Internet Explorer 8, 9, 10 Support EndingIt's the end of the road for Internet Explorer 8, 9, and 10. The very last patch has been released, and Microsoft will end support tomorrow, January 12, 2016. The announcement was initially made in August of 2014 when Microsoft hinted that they would be moving away from the IE brand in favor of the new Microsoft Edge built for Windows 10.

As of the end of 2015, it was estimated that there were still hundreds of millions of users who hadn't upgraded to either IE 11 or Edge. That's a real problem because when Microsoft stops support tomorrow, no more security updates will be pushed out. 8,9 and 10 users will then be vulnerable to hackers and security flaws.

The final nail was put in Internet Explorer's coffin last March when Microsoft announced it would not be bringing any of Edge's new features to the old brand. Instead, they relegated it to legacy status and now keep it around primarily for enterprise compatibility purposes. The move, which was supposed to elicit anticipation for Edge, backfired horribly. Market shares plummeted as many who were forced into the upgrade took the opportunity to download competing browsers instead.

Windows 7, 8.1 and 10 users who still prefer Internet Explorer should immediately upgrade to IE11. This will be the last version of Internet Explorer and, as of now, is to be supported through the life of Windows 10.

For more tips and tech news delivered right to your inbox, SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER.