How to configure IE mode and disable Internet Explorer

Are you prepared for the retirement of Internet Explorer 11?

Microsoft has announced that Internet Explorer 11 will be retired on June 15, 2022. After this date, the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be disabled and no longer supported. If your organization still relies on legacy web applications that require Internet Explorer, now is the time to prepare.

The good news is that Microsoft Edge includes Internet Explorer mode (IE mode), which allows legacy sites to render using the Trident MSHTML engine from Internet Explorer 11 - all within the Microsoft Edge browser. This provides a seamless single-browser experience while maintaining backward compatibility.

Based on my experience with multiple deployments, I will walk you through how to disable Internet Explorer 11 using policies, how to create and host an Enterprise Mode Site List, and how to configure IE mode using Microsoft Intune.

Why disable Internet Explorer?

With Internet Explorer 11 retirement approaching on June 15, 2022, there are several compelling reasons to proactively disable it in your environment now:

• Preparation: Disabling IE early helps identify legacy application dependencies before the retirement deadline, giving you time to configure IE mode or remediate applications.
• User adoption: Getting users accustomed to Microsoft Edge now makes the transition smoother when Internet Explorer is no longer available.
• Testing: Validating that your Enterprise Mode Site List and IE mode configuration work correctly before the deadline reduces risk.
• Support: Addressing compatibility issues now, while you have time, is far better than scrambling on retirement day.

You might be tempted to simply remove Internet Explorer as a Windows feature. However, this approach can cause issues:

• Removing the feature can break application compatibility.
• Some Windows components and third-party applications depend on the Internet Explorer engine.
• The Trident engine is still required for IE mode to function in Microsoft Edge, and removing the IE feature breaks IE mode functionality.

The recommended approach is to disable Internet Explorer 11 as a standalone browser using Group Policy or Microsoft Intune:

• Prevents users from launching Internet Explorer directly.
• Redirects all Internet Explorer traffic to Microsoft Edge.
• Keeps the underlying engine available for IE mode and dependent applications.
• Provides a clean transition path for end users.

Since the policy to disable Internet Explorer 11 became available, I have been disabling IE in environments using this method. It ensures users have a single browser experience while legacy applications continue to work in IE mode, and more importantly, it surfaces issues early - giving you time to address them before Internet Explorer 11 retirement day.

Understanding IE mode

IE mode on Microsoft Edge allows organizations to run legacy web applications that require Internet Explorer within Microsoft Edge. When a user navigates to a site configured for IE mode:

1. Microsoft Edge loads the page using the Internet Explorer rendering engine.
2. The IE logo appears in the address bar indicating the site is running in compatibility mode.
3. The user remains in Microsoft Edge - no separate browser window opens.

IE mode supports:

• All document modes and enterprise modes
• ActiveX controls (such as Java or Silverlight)
• Browser Helper Objects
• Internet Explorer security zone settings and Protected Mode

Users can easily identify when they are viewing a page in IE mode by looking for the indicator in the address bar.

For more information, see What is Internet Explorer (IE) mode? .

The Enterprise Mode Site List

The Enterprise Mode Site List is an XML file that specifies which sites should open in IE mode. This list can be hosted on:

• A web server (HTTPS recommended)
• A network file share
• A local file path

The site list uses a specific XML schema to define sites and their rendering behavior:

<site-list version="1">
  <site url="legacy-app.contoso.com">
    <compat-mode>IE8Enterprise</compat-mode>
    <open-in>IE11</open-in>
  </site>
  <site url="intranet.contoso.com/app">
    <compat-mode>Default</compat-mode>
    <open-in>IE11</open-in>
  </site>
</site-list>

Example Enterprise Mode Site List XML

Site list elements

Enterprise Mode Site List Manager

Microsoft provides the Enterprise Mode Site List Manager  tool to help you create and manage your site list. This desktop application provides a graphical interface for:

• Adding and removing sites from your list
• Configuring compatibility modes for each site
• Adding multiple sites at once using a text or XML file import
• Searching for existing sites in your list
• Exporting your site list as an XML file

Getting started with Enterprise Mode Site List Manager is intuitive and relatively simple, and much easier than editing the Enterprise Mode Site List XML manually. The tool validates your entries and helps prevent common configuration errors such as including protocols in URLs or using invalid characters.

