Editing Removal of Internet Explorer (section)

== Overview ==
Internet Explorer comes as an integrated component of Windows that cannot be uninstalled. Newer versions of Internet Explorer are sometimes released for existing operating systems, replacing the older version. Optionally, users may later choose to revert this upgrade. Starting with [[Windows 2000]], it is possible to disable Internet Explorer: The user can no longer launch it but its [[web browser engine]] remains operational for applications that use it.

This is not unique to Windows: [[Safari (web browser)|Safari]], the default browser on [[macOS]], is similarly integrated into the operating system. While it is possible to delete the application itself without problem, Safari is in fact merely a front-end for Apple's [[Open-source license|open source]] [[WebKit]] framework, which is heavily integrated into the operating system and cannot be removed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://webkit.org/ |title=The WebKit Open Source Project |publisher=Webkit.org |access-date=September 16, 2008 |archive-date=May 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070501222146/http://webkit.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The idea of removing Internet Explorer was proposed during the ''[[United States v. Microsoft Corp. (2001)|United States v. Microsoft Corp.]]'' case. One of Microsoft's arguments during the trial, however, was that removing Internet Explorer from Windows may result in system instability.<ref name="FindingsOfFacts">{{cite web| url=http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/f3800/msjudgex.htm| title=U.S. v. Microsoft: Court's Findings of Fact| access-date=May 12, 2005| publisher=United States Department of Justice| date=November 5, 2005| archive-date=June 15, 2006| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615023819/http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/f3800/msjudgex.htm| url-status=live}}</ref>