Edge And Internet Explorer



Alongside all the features and improvements in the roadmap for the new version of Microsoft Edge based on the Chromium engine, Microsoft includes a compatibility mode using the Internet Explorer rendering engine to load old websites.

Is edge and internet explorer the same

The feature is known as “IE Mode,” and it has been designed for organizations to load internal sites without using a separate browser or having to redesign the site. The new approach loads the pages within Microsoft Edge like a regular website without using and managing multiple browsers.

  1. With the launch of Windows 10 comes Edge, Microsoft's new built-in browser that's meant to replace Internet Explorer. Though IE will still come with Windows, the older browser is being relegated to.
  2. Enable Microsoft Edge Configure Internet Explorer configuration and set it to Internet Explorer mode Enable Windows Components Internet Explorer Use the Enterprise Mode IE website list and set the path to your XML-sitelist, either as URL (eg.
  3. In fact, Microsoft itself has been pushing users toward its newer browser — Microsoft Edge. And yes, Microsoft has made it very simple to import your favorites from Internet Explorer 11 — as well.
  4. Knowing that some companies have been unable to move to other browsers, Microsoft have introduced Internet Explorer 11 emulation into their new Edge browser. This should allow people to load 'that one old site' in IE11 mode while viewing the rest of the internet using a browser far better suited to today's internet.

You can disable this behaviour from Edge by going to Settings Default browser Let Internet Explorer open sites in Microsoft Edge and setting it to 'Never'. No need for disabling all addons or modifying the registry. You might need to restart IE after changing the setting for it to take effect.

If you want to start using it, the version of Microsoft Edge available through the stable channel now includes the “Internet Explorer compatibilities” settings to quickly enable IE Mode and a separate option to open Edge when browsing an incomparable website with Internet Explorer. Alongside the settings, it also possible to use the Group Policy Editor to configure the compatibility mode.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to enable IE Mode to load legacy websites using the Internet Explorer rendering engine on Chromium Edge for Windows 10. (You can also watch this video tutorial to configure the feature.)

How to enable IE mode on Microsoft Edge

To enable IE mode on Edge, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge on Windows 10.

  2. Click the Settings and More (ellipsis) button on the top-right corner.

  3. Select the Settings option.

  4. Click on Default browser.

  5. Under the “Internet Explorer compatibility” section, turn on the “Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode” toggle switch.

  6. Click the Restart button.

Once you complete the steps, when sites require Internet Explorer, you can use Microsoft Edge to reload the page using IE mode.

Open site with IE Mode on Edge

After the IE Mode is enabled, you need to reload a page with the compatibility mode manually.

To open an incompatible website with IE Mode on Edge, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge on Windows 10.

  2. Click the Settings and More (ellipsis) button on the top-right corner.

  3. Select the More tools submenu and choose the “Reload in Internet Explorer mode” option.

After you complete the steps, the website should reload in compatibility mode. If the feature is not enabled, then the option won’t be available in the menu.

If you want to exit IE Mode, you can use the same instructions, but on step No. 3, select the Exit Internet Explorer mode option.

Open Internet Explorer sites on Microsoft Edge

On Windows 10, Microsoft Edge also lets you configure the browser so that when someone is using Internet Explorer incompatible or all sites will load within Edge.

To let IE open websites with Edge, use these steps:

EdgeExplorer
  1. Open Microsoft Edge on Windows 10.

  2. Click the Settings and More (ellipsis) button on the top-right corner.

  3. Select the Settings option.

  4. Click on Default browser.

  5. Under the “Internet Explorer compatibility” section, use the “Let Internet Explorer open sites in Microsoft Edge” drop-down menu and select the option to handle browsing when using Internet Explorer, including:

    • Never – IE will never switch to Edge to load the site.
    • Incompatible sites only – IE will still load sites, but websites designed for a modern browser will load in Edge.
    • Always – IE will always switch to Edge to load websites.

Once you complete the steps, when surfing the web in Internet Explorer, websites will open on Microsoft Edge, according to your configuration.

How to enable IE mode with Group Policy on Microsoft Edge

Alternatively, you can also enable IE Mode on Chromium Edge with Group Policy. However, you will need to download and install the policy template before you can configure the Group Policy settings.

Install Microsoft Edge policy template

Microsoft

To install the policy template to enable IE Mode on Edge, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge for business website.

  2. Under the “Policy File” section, click the Download button.

  3. Select the version of Microsoft Edge. (Usually, you want to use the latest stable version available.)

  4. Select the build (latest version available).

  5. Select the platform — for example, Windows 64-bit.

  6. Click the Get policy files option.

  7. Click the Accept & download button.

  8. Double-click to open the MicrosoftEdgePolicyTemplates.zip file.

  9. Click the Extract all button from the “Compressed Folder Tools” tab.

  10. (Optional) Select the location to extract the files.

  11. Check the Show extracted files when complete option.

  12. Click the Extract button.

  13. Browse the following path inside the (extracted) “MicrosoftEdgePolicyTemplates” folder:

  14. Select the msedge.admx and msedgeupdate.admx files and click the Copy option from the “Home” tab.

    Quick tip: You only need to copy the “msedgeupdate.admx” file if you want to control the update settings of Microsoft Edge.
  15. Browse to the following path:

  16. Click the Paste button from the “Home” tab.

  17. In the “admx” folder, inside the “MicrosoftEdgePolicyTemplates” folder, open the language folder that represents your language — for example, en-US.