Enterprise Mode Site List Manager versions

There are two versions of the Enterprise Mode Site List Manager, each based on a different schema version. The schema version determines the XML structure of your site list:

• Schema v.1 uses <rules> as the root XML element - the original format introduced with Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1
• Schema v.2 uses <site-list> as the root XML element - introduced with Windows 10 in 2015, providing enhanced functionality and cleaner syntax

Using the Site List Manager

1. Download and install the Enterprise Mode Site List Manager (schema v.2) .
2. Launch the application and create a new site list or open an existing one.
3. Select Add to add a new site entry.
4. Configure the following:

5. Select Save to add the entry.
6. Repeat for all sites that require IE mode.
7. Select File > Save to XML to export your site list.

Hosting the site list

After creating your site list, you need to host it in a location accessible to your managed devices. You have several options:

For organizations managing devices with Microsoft Intune, I recommend using Azure Blob Storage as a cloud-native hosting solution. This approach eliminates the need for on-premises infrastructure and ensures the site list is accessible from anywhere.

Hosting the site list in Azure Blob Storage

Azure Blob Storage provides a simple, cost-effective way to host your Enterprise Mode Site List for cloud-managed devices. Here is how to set it up:

Create a storage account

1. Sign in to the Azure portal .
2. Select Create a resource > Storage > Storage account.
3. Configure the storage account:

4. Select Review + create, then Create.

Create a container with anonymous access

1. Navigate to your new storage account.
2. Under Data storage, select Containers.
3. Select + Container to create a new container.
4. Configure the container:
   • Name: sitelist (or another descriptive name)
   • Anonymous access level: Blob (anonymous read access for blobs only)

5. Select Create.

Upload your site list

1. Select the container you created.
2. Select Upload.
3. Browse to your sites.xml file and upload it.
4. After uploading, select the blob to view its properties.
5. Copy the URL - this is the path you will use in Microsoft Intune.

The URL will be in this format: https://<storageaccount>.blob.core.windows.net/<container>/sites.xml

Updating the site list

When you need to update your site list:

1. Export a new XML file from the Enterprise Mode Site List Manager.
2. Increment the version attribute in the <site-list> element (for example, from version="1" to version="2").
3. Upload the new file to your Azure Blob Storage container, overwriting the existing file.
4. Devices will automatically download the updated list based on the refresh interval (default is every 2 hours).

Prerequisites for disabling Internet Explorer 11

Before configuring the disable policy, ensure devices have the required Windows updates:

Step 1: Configure IE mode in Microsoft Intune

Before disabling Internet Explorer, you must configure IE mode and your site list so legacy applications continue to work.

Create a Settings Catalog policy

1. Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center .
2. Navigate to Devices > Windows > Configuration profiles.
3. Select Create profile.
4. Select Windows 10 and later as the platform and Settings catalog as the profile type.
5. Select Create.

Configure IE mode settings

1. Enter a descriptive Name (for example, Microsoft Edge - IE mode configuration).
2. Select Next to proceed to Configuration settings.
3. Select Add settings.
4. Search for and add the following settings from the Microsoft Edge category:

Configure Internet Explorer integration

• Setting: Configure Internet Explorer integration
• Value: Internet Explorer mode

This setting enables IE mode in Microsoft Edge.

Configure the Enterprise Mode Site List

• Setting: Configure the Enterprise Mode Site List
• Value: The URL to your hosted site list (for example, https://sitelist.contoso.com/sites.xml)

This setting tells Microsoft Edge where to download your Enterprise Mode Site List.

Optional: Send all intranet sites to IE mode

If your organization has many intranet sites that require IE mode, you can configure all sites in the Local Intranet zone to use IE mode:

• Setting: Send all intranet sites to Internet Explorer
• Value: Enabled

Complete the policy

1. Select Next.
2. Configure Scope tags if required.
3. Assign the policy to a pilot group of devices.
4. Review your settings and select Create.

