Despite retiring it, Internet Explorer can still be found in Windows 11

Windows 11 also uses legacy icons in some of its apps.

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Windows 11 Internet Explorer

Traces of the long-gone Internet Explorer can still be found in Windows 11, more than two years after its complete deprecation from the Windows operating system.

Internet Explorer was initially retired in 2022, followed by a complete removal in 2023, in favor of Microsoft Edge, the Redmond-based tech giant’s newest browser released in 2020.

However, despite its retirement, Windows 11 still has a history folder from the Windows Desktop update era that, according to tech enthusiasts and Windows historian @thebobpony, can track the web pages users visit with Internet Explorer.

https://twitter.com/TheBobPony/status/1883410040557826123

The folder can be found in %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\History, and it was also used to track folders users visited in File Explorer in Windows Vista.Windows 11 Internet Explorer

It’s worth mentioning that this is not entirely news but only a reminder of the way Windows works. The folder is labeled as legacy code, and like any other piece of legacy code, Windows 11 needs these kinds of old folders and traces of retired software to be capable of legacy support. This means some Windows 7 apps, for example, can run in Windows 11 with no issue.

Internet Explorer is not the only legacy item in Windows 11. Microsoft is still using legacy in this operating system, including old icons for Outlook, when the platform is downloading attachments.

I guess some old habits die hard.

Photo credits: @thebobpony

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