  18. Select the msedge.adml and msedgeupdate.adml files and click the Copy option from the “Home” tab.

    Quick tip: You only need to copy the “msedgeupdate.adml” file if you also copy the file on step No.12.
  19. Browse to the following path that matches your language:

    In the above command, make sure to change en-US for the folder that matches your language.

  20. Click the Paste button from the “Home” tab.

Once you complete the steps, the new policies to enable or disable IE Mode on Edge Chromium will install in the Group Policy Editor.

Enable IE Mode on Microsoft Edge

To enable IE Mode on Chromium Edge with Group Policy, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for gpedit and click the top result to open the Group Policy Editor.

  3. Browse the following path:

  4. Double-click the Configure Internet Explorer integration policy.

  5. Select the Enabled option to enable IE Mode for Microsoft Edge.

  6. Under the “Options” section, select the Internet Explorer mode from the dropdown menu.

  7. Click the Apply button.

  8. Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, websites will render in compatibility mode, and you’ll notice a familiar IE icon on the left side of the address bar letting you know the website is using Internet Explorer.

These steps enable IE Mode for intranet websites. If you want to load external websites using Chromium Edge, you need to enable and set up the “Configure the Enterprise Mode Site List” policy, which includes the creation of an XML file with the list of domains that you want to load automatically with the Internet Explorer mode.

Update February 11, 2021: This guide has been revised with the steps to configure IE Mode on the Chromium version of Microsoft Edge using the new compatibility settings and updated the process to install the Group Policy templates.

The new Microsoft Edge is here. With improved security, privacy, speed, and ease of use, Microsoft Edge surpasses the experience you’ve come to know with Internet Explorer. When you make the switch to Microsoft Edge, you'll experience the web in a whole new way.

Better security

Microsoft Edge includes Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, which helps identify suspicious sites that may present phishing or malware attacks. SmartScreen also checks your downloads to help you recognize possible risks. For more information about security in Microsoft Edge, see What is SmartScreen and how can it help protect me?

Increased privacy

Tracking prevention

Microsoft Edge provides better control over how your data is tracked as you browse the web. It provides three levels of tracking prevention: Basic, Balanced, and Strict. You can choose the option that best suits your desired balance of personalization and privacy. For more information about tracking prevention, see Learn about tracking prevention in Microsoft Edge.

InPrivate browsing

Microsoft Edge offers InPrivate browsing, which allows you to hide your browsing history, site and form data, cookies, and passwords from other people who use the same device. InPrivate browsing includes InPrivate search with Microsoft Bing, so any searches on Bing won't be associated with you or influence your Bing search suggestions. For more information about InPrivate browsing, see Browse InPrivate in Microsoft Edge.

Smarter browsing

Microsoft Edge features built-in learning and accessibility tools that enhance your browsing experience, making it easier to find the information you need and connect to it in the way that suits you best.

Microsoft Edge integrates Immersive Reader for some websites, so you can hear web content read to you or view articles without distracting ads.

Edge And Internet Explorer Mode

You can use Collections to organize content on the web around specific themes. Collections is useful whether you're organizing your research, planning a trip, doing comparison shopping, of just want to pick up your browsing later. For more information about using Collections, see Organize your ideas with Collections in Microsoft Edge.

Switch From Edge To Explorer

Sync across all devices

With Microsoft Edge, you can sync your favorites, passwords, and other info across multiple devices. Just sign in to Microsoft Edge using the same Microsoft account on each device.

For more information about syncing across multiple devices, see Sign in to sync Microsoft Edge across devices.

Want Microsoft Edge for your mobile device? Get Microsoft Edge for iOS or Android.

Customize your browser

There are many ways to customize how your Microsoft Edge browser looks, feels, and behaves. You can change the browser's appearance (themes, toolbar, display fonts), set how a new tab page looks, and choose the startup behavior. To access these settings:

Is Microsoft Edge And Internet Explorer The Same

  1. Surface type cover filter device driver missing. At the top corner of the browser, select Settings and more > Settings .

  2. Under Settings, do any of the following:

    • To change appearnce, select Appearance and make the changes you want to your default theme, zoom, toolbar, and fonts.

    • To change startup behavior, select On startup, and then select what you want Microsoft Edge to display on startup.

    • To set how the page looks when you open a new tab, select New tab page, then select Customize, and in the window, select the options you want for Page content and Page layout. Black obsidian healing wand.

You can also personalize the new tab page in Microsoft Edge.

  1. Above the address bar, select the + button to open a new tab.

  2. At the top corner of the new tab page, select Page Settings .

  3. Choose your page layout, background image, quick links, and more.

  4. Scroll down to see your news feed and select Personalize to choose your interests.

Quickly import your favorites, passwords, and other browser data from Internet Explorer

To make your switch to Microsoft Edge as seamless as possible, you can import data from Internet Explorer and have all your saved favorites, passwords, and other info available to you. There's no need to recreate this data in Microsoft Edge.

For more information about importing your browser data, see Import favorites in Microsoft Edge.

Explorer

Make Microsoft Edge your default browser

If you've downloaded Microsoft Edge but it's not your default browser, you can easily set it to be your default for Windows 10 or macOS.

Windows 10

  1. Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Default apps > Web browser.

  2. Select the icon for the current default browser, and then, in the list, select Microsoft Edge.

macOS

  1. Go to the Apple menu > System Preferences > General > Default web browser.

  2. From the Default web browser list, select Microsoft Edge.

Get tips and tricks for Microsoft Edge

To get the most out of Microsoft Edge, check out Microsoft Edge Tips.