Still Using Internet Explorer? No Windows 11 for You, Says Microsoft - MUO - MakeUseOf

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We already know that Windows 11 is only compatible with recently-made hardware, but as it turns out, Microsoft is not fond of people using older software either. The software giant has just confirmed that, if you're using Internet Explorer right now, it's not going to give you the option to upgrade to Windows 11.

No Windows 11 for Internet Explorers, Says Microsoft

The eagle-eyed Taras Buria of Neowin spotted an article on Microsoft Docs that talks about what the Redmond company is doing about Internet Explorer users. As it turns out, bringing the old browser into the new Windows 11 is proving a little difficult.

As it turns out, avid Internet Explorer 11 users are losing all of their browser data if they upgrade to Windows 11 without first importing it into Microsoft Edge. As such, Microsoft is helping people protect their data by pausing their Windows 11 upgrade if they use Internet Explorer.

As Microsoft puts it:

To safeguard your upgrade experience, we have applied a compatibility hold on devices affected by this issue to prevent them from installing or being offered Windows 11. Affected devices are those in which IE11 is the primary browser used or IE11 is set as the default browser.

If you love Internet Explorer 11 but you want the upgrade, change your primary and default browser away from it and import your data into Microsoft Edge. Once done, Microsoft should then offer you the upgrade in due time.

If you don't want to do that, don't worry. Microsoft is currently working on a fix for the bug, and you should be offered the update once the problem is fixed.

Out With the Old, In With the New

This Windows 11 bug with IE11 is a prime example of how hard it can be to bring the old into the new. And those still clinging onto Internet Explorer 11 will want to make the jump soon before they're left behind.

Microsoft decided to sunset IE11 in favor of Edge after the latter became a far more polished and secure browser than its older brother. The company gave a deadline of June 15, 2022 until it finally drops support for the aging browser forever.

And the software company has tried to make Edge as accommodating as possible for Internet Explorer users. Edge comes with an "Internet Explorer mode" which allows people to emulate the browser without actually having to use it.

However, as we can see by Microsoft's bug report, it does seem as if people are still holding on dearly to Internet Explorer 11. Let's hope they migrate their data to Edge before it's too late.

Leaving the Past Behind

If you're an avid user of Internet Explorer 11, it's a good idea to change browsers now. Not only will it become unsupported in the near future, but just using the browser will delay your PC getting Windows 11, even if you have compatible hardware.