Bye-Bye Internet Explorer 8, 9, and 10!

Microsoft is ending support for Internet Explorer versions 8 - 10 (aka, IE).  If you are in the tech industry or follow tech news, you probably already know this.  But, there are sure to be some who have not heard and more that don't know what to do about it.  (For those of us that develop websites and applications, this is good news)!

First, if you are using Windows 8.1 / RT 8.1 or above, you are okay.  If you are running Windows 8.0 or down (Windows RT, Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP), you should update.

Internet Explorer 8-10 will still work when browsing the web, so why is it important to update?  The most important reason is security.  IE is pretty well known to be a security risk anyway.  But, as long as Microsoft was supporting it, they would patch problems when they were found.  That will no longer happen.  (And believe me, the bad guys are counting on you not updating for just that reason).  Also, as new features for browsing and using the web and web applications come along, you won't be able to take advantage of them, since many are depending on the software running 'in' your browser (like JavaScript).

So, how can your check your version and update if you need to?  The easiest thing to do is follow this link to Microsoft's browser download page.  It will let you know what version you are running and give you options for upgrading, if necessary.  If this link doesn't work, or you don't trust it, use these direction:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Tap or click on the Tools button - this may look like a little gear.
1. If you don't have the Tool bar visible, click or tap on Help in the menu bar.
3. Tap or click About Internet Explorer.
4. Then select the Install New Versions Automatically checkbox and close the window.

Now Windows will update your version of Internet Explorer during your next auto-update.  (Depending on your settings, it may begin the update immediately).

For your own protection - you should update ASAP!

*Note: if you get the options to update/move to Edge, you should do it.  This is Microsoft's latest browser.  And it's much better than IE.

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