies held, delete a load and then re-request the list and the list is refreshed with what is in the store ( that you did not get to manipulate)
I ran the process to remove cookies that were from pages that were not in the Favourites - and I got 10 more cookies !
So - probably with the option of CRedge - maybe firefox will be a better choice.
Again - just my opinion based on experience and what I have read and may not necessarily turn out to be accurate.
Mixed feelings.
On one hand, I get it. Microsoft is probably trying to protect users since Internet Explorer is extremely outdated.
On the other hand, this just feels controlling. "You will use Edge, and you will like it. Resistance is futile"
I finally switched to Chrome when it was obvious that Internet Explorer was having issues on sites. The only thing I use it for now is RSS feeds, since neither Chrome norEdge has native support for them. Why I don't know. I have no idea about Firefox, but I suspect it doesn't either.
forced edge
Of course this could all go horribly wrong and people like myself continue or change to firefox or chrome.
On Win 7 IE 11 it works a little differently.
First of all they lie!
IE 11 does work on some sites that M$ says only work on Edge.
Second like all M$ software
this processes is flakey and doesn't work all the time.
So, if you delete both windows and try again it does work with IE 11.
I am not taking anymore "patches" from M$ as most of them are flakey
and now
they are actively effing with your computer.
I agree with Jamies
"If Microsoft had been bothered to make EDGE as functional as IE then there would be no need to force people to stop using IE.
Same as with windows 7, if 10 was not so much more problematic to manage then who would not have taken the free upgrade offer"
Win 10 is free and it just isn't worth the price!!!!!!!!!!
I do use IE 11, Chrome and Edge
at the same time!!!!!!!!!!
I think I can decide what to use better than M$!!!!!!!!!!
Any programmers on here know how to block this latest crappy move by M$?
Many people say that old software should be replaced.
That would only be if the new software was better,
it is not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!