Bringing Internet Explorer 11 to Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard
Published Jan 28 2019 10:00 AM 67.4K Views

Updated 1/28/2020:

We will be publishing a final update for Internet Explorer 10 on Tuesday, February 11, 2020. After that date, all updates, paid assisted support options, and technical content updates for Internet Explorer 10 will be discontinued. For more details, see this blog post.


Updated 8/29/2019:

Users of Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard can now get Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) by scanning Windows Update and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) for KB4492872, or by downloading the update from the Microsoft Update Catalog. As noted below, this will appear as “Internet Explorer 11 for Windows Server 2012 for x64 based systems,” “Internet Explorer 11 for Windows Embedded 8 Standard for x64 based systems," or "Internet Explorer 11 for Windows Embedded 8 Standard for x86 based systems.” A “Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 11” applicable to Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard will continue to be published as a monthly standalone update in the Microsoft Update Catalog, Windows Update, and WSUS, and will not be included as part of a Monthly Quality Rollup in 2019.

As a reminder, the last security updates for Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) will be published in January 2020, after which IE11 will be the only supported version of Internet Explorer for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard.


Updated 4/16/2019:

Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard customers can now begin using IE11 in their test environments or pilot rings by downloading “Internet Explorer 11 for Windows Server 2012 for x64 based systems,” “Internet Explorer 11 for Windows Embedded 8 Standard for x64 based systems," or "Internet Explorer 11 for Windows Embedded 8 Standard for x86 based systems” from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

In addition, to help you remain secure on IE11, we will publish a “Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 11” that will be applicable to Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard, starting May 2019. This update will be available from the Microsoft Update Catalog, Windows Update, and WSUS; and will not be included as part of a Monthly Quality Rollup in 2019.

For more information, including guidance related to language packs, see KB4492872.


In January 2016, Microsoft consolidated its browser strategy around Internet Explorer 11 (IE11), making IE11 the last supported version of Internet Explorer. As support for older versions of Internet Explorer ended, many customers upgraded to IE11, providing them with improved security, increased performance, better backward compatibility, and greater support for modern web technologies. In fact, the large majority of the Windows ecosystem now runs IE11 and/or Microsoft Edge.

To continue the shift to a faster, more secure browsing experience, starting in the spring of 2019, commercial customers running Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard can begin using IE11 in their test environments or pilot rings. To simplify deployment, you will be able to download IE11 via the Microsoft Update Catalog. We will also publish the IE11 upgrade through Windows Update and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) for all versions of Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard later this year.

You will have until January 2020 to complete the transition from Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) to IE11. After this, we will not release any security or non-security updates, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content changes for IE10.

We encourage you to use the time available to pilot IE11 in your environments. Upgrading to the latest version of Internet Explorer will ease the migration path to Windows 10, Windows Server 2016 or 2019, or Windows 10 IoT, and unlock the next generation of technology and productivity. It will also allow you to reduce the number of Internet Explorer versions you support in your environment.

IE10 will continue to be supported for the OS versions listed above through 2019. The updates will be available via the Update Catalog and WSUS channel as a “Cumulative Update for Internet Explorer 10.” They will also be included in the Monthly Rollup, just as they are today. Updates for IE11 will be labeled as “Cumulative Update Internet Explorer 11” on the Microsoft Update Catalog, Windows Update, and WSUS.

Note: IE11 will be available to Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard customers in the form of the classic (or desktop) IE experience. The Modern IE tiled experience will not be supported on IE11 for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard.

As you make the shift to IE11, you will, of course, be able to leverage Enterprise Mode for application and website compatibility. This will allow you to continue to load your applications that have a dependency on IE10 in a “compatibility mode” while using IE11. If your organization requires additional assistance, please contact your Microsoft Account team.

6 Comments
Brass Contributor

We are waiting Edge on Server 2016 and Server 2019 for years now.

 

We are forced to install Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox on our server because many websites are not compatible with IE and some others are compatible with IE on Windows 10 and don't work on IE on Windows Server (not exactly the same build version).

Brass Contributor
Thanks for bringing IE11 to Windows Server 2012. I never understood why it would be desirable to keep supporting IE10. Although, it does seem like someone in product management wants to treat Server 2012 as EOL even though the published support times are identical to Server 2012 R2.
Microsoft
Howdy, @Beko: I'm happy to note that the new version of Microsoft Edge (https://microsoftedgeinsider.com) will be available for will supported versions of Windows, including Windows Server SKUs.
Brass Contributor

@Eric_Lawrence 

 

Very good news ! We need to install it like a software or it will be release by an update on the servers ?

Copper Contributor

@Suchithra Gopinath  -- When will the security updates for IE11 on WIN 2012 be included in the Monthly Roll-up? Any ideas which it why be kept separate for now?

@Chad West IE 11 will be included in the Monthly Rollup(MR) once we end support for IE10 in 2020. While IE10 is still in active support, it is being retained in the MR.

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