Urgent Microsoft alert: Millions face being blocked from the web today – are you affected?

The study from Lansweeper, found almost 47 percent of Windows 10 PCs still had Internet Explorer 11 installed in the run-up to the end of support date.

The piece of research used a huge sample size, with over nine million Windows devices analysed.

Individuals and organisations have had a long time to prepare to say goodbye to Internet Explorer 11, with Microsoft revealing it was shuttering the browser last year.

In a previous statement, Microsoft said: “We are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge. Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it is also able to address a key concern: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications. Microsoft Edge has Internet Explorer mode (“IE mode”) built in, so you can access those legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications straight from Microsoft Edge.

“With Microsoft Edge capable of assuming this responsibility and more, the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10.”

Support for Internet Explorer 11 is ending as Microsoft’s attention is fully on its Edge browser, a Chromium-powered app which is the world’s second most popular browser in the world.

If you are swapping over from IE11 to Edge the good news is Microsoft’s latest browser has an Internet Explorer Mode which will make the change less of a shock to the system.

While Edge still lags significantly behind Google Chrome in terms of user numbers, the Internet Explorer 11 shutdown could lead to a huge amount of people migrating.

Internet Explorer 11 is one of Microsoft’s most iconic pieces of software which has been in use for almost three decades.

The first version of Internet Explorer launched as part of Windows 95.

At one point Internet Explorer was the most popular browser in the world with a staggering 95 percent market share.

But this was before Google Chrome came along, with that browser long batting away all challengers that have tried to take it on.

Currently, Chrome holds a market share of 70.67 percent with Edge in second place on 14.77 percent according to latest stats from NetMarketShare.