Accidentally removing Internet explorer 11 on Window 10

How to Reverse the Accidental Removal of Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10

Accidentally removing crucial system components can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially when it involves features like Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10. If you’ve found yourself in a similar situation, you’re not alone. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the issue and offers potential solutions to restore Internet Explorer 11 without risking data loss or requiring a system reboot.

Understanding the Issue

Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) remains a component of Windows 10, primarily for legacy compatibility and enterprise use. However, through the Windows Settings app, users can choose to disable or remove optional features like IE11.

Scenario Breakdown:
– The user attempted to troubleshoot certain file bugs by removing Internet Explorer 11 via the “Optional Features” section in Windows Settings.
– Upon doing so, IE11 disappeared from the Start menu.
– Viewing the