Internet Explorer Modern - Restore in Windows 8

How to Restore Modern Internet Explorer on Start and Apps Screen in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

In Windows 8, Internet Explorer is available in two UI views. There is a modern (Metro) IE on your Start screen, and a desktop IE. When IE10 or IE11 is opened from your desktop, it opens in the traditional desktop mode as in previous versions of Windows.

This tutorial will show you how to restore modern Internet Explorer when it is missing on your Start screen, or when IE only opens in desktop mode in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1.

   Note

• You will need to have a screen resolution of at least 1024x768 set for Metro Store apps to work.
• Metro apps will not work while signed in to the built-in elevated "Administrator" account.
• Metro apps will not work if you disabled UAC by setting the EnableLUA registry DWORD to 0 (zero) for the old Vista and Windows 7 method instead of using the Windows 8 User Account Control Settings.

EXAMPLE: Modern Internet Explorer on Start Screen in Windows 8

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OPTION ONE

If Desktop IE Tile on Start Screen instead of Modern IE

   Note

This usually happens when Internet Explorer is not set as the default program. For example, when you have Chrome or Firefox set as your default program for a browser instead. When Internet Explorer is not set as default browser, Windows 8 always opens Internet Explorer in desktop mode.

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1. Do step 2 or 3 below for what you would like to do.​

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2. Open Default Programs, select Internet Explorer in the left pane, click/tap on Set this program as default on the bottom right side, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)​

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3. Open desktop IE, click/tap on the Set default browser button, and click/tap on Internet Explorer in the pop-up Open with dialog. (see screenshots below)​

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OPTION TWO

If URL Links only open in Modern IE Metro or Desktop IE

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1. First, check to make sure OPTION ONE above is not the issue if you have not already.​

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2. Check the "Choose how you open links" settings in Internet Options using the tutorial below, to make sure they are set for what you want. (see screenshots below)​

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How to Set URL Links to Open in Modern IE or Desktop IE in Windows 8​

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OPTION THREE

If Both Modern IE and Desktop IE Tile is Missing on your Start Screen

   Note

This is for when the modern IE tile is missing on the Start screen, and has not been replaced by the desktop IE tile.

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1. Check in Windows Features to make sure that Internet Explorer 10 (Windows 8/RT) or Internet Explorer 11 (Windows 8.1/RT 8.1) is checked to be turned on, and go to step 2 below when finished. (see screenshot below)​

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2. If the Internet Explorer app tile is now back on your Start screen, then go to step 13 below.​

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3. Open your Start screen to Apps view. (see screenshot below)​

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4. If the Internet Explorer tile is not on your Apps screen, then go to step 6 below.​

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5. If the Internet Explorer tile is on your Apps screen, then right click or press and hold on the modern Internet Explorer app's tile, click/tap on Pin to Start, and go to step 13 below. (see screenshot below step 3)​

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6. Click/tap on the download button below to download the Internet_Explorer.zip file below.​

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7. Save the .zip file to your desktop, and unblock the .zip file.​

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8. Open the .zip file, extract (drag and drop) the Internet Explorer shortcut to your desktop.​

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9. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog, copy and paste the path below into Run, and click/tap on OK.​

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shell:Start Menu\Programs​

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10. Copy and paste the Internet Explorer shortcut (step 8) into the Programs folder (step 9). (see screenshot below step 12)​

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11. If prompted, click/tap on Continue and Yes (UAC) to approve the copy. (see screenshot below)​

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12. Right click or press and hold on the Internet Explorer shortcut, and click/tap on Pin to Start. Close File Explorer. (see screenshot below)​

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13. Open your Start screen, scroll all the way to the right until you see the modern Internet Explorer tile, then drag and drop the tile to where or what group you like on your Start screen. (see screenshot below)​

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NOTE: If this is a desktop IE tile instead of modern IE tile, then see the OPTION ONE section above when finished.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Set URL Links to Open in Modern or Desktop IE10 or IE11 View in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to View Webpage from Modern Internet Explorer in Desktop IE in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Set Your Default Programs in Windows 8
• How to Restore Missing "Desktop" Tile on Start and Apps Screen in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Restore Missing "Store" Tile on Start and Apps Screen in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Reset Your Start Screen to Default in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Fix and Restore PC settings and "Change PC settings" in Windows 8.1

 

[Bouncer]

I have tried the above steps but IE still opens in Metro style from the start menu how do I change this so IE opens in the traditional manner from both the start menu and the desk top screen. It opens in the traditional manner from the desk top now, which is fine.

 

[Brink]

Hello Bouncer,

You could set you Internet Options like below to always have the IE desktop open from either location.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2346-internet-explorer-10-open-links-win-8-ui-desktop-ie10.html

 

[sHAKaJaada]

Thx one more time Shawn!!!

