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Update: The retired, out-of-support Internet Explorer 11 desktop application has been permanently disabled through a Microsoft Edge update on certain versions of Windows 10. For more information, see the Internet Explorer 11 desktop app retirement FAQ. |
With the announcement that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge, you might be thinking, how do I start moving from Internet Explorer 11 (“IE11”) to Microsoft Edge? Whether you rely on IE11 exclusively or use it in tandem with another browser to specifically access older legacy websites and applications, Microsoft is committed to helping you prepare and move to its replacement: Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode (IE mode).
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Editor’s note: Welcome to the IE to Edge blog series, an ongoing series of articles designed to help you move from Internet Explorer 11 to Microsoft Edge! Each will focus on a different relevant topic to help you in your journey, from what to expect when setting up IE mode to what to expect for end users after the IE11 desktop application retires. Look out for more of these blogs as we journey towards June 15, 2022! |
The IE11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support next year on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10. As part of our commitment, we’ve created helpful online setup guides in the Microsoft 365 admin center to clarify the process and make it easier to move to Microsoft Edge. These guides are based on experiences from thousands of customer engagements and are the same guides we use daily with customers around the world. We’re thrilled to make these available to you directly to help accelerate your onboarding and adoption of Microsoft Edge. With just a few pieces of information, these guides provide simple automated tools with tailored step-by-step guidance:
- Microsoft Edge setup guide aka “Edge Advisor”. Use this online guide for end-to-end deployment or if there is a particular area, such as the use of policies, that you need further guidance on.
- Discover and configure sites that require IE mode. Use this online guide if you’ve deployed Microsoft Edge and are specifically looking to build your site list and configure IE mode. (Note: These steps are also included as part of the Microsoft Edge Setup Guide aka Edge Advisor.)
Additional Microsoft 365 setup guides are also available to you in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Requirements for Microsoft 365 admin center guides
Permissions
To access the Microsoft Edge guides, you will need global reader admin permissions in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
We understand that some administrators responsible for their organization’s browsers may not have the needed permissions for these tools in the Microsoft 365 admin center. If you see the following error screen when you try to start a Microsoft Edge guide, you don’t have the required permissions. Don’t worry; we have you covered!
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Tip: What to do if you can’t access the Microsoft 365 admin center: |
Navigation
Open the setup guidance page in the Microsoft 365 admin center to find the complete inventory of setup guides. You can easily find the Microsoft Edge guides using the product filter. The top two guides are detailed in the sections below.
You can also navigate directly to the guides using the direct links listed in the intro of this post.
Microsoft Edge setup guide (Edge Advisor)
Overview
The Microsoft Edge Setup Guide is available at https://aka.ms/EdgeAdvisor. We refer to this guide as the “Edge Advisor” as it provides end-to-end deployment and adoption guidance for Microsoft Edge. The Edge Advisor starts by asking for a few pieces of information to help tailor the experience and provides guidance for customers planning deployments using Microsoft Intune, Configuration Manager, or Group Policy.
Capabilities and benefits
- Customized guidance for your selected operating systems and management tool.
- Review and understand the available Microsoft Edge channels.
- Setup conditional access with Microsoft Edge (if required).
- Review security baselines for Microsoft Edge using the Security Compliance Toolkit.
- Recommendations for additional protection and security features, such as Microsoft Endpoint Data Loss Prevention.
- Understand the many Microsoft Edge security settings and review configuration details.
- Enable or disable site discovery data collection, as well as Enterprise site list curation and creation, for Internet Explorer mode. For more details see the next section, Discover and configure sites that require IE mode (Configure IE mode guide).
- Note: The steps to configure IE mode in the Edge Advisor are the same steps outlined in the next section (Discover and configure sites that require IE mode). If you’re only looking to configure IE mode, we recommend using that guide.
- Get started configuring a subset of the most widely used Microsoft Edge policies and download a script to configure them using group policy.
- Deploy Microsoft Edge to your organization using the option that best fits your needs.
- Additional guidance to communicate the roll-out of Microsoft Edge to users and setup Microsoft Search.
Discover and configure sites that require IE mode (Configure IE mode guide)
Overview
The Configure IE mode guide, available at https://aka.ms/configureiemode, takes the site discovery and enterprise site list tasks available in the Edge Advisor and provides them as a standalone experience to help you set up IE mode in Microsoft Edge. This experience simplifies the steps outlined in the article titled “Enterprise Site Discovery Step by Step Guide” and automates some of them with a customized script for use with either Configuration Manager or Group Policy.
Capabilities and benefits
- Enable or disable site discovery data collection to build an Enterprise site list for IE mode. Collect sites more easily and efficiently with a customized script specific to your environment that can filter on specific zones (like Intranet) and/or on specific sites and their subsites (such as contoso.com and its subsites).
- Curate and create your Enterprise site list. Review sites discovered during data collection to easily see compatibility issues, group by zones, or specify how URLs open in IE mode (such as in specific doc modes or as neutral sites).
- Export your site list as an XML and receive guidance to deploy the site list for IE mode.
Additional tools for Microsoft Edge
The Edge Advisor and Configure IE mode guide are the primary guides needed to successfully roll out Microsoft Edge. Pick the guide that best fits your situation. Once deployed, we offer additional guides for more advanced needs:
- Step-by-step guides | Microsoft Search setup guide – get assistance configuring Microsoft Search settings, building search bookmarks, and more.
- Training resources | Educate users by sending training emails – use ready-to-send email templates for Microsoft Edge to help educate and move users.
- User training | Microsoft Edge Adoption Kit – download a single kit of resources to help inform and educate users about the benefits and features of Microsoft Edge.
What’s next for Microsoft Edge tools
The team is continuously improving the tools to better meet your requirements and support new features rolling out in Microsoft Edge. A few tools coming soon include:
- (Q3 2021) In-product education for Microsoft Edge – The ability to opt your tenant into Windows 10 lock screen messages to assist in moving users to Microsoft Edge. This will be added to the Adoption step in the Microsoft Edge setup guide (Edge Advisor).
- (Q3 2021) Enhanced Intune configuration support – A new process for starting Enterprise site discovery for IE mode on Intune-managed Windows devices and the ability to easily deploy common Microsoft Edge policies (including IE integration) via Intune directly within the guide.
Next steps
We encourage you to get started today and choose the right Microsoft Edge setup guide for your needs.
- If you’re looking for end-to-end deployment guidance, we recommend you use the Microsoft Edge setup guide (Edge Advisor).
- If you’re specifically looking for guidance setting up Internet Explorer mode, we recommend you use the Discover and configure sites for IE mode guide.
We’re always looking to improve and develop the best tools for our customers. Your feedback on these tools—or for tools that would be helpful to your organization—is highly valued, so we encourage you to leave your feedback in the comments section. Thank you and we hope these tools help you in your move to Microsoft Edge.
Frequently asked questions
I tried to launch the Microsoft Edge guide but got an error?
Ensure the account you’re using has Microsoft 365 admin center permissions, and optimally, has the global reader permission. If you do not have global reader permission, please see the Permissions section above.
Do the Microsoft Edge guides store my site details in the service?
No. The guides don’t store your site discovery or site list information in the service.
What languages are supported by the Microsoft Edge tools in the Microsoft 365 admin center?
The tools are currently available in English. Localized versions in French, German, Japanese, and Spanish are on track for July of 2021.
I’ve found a site that won’t work with Microsoft Edge. Can Microsoft provide help?
If you find a site that won’t work with IE mode, we first recommend watching the Microsoft Edge | Internet Explorer mode and compatibility video for tips. If that doesn’t help with your issue, there’s the App Assure program. The App Assure promise is this: if your web apps and sites work in IE11, supported versions of Google Chrome, or Microsoft Edge Legacy, those web apps and sites should work in Microsoft Edge. If not, contact App Assure at no additional cost for remediation support. You can either submit a request for assistance through their website or reach out via email (ACHELP@microsoft.com). To learn more about App Assure and Microsoft Edge, see Dual engine advantage: Legacy sites and Microsoft Edge.