Step 2: Test IE mode before disabling Internet Explorer

Before disabling Internet Explorer across your organization, verify that IE mode is working correctly:

1. Wait for the policy to apply to test devices.
2. Open Microsoft Edge on a test device.
3. Navigate to edge://compat/enterprise to verify the site list is downloaded.
4. Navigate to a site from your site list.
5. Verify the Internet Explorer logo appears in the address bar.
6. Test the application functionality to ensure it works correctly.

Step 3: Disable Internet Explorer 11

Once you have verified IE mode is working correctly, you can disable Internet Explorer 11 as a standalone browser.

Create a Settings Catalog policy

1. Navigate to Devices > Windows > Configuration profiles.
2. Create a new Settings catalog policy.
3. Enter a descriptive Name (for example, Disable Internet Explorer 11).

Configure the disable policy

1. Select Add settings.
2. Search for Disable Internet Explorer 11 as a standalone browser in the Windows Components > Internet Explorer category.
3. Add the setting and configure:

The notification options control whether users see a message when they attempt to launch Internet Explorer:

• Never: Internet Explorer silently redirects to Microsoft Edge
• Always: Users see a notification each time they try to launch Internet Explorer
• Once per user: Users see a notification only the first time they are redirected

User experience after disabling

When this policy is enabled:

• Internet Explorer 11 icons are removed from the Start Menu and taskbar
• Shortcuts and file associations that use Internet Explorer redirect to Microsoft Edge
• Launching iexplore.exe directly opens Microsoft Edge instead
• Sites configured for IE mode in your site list will open in IE mode within Microsoft Edge

This provides a seamless transition - users attempting to launch Internet Explorer are automatically redirected to Microsoft Edge, and legacy applications continue to work in IE mode.

Step 4: Redirect sites from Internet Explorer to Microsoft Edge

For an additional layer of protection, you can configure Internet Explorer to redirect sites not on your site list to Microsoft Edge. This ensures that even if users somehow access Internet Explorer (for example, through a legacy application), modern sites open in Microsoft Edge.

Configure the redirect policy

Add these settings to your configuration:

1. Send all sites not included in the Enterprise Mode Site List to Microsoft Edge

   • Category: Windows Components > Internet Explorer
   • Value: Enabled

2. Configure which channel of Microsoft Edge to use for opening redirected sites

   • Category: Windows Components > Internet Explorer
   • Value: Enabled
   • Select your preferred Microsoft Edge channel (Stable, Beta, Dev, or Canary)

Deployment recommendations

Phased rollout

I recommend a phased approach to deploying these changes:

1. Pilot phase: Deploy to a small group of IT staff and power users. Monitor for issues and gather feedback.
2. Early adopters: Expand to a larger group of users with diverse application needs. Continue monitoring.
3. Broad deployment: Roll out to the entire organization after validating the configuration.

Communication

Prepare communication for end users explaining:

• Internet Explorer is being retired and will no longer be supported
• Microsoft Edge will be the organization’s browser going forward
• Legacy applications will continue to work in IE mode
• How to identify when a site is running in IE mode (IE logo in address bar)

Monitoring

After deployment, monitor for issues:

• Check Microsoft Intune for policy compliance status
• Review help desk tickets for browser-related issues
• Use the edge://compat page to troubleshoot site list issues

Final thoughts

The real value of disabling Internet Explorer 11 using policies - rather than removing it as a Windows feature - is that it preserves the underlying engine for IE mode while giving users a clean, single-browser experience. The transition itself is straightforward, but the preparation is where most of the work happens: identifying legacy dependencies, building your site list, and testing thoroughly before flipping the switch.

If you start this process now, well before the June 15 retirement date, you give yourself time to catch issues early and avoid a last-minute scramble.

With Internet Explorer 11 retirement approaching in June, now is the time to prepare your organization. What legacy applications are you planning to migrate to IE mode? I would love to hear about your transition strategies.

–Jesper