How to Update Internet Explorer

You might want to update Internet Explorer for any of several different reasons. Maybe you heard that Microsoft released a new version of their web browser and you'd like to try it out. You'll need to update Internet Explorer to do that.

Perhaps you're dealing with a problem with Internet Explorer and other troubleshooting steps haven't worked. In many cases like this, you can update IE and the problem may go away.

Regardless the reason why you want to, it's very easy to do.

Tip: In case you're wondering—no, you do not need to uninstall your current version of IE to update Internet Explorer to the latest version. The updated version will replace the outdated one you have installed right now.

You can update Internet Explorer by downloading and installing it from Microsoft:

Download Internet Explorer [Microsoft]

If asked, find your language from the list on their site (English, for example), choose the version you want to download (referring to your version of Windows), and then tap or click the Download Internet Explorer <version> button.

Note: If you're given two download links—for 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows, read this if you're not sure which one to pick.

Tip: The downloads I've linked you to above are the full, offline versions, meaning that all the installation files you need are included in the download. You're welcome to use the online version they offer here but the offline one is best if you're having trouble with your current IE install or you want to put the file on a flash drive or some other media.

Important: You should only update Internet Explorer from Microsoft! Several legitimate websites offer Internet Explorer downloads but many not-so-legitimate websites do as well. Your best bet is to update IE directly from the browser's developer—Microsoft.

That's really all there is to it. Internet Explorer will update (or upgrade) automatically, keeping all of your favorites, cookies, form history, and saved passwords perfectly intact.

Incremental updates to Internet Explorer, like those you might see on Patch Tuesday that correct small bugs or fix security issues, are always best received via Windows Update.

The latest version of Internet Explorer is IE11.

See What Version of Internet Explorer Do I Have? if you're not sure if you're up to date.

In most cases, the newest version of Internet Explorer will automatically install at some point after its release via Windows Update.

See How Do I Install Windows Updates? for help doing that.

Internet Explorer will eventually be replaced by a browser called Edge (formerly Spartan) that is currently only available in Windows 10.

Edge is not available as a download from Microsoft for any version of Windows. It's included as part of Windows 10 and so is only available if you're using Windows 10.

See Where Can I Download Windows 10? if you're interested in trying out Edge in Windows 10 but don't yet have this version of Windows.

IE11 is included in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1. You can also install IE11 in Windows 7 by downloading and installing it as directed above.

If you're still using Windows 8, IE10 is the latest version of IE you can use. IE11 comes included in the free Windows 8.1 update. See How to Update to Windows 8.1 for help with that.

The latest version of Internet Explorer for Windows Vista is IE9, available for download here (choose Windows Vista from the drop-down). For Windows XP, Internet Explorer maxes out at IE8, available from the IE8 download page.

Note: If you try downloading those versions of Internet Explorer on a version of Windows that the web browser isn't compatible with (e.g. if you try getting IE8 in Windows 8.1), you'll be given a different page at first but you can just click through the steps to download it anyway.

Not sure what version of Windows is installed in your computer? See What Version of Windows Do I Have? for easy instructions on figuring that out.

See Get More Help for information about contacting me on social networks or via email, posting on tech support forums, and more.

Let me know exactly the problem you're having with the IE update, what Windows operating system you're using, the version of IE you have now, and the one you're trying to upgrade to.