Microsoft Ends Support for IE 11 – how it will affect RPA robots

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Source: https://pixabay.com/pl/photos/internet-explorer-kraw%c4%99d%c5%ba-2815927/
  • Post published:2022-02-23

Internet Explorer, developed by the American company Microsoft, was the most popular web browser in 2003, when it reached about 95% of the market share [1]. It was gradually losing its leading position – in 2010 the popularity of this browser fell below 60% of the market share in favour of third-party browsers, and at the beginning of 2012 it fell below 35% [2].

In Poland, IE was among the top five browsers until 2017, when its market share dropped below 2%. Currently, this usage is below 1% [3].

Internet Explorer 11 was the last release of this browser. On March 17, 2015, Microsoft announced that Microsoft Edge will be the default web browser in Windows 10, and Internet Explorer will not be developed further.

Now, the end of Internet Explorer 11 is coming. Microsoft has announced that support for it will end on June 15 this year. At the end of the product lifecycle, Microsoft releases updates such as automatic switching from Internet Explorer to Edge. Our testing revealed that these updates do not deliver the same effects on all computers. This condition makes it difficult for people to work on Internet Explorer, and for the robots, practically it makes impossible to operate.

After June 15, 2022, no version of Internet Explorer will be supported, so Microsoft recommends migrating to the Edge browser.

Wizlink® is more flexible and recommends immediate migration to one of the browsers in its native mode:

  • Google Chrome,
  • MS Edge,
  • Opera,
  • FireFox.

We are glad to remind you that the way of handling web browsers in Wizlink® allows you to run a scenario created in one browser also on another browser without making any changes to it. Of course – as long as the application is working properly in it.

After installing the recent updates to Microsoft Internet Explorer, we are no longer able to provide stable operation of the robot with this browser. The ability to use Hunter in MS IE will be disabled in the next Wizlink® release.

[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/10095730

[2] https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/all/worldwide/2012

[3] https://gs.statcounter.com/