Here’s how to get rid of Internet Explorer

You would think that, because Windows 10 comes with Microsoft Edge preinstalled, you’d be able to ditch Internet Explorer. But you’d be wrong. Because Internet Explorer 11 comes preinstalled on Windows 10 — and no, you can’t uninstall it.

But you can turn it off. This Control Panel hack works in previous versions of Windows, too. Here’s how to do it:

1. Right-click the Start menu icon and click Control Panel to open the Control Panel.

2. If your Control Panel is in Category view (look at the upper right corner, you should see View by: followed by Category, Large icons, or Small icons), go to Programs > Programs and Features. If your Control Panel is in Large icons or Small icons view, go to Programs and Features.

3. On the left side of the Programs and Features window, you should see a link with a blue and yellow shield next to it that says Turn Windows features on or off. Click this link to open the Windows Features window.

4. In the Windows Features window, find Internet Explorer 11 and uncheck the box next to it. A warning window will pop up notifying you that turning off Internet Explorer 11 might affect other Windows features and programs — click Yes to continue. Click OK.

5. Once Windows turns off Internet Explorer 11, it will ask you to reboot your PC. You can choose to either Restart now or Don’t restart, in which case the changes will be made when you restart your computer in the future.