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What Version of Internet Explorer Do I Have?
How to determine the version of IE you have installed
By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 3, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article
Expand Jump to a Section Step-by-Step: Find the Version Number With Internet Explorer Use a Command to Locate It How to Make Sure IE Is Updated Extra: Find the Microsoft Edge Version Do you know what version of Internet Explorer you have installed? Do you know why it's important to know what IE version you're using? Knowing the version number is helpful so you don't waste your time updating if you don't need to. It's also useful so you know which tutorials to follow when you're trying to diagnose a problem, or maybe so you can communicate that version number to someone that's helping you solve a problem with the browser. There are two ways to do this. The first is through Internet Explorer itself, and is much easier than the second method that uses the Command Prompt. Microsoft no longer supports Internet Explorer and recommends that you update to the newer Edge browser. Head to their site to download the newest version. Instructions in this article apply to Windows Vista and newer. Find the Version Number With Internet Explorer
The easiest way is to check the version number from the About Internet Explorer dialog box: Open Internet Explorer. If you're on Windows 11/10 and are actually looking for the version number of the Edge browser, see the section at the very bottom of this page for instructions on doing that. Select the gear icon or use the Alt+X keyboard shortcut. Older versions of Internet Explorer, as well as newer versions that are configured in a certain way, show a traditional menu. If so, select Help instead. Choose About Internet Explorer. The major version of IE, like Internet Explorer 11, is obviously apparent thanks to the big logo that has the version appended. The complete version number that you're running can be found next to Version under the logo. Use a Command to Locate the IE Version Number
Another method is to enter the following command in Command Prompt to check what Windows Registry says about the Internet Explorer version: reg query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer" /v svcVersion The result should read something like this, where in this example, 11.706.17134.0 is the version number: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer svcVersion REG_SZ 11.706.17134.0 How to Make Sure IE Is Updated
Now that you know what version of Internet Explorer you have, you need to determine if updating IE is the next step. See how to update Internet Explorer for more on this, including information on the latest version of IE, which versions of Windows support which versions of Internet Explorer, and much more. Internet Explorer isn't just a browser, it's also the way in which Windows itself communicates with the internet to, for example, download patches to be installed via Windows Update. Keeping it updated is important, then, even if you don't use it to surf the web. What About Microsoft Edge
Remember that Edge isn't the same as Internet Explorer. Here's how to check its version number: Select the three dots (...) at the top right. Go to Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge. Look for the Edge version number on the right side of the screen. Another way to get to this screen is from the browser's settings. Search for version to quickly find Edge's full version number. There's also a PowerShell command that will display the Edge version number: (Get-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Edge\BLBeacon -Name version).version If you prefer Command Prompt, use reg query: reg query HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Edge\BLBeacon /v version Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Update Internet Explorer (Most Recent: IE11) How to Disable Protected Mode in Internet Explorer What Version of Windows Do I Have? Improving Performance in Internet Explorer 11 What Is Microsoft Internet Explorer? How to Clear the Cache in IE11 How to Reset IE Security Settings to Default Levels How to Uninstall or Remove Internet Explorer When Is Internet Explorer End of Life? Adding Favorites to Internet Explorer 11 How to Selectively Disable Internet Explorer Add-ons Script Errors (What They Are and How to Fix Them) How to Open Internet Explorer 11 in Windows 10 Managing Add-Ons in Internet Explorer 11 How to Clear Your Internet Explorer History How to Use the Pop-Up Blocker in Internet Explorer 11 Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies