Microsoft Internet Explorer

From HelpDeskWiki

Microsoft Internet Explorer (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.htm) is basically a general-purpose user interface. It is specifically intended for browsing web pages, but can handle many other functions as well. As an example, Windows Explorer (a part of Microsoft Windows) is built on top of Internet Explorer in current versions of Microsoft Windows, so that you can type in a drive path in the address bar of Internet Explorer, and the window will change into the normal Windows Explorer window. The converse is also true; typing a web page address into Windows Explorer causes the window to change into an Internet Explorer window.

Since Internet Explorer is so general-purpose and configurable, it is also susceptible to many different types of attack. Internet Explorer can be attacked via any type of file that it knows how to handle, and there are quite a few of them. Keeping your entire system up-to-date on security-related patches is thus critical.

As of late 2004, there are a growing number of professionals recommending that people switch to browsers that are not based upon Microsoft's Internet Explorer, not only for security reasons, but also for increased functionality. For a list, see Web browser software.

For information on how to fix various problems related to Internet Explorer, see Fixing Internet Explorer. Closely related articles are Malware blocking and avoidance and Anti-spyware software.

You may also be interested in Configuring Internet Explorer and Configuring Windows Explorer.

Internet Explorer is available on a number of platforms, including various versions of Mac OS. Note that Microsoft Windows is the assumed platform in most articles; specific subjects may not apply to other OSes.