Remove Internet Explorer (IE) from Windows Server 2019

It is not necessary to keep Internet Explorer (IE) on Windows Server 2019 if you don't have any legacy applications that require it. In fact, many organizations choose to remove or disable IE on their servers for security and maintenance reasons.

Here are a few reasons why you might consider removing IE from your Windows Server 2019:

• Security: Internet Explorer has been the target of numerous security vulnerabilities over the years. Removing it reduces the attack surface and decreases the risk of exploitation.
• Maintenance: By removing IE, you can simplify system maintenance and reduce the overhead associated with updating and patching the browser.
• Resource Optimization: IE consumes system resources, and removing it can potentially free up memory and CPU cycles for other processes.
• Compliance: In some regulated environments, removing unnecessary software components like IE can help streamline compliance efforts by reducing the number of potential attack vectors.

Please note that, as with any changes to system components, it's crucial to understand the potential impacts and test the script in a non-production environment before deploying it to production systems. Additionally, removing Internet Explorer may affect certain system functionalities and compatibility with certain applications.

Remove IE from Windows Server 2019

Open Server Manager

Open Server Manager by clicking on the Start button and selecting "Server Manager."

Access Server Manager Dashboard

Once Server Manager is open, locate and click on "Manage" from the top-right menu, then select "Remove Roles and Features" from the dropdown menu. This will open the "Remove Roles and Features Wizard."

Select Features

In the wizard, navigate to the Features section and find "Internet Explorer 11." Uncheck the box next to it. You'll likely receive a prompt indicating that removing IE will also remove additional components and features. Confirm that you want to proceed.

Complete Removal

Follow the prompts to complete the removal process. This will uninstall Internet Explorer from your Windows Server 2019 system.

Reboot if Necessary

After the removal is complete, you may need to restart your server for the changes to take effect. If prompted, go ahead and restart the server.

Verification

Once the server has restarted, you can verify that Internet Explorer has been removed by checking the Programs and Features section of the Control Panel or attempting to search for and launch Internet Explorer.

PowerShell script to uninstall IE

Save this script with a .ps1 extension (e.g., Uninstall-IE.ps1). Before running the script, ensure that you have elevated privileges (Run as Administrator) in PowerShell. This script will check if Internet Explorer is installed on the system and then proceed to uninstall it if it's found. After executing the script, Internet Explorer should be uninstalled from the Windows Server 2019 system.

							# Check if the script is running with elevated privileges
if (-not ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal] [Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole] "Administrator")) {
    Write-Warning "You need to run this script as an administrator. Please run PowerShell as administrator and then try again."
    Exit
}

# Uninstall Internet Explorer
Write-Host "Uninstalling Internet Explorer..."

# Uninstall Internet Explorer 11
$IEFeatureName = "Internet-Explorer-Optional-amd64"
$IEFeature = Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online | Where-Object { $_.FeatureName -eq $IEFeatureName }

if ($IEFeature -ne $null) {
    Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -FeatureName $IEFeatureName -Online
    Write-Host "Internet Explorer has been uninstalled."
} else {
    Write-Warning "Internet Explorer is not installed on this system."
}