Should I uninstall internet explorer? [EXPLAINED]

We have heard a lot about the default browser that comes with Microsoft. Most of the time these are negative remarks about its performance. Sometimes it can get so frustrating that you start thinking about uninstalling this browser and using a different one instead.

But if you wonder about uninstalling and cannot decide yet to do so, this is the right blog for you. We will outweigh the pros and cons of uninstalling the browser and help you decide whether you should or should not uninstall the browser. We will also show you how to uninstall it and how to reinstall it if you ever decide to reinstall internet explorer.

Why you should uninstall internet explorer

Bad Security

The security of Internet Explorer has always been at risk. This is because internet explorer is a popular browser and the default browser of windows. Since windows are one of the most used operating systems and internet explorer is the default browser, hackers make internet explorer their target and exploit all the known problems and capture secure data from internet explorer users. Using less popular software can help you to be less vulnerable to these threats.

Bad Performance

There are a lot of memes regarding internet explorer’s performance. It is always the slowest browser. Different tests have shown that it takes more time for Internet Explorer to render a website than most of the other browsers. If you don’t like to wait for pages to load, then this is another reason why you would want to uninstall internet explorer.

Lack of support

Microsoft stopped supporting internet explorer. Internet Explorer has evolved into Microsoft Edge. This means that all the bugs that still exist within the software will no longer be fixed. This makes the browser even more vulnerable to attacks. There will be no improvements in its performance. The User experience will not improve and there will be no new features.

Bad Use Experience

A bad-performing browser with no new features, bug fixes, or improvements and security risks is already giving users a hard time with this browser. Apart from that the layout and the look and feel of the browser change with almost every version. This leaves users wondering where some settings and features are and people have to keep changing their normal way of working with almost every version of this browser.

No Cross-Platform Support

Some users use more than one operating system for their daily tasks and therefore need a browser that can synchronize their data across different computers regularly. Microsoft is built to vendor lock people and therefore has no versions of this browser available for other operating systems. They also lack the feature to synchronize data across computers with a different operating systems.

Better and safer options are available

In this era, there are better and safer alternatives that provide exciting new features, perform better, and are less of a security risk. Alternatives that are still under development and have great support. These alternatives are also available for other operating systems as well. People that use more than one operating system daily can use one of these alternatives and still be familiar with the look and feel of their browser and have access to their data from anywhere in the world.

How to uninstall internet explorer

To uninstall internet explorer these are the steps you need to take:

• Press start and search for the control panel.
• In the control panel look for Programs.
• Look for “Turn Windows features on or off”.
• This will open a new screen with a list of all Windows features, Look for Internet Explorer in this list and untick the checkbox.
• You will get a warning that it may cause issues but you can safely ignore this message and click “Ok”.
• Then click “Ok” to close that screen and Internet Explorer will be uninstalled.
• You will be required to restart your computer to fully complete the uninstall process

After this internet explorer is uninstalled and you can safely use a different browser for your internet searches.

Why you should NOT uninstall internet explorer

Internet Explorer is an integral part of windows. Uninstalling Internet Explorer could result in some issues and Windows not functioning properly. There are some fixes and workarounds to go around these issues but these may not work or may not contain the complete fix to those problems. Uninstalling internet explorer is a risk because you may have trouble with your windows operating system. However, in the modern versions of windows, it has been less of a risk. In Windows 8.1 it is completely safe to remove internet explorer only under the condition that you already have a different browser installed. In Windows 10 and higher this is not a problem since Microsoft Edge is already installed.

How to install internet explorer

If for some reason you would like to reinstall internet explorer, after you have uninstalled it, here is what you need to do:

• Press start and search for the control panel.
• In the control panel look for Programs.
• Look for “Turn Windows features on or off”.
• This will open a new screen with a list of all Windows features, Look for Internet Explorer in this list and tick the checkbox.
• It will search for the required files and apply those changes.
• Once it’s done it will request to restart your computer and that completes the reinstallation process.

Conclusion

Internet Explorer has been around for your but always had known bugs, security risks, performance issues, and a bad user experience. These could be reasons enough to uninstall the browser especially when there are better and safer alternatives available. It used to be risky to uninstall internet explorer but in the modern versions of Windows, this is possible without harming the system. In Windows 8.1 it is very wise to install an alternative first before removing internet explorer because there is no way to access the internet after the installation. In Windows 10 and above, Microsoft Edge is available and provides a better experience and is an improved browser that Microsoft has built.