Ever since Microsoft announced it was killing off Internet Explorer (IE), the company has tried almost everything to encourage users to move away from the now-defunct web browser. However, while IE's install base has halved since phase-out plans were revealed, Statcounter data suggests the browser still has millions of active users. Now Microsoft is taking steps to kill the last remaining use cases for IE. According to the company's product roadmap, certain file types will soon start running automatically in Microsoft Edge (the company's new flagship browser) instead of its predecessor. "Starting with Microsoft Edge version 92, MHTML file types will automatically open in Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge instead of in the Internet Explorer 11 app," the company explained. According to Microsoft, this type of file appears most often in scenarios where users open Outlook emails through their browsers. The change will take effect with the next iteration of Microsoft Edge, which is expected to go live next month, but it will only take effect if Internet Explorer is set as the default handler for MHTML files.
End of life for Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer has long been the butt of jokes in the tech community, ridiculed for its speed issues and clunky user interface. The decision to kill the browser, which first appeared in 1995, can be seen as an admission of its increasing uselessness to modern users. The file handling tweak is the latest in a long line of changes designed to give remaining IE users a nudge in the right direction. For example, in October, Microsoft announced that websites that are no longer supported by the older browser will automatically launch in Edge. Thousands of sites fall into this category, including the popular services Twitter, Instagram, Google Drive, Yahoo Mail. Not only will some web pages now redirect to Edge automatically, but Microsoft also continues to remove Internet Explorer support from its various software and services. As of November 2020, users can no longer sign in to their Microsoft accounts through Internet Explorer or the Microsoft Teams web app. By August 17, 2021, no Microsoft 365 apps will be supported in the browser. After this last deadline, users of the unsupported web browser will experience a "degraded experience"; New Microsoft 365 features will not be available and existing web apps will be disabled.