It’s about time! Microsoft has confirmed it will be ending support for older versions of Internet Explorer in January 2016.
From January 12th 2016, Microsoft will drop technical support and security updates for all versions of its browser prior to Internet Explorer 11. This is great news for web designers and developers that spend hours battling with the old versions of IE that just don’t want to play nice.
In a statement Microsoft said: “Internet Explorer 11 offers improved security, increased performance, better backward compatibility, and support for the web standards that power today’s websites and services.
“Microsoft encourages customers to upgrade and stay up-to-date on the latest browser for a faster, more secure browsing experience.”
If you are using an older version of Internet Explorer, such as 8, 9 or 10, you won’t get any more security updates, support from Microsoft, or online technical updates.
Security updates are used to patch vulnerabilities, which could be exploited. Without the updates, your PC could be at risk from viruses or malware.
Microsoft says it will continue to support Internet Explorer 11 for the life of Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.
Windows 10 launched with a new browser – Microsoft Edge.
If you have Automatic Updates turned on, Internet Explorer may have already updated. If not, go to Control Panel – System and Security – Windows Update and click Check for updates.
You can also download an optimised version of Internet Explorer here.
