How to Disable Internet Explorer in Windows 7

Now, lets face it, Internet Explorer isn't the best web browser out there, but we always seem to be stuck with it, even when we have other browsers installed. But now, happily, we can get rid of it! Read on to find out how...


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This article has been marked as historical.


Windows 7 was retired by Microsoft in January 2020 and Internet Explorer was retired by Microsoft in June 2022. (Posted 2022-07-16).


Steps

  1. Image titled Disable Internet Explorer in Windows 7 Step 1
    1
    Make sure you have downloaded the web browser you intend to use before moving on (see Warnings).
  2. Image titled Disable Internet Explorer in Windows 7 Step 2
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    Open the Start Menu
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  3. Image titled Disable Internet Explorer in Windows 7 Step 3
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    Go to Control Panel
  4. Image titled Disable Internet Explorer in Windows 7 Step 4
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    Click "Programs"
  5. Image titled Disable Internet Explorer in Windows 7 Step 5
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    Under "Programs and Features" click "Turn Windows Features on or off"
  6. Image titled Disable Internet Explorer in Windows 7 Step 6
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    Click Yes in the UAC window that may pop up depending on your settings
  7. Image titled Disable Internet Explorer in Windows 7 Step 7
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    Wait a few minutes while Windows compiles the list.
  8. Image titled Disable Internet Explorer in Windows 7 Step 8
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    When the list appears, uncheck the box next to the folder named 'Internet Explorer 9'.
  9. Image titled Disable Internet Explorer in Windows 7 Step 9
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    A window like this should pop up. Click "Yes" in this window, then click 'OK'.
  10. Image titled Disable Internet Explorer in Windows 7 Step 10
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    Wait a few minutes while Windows applies the settings
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Is it safe to turn off internet explorer?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes, it is safe.
  • Question
    How do I disable Internet Explorer and use another web browser?
    Reyhan Palakka
    Reyhan Palakka
    Community Answer
    Install a new web browser. When you open it, there should be an option to turn it to your default browser. Click yes.
  • Question
    Internet Explorer randomly opens with suspicious sites ("You have won something"). Will this fix it? I don't even use Explorer, but this still happens.
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    This should fix it. If not, you may have malicious adware on your computer. Try disabling Explorer, and if that doesn't help, run an antivirus/malware scan.
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Warnings

  • Remember to install another web browser such as Firefox, Opera or Chrome before disabling Internet Explorer. Otherwise, you'll have to re-enable it to access the Internet.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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About This Article

Tested by:
wikiHow Technology Team
wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 12 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 194,086 times.
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Co-authors: 12
Updated: July 16, 2022
Views: 194,086
Categories: Internet Explorer | Windows 7
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