 

[nekeroom]

None of these tips seem to work , clicking on set as default browser still leaves google chrome as default , tis driving me crazy

 

[Brink]

Hello Nekeroom, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Are you having any issues with the desktop IE or any other modern apps?

As a test, uninstall Chrome, then set IE as the default program with all of it associations to see if that will restore the modern IE.

If it does, then reinstall Chrome being sure to not mistakenly set it as your default browser.

Hope this helps for now,
Shawn

 

[nekeroom]

Thanks for your help

Hello Nekeroom, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Are you having any issues with the desktop IE or any other modern apps?

As a test, uninstall Chrome, then set IE as the default program with all of it associations to see if that will restore the modern IE.

If it does, then reinstall Chrome being sure to not mistakenly set it as your default browser.

Hope this helps for now,
Shawn

Thanks Shawn , I have tried now uninstalling Chrome , stopping and starting IE11 and setting it as default browser but this does not appear to have worked. I have trouble with any program that tries to log in or open a webpage from inside another window , eg , I run family tree maker and it talks to ancestry .co.uk , when I start family tree maker it says ancestry is not logged on but clicking log in for ancestry has no effect. If I log into ancestry on a new window it logs in fine but Family tree maker says ancestry is still not logged in.
I'm beginning to think windows 8.1 was a big mistake as other programs such as Kaspersky Pure 3.0 also fail saying it is an uncompatable program.

 

[Brink]

As a test, use OPTION THREE in the tutorial to turn off IE11, restart PC, turn on IE11, and restart PC to see if it may be able to repair and/or toggle IE to work properly afterwards.

If not, then let's see if temporarily uninstalling or disabling Kaspersky may help if it may be causing an issue since it's being found incompatible.

 

[nekeroom]

still broke

As a test, use OPTION THREE in the tutorial to turn off IE11, restart PC, turn on IE11, and restart PC to see if it may be able to repair and/or toggle IE to work properly afterwards.

If not, then let's see if temporarily uninstalling or disabling Kaspersky may help if it may be causing an issue since it's being found incompatible.

Have tried this with still the same result , Kaspersky have now supplied a different product which works ok.

 

[Brink]

Hmm, ok. Let's give this a try to see if it may restore IE.

Uninstall all browsers other than IE.

Completely reset IE to default.

Internet Explorer - Reset - Windows 7 Help Forums​

Just to double check, look in Default Programs using the tutorial below for Internet Explorer, click on "Choose defaults for this program", and make sure all items are checked and saved.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...ms-set-your-default-programs-windows-8-a.html​

If IE is still not back, then run a SFC /SCANNOW to see if it find any corrupted system files and able to fix them.

 

[nekeroom]

Tried unsuccesful;

I have tried all options except I cannot remove firefox , it will not uninstall and the Mozilla help desk says remove from Crogram files x86 but it does not appear there.

 

[Brink]

Sounds you like you have more going on there. You might see if doing a system restore using a restore point dated before you had all of these issues may be able to help.

 

[nekeroom]

cannot be done

not possible as microsoft removed the option to do a restore with windows .1 only option is to recover but to do this you need a bootable windows 8 disk and Asus ( like a lot of system manufacturers ) only supply a rceovery partition and this will not work with recover function , thanks microsoft for this rubbish system , as if windows 8 was noty bad enough the update is worse.

I have tried all options except I cannot remove firefox , it will not uninstall and the Mozilla help desk says remove from Crogram files x86 but it does not appear there.

 

[nekeroom]

Maybe

None of this seems to work so : I have removed /uninstalled all other browsers on my system except IE11 so it must be the default browser but everything is still the same , unable to get a program to run from within another program . and it looks like no fix ,whentime permits at the weekend I will try to recover back to Windows 8.0 in the vane hope that I may get something back Fingers crossed

 

[Brink]

I wasn't talking about doing a factory system recovery (reset). Instead a system restore (system protection) with a restore point. See the link below for more details to see if that may be an available option for you.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/4692-system-restore-how-do-windows-8-a.html

 

[nekeroom]

Accepted

I wasn't talking about doing a factory system recovery (reset). Instead a system restore (system protection) with a restore point. See the link below for more details to see if that may be an available option for you.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/4692-system-restore-how-do-windows-8-a.html

Thanks , I have now done this although of course it means now reloading the large amount of other programs i had installed o the system Will now stay on windows 8 until the problems are fixed in 8.1 , thanks for everyones help

 

[Brink]

I'm happy to hear that you are back in a working order.

 

[brohdaw]

2 years later and this thread is still helping people. Thank you, thank you, thank you. My son's computer was opening up only in IE whether you clicked the Metro or the desktop! Option 2 was the ticket...how he changed that, we may never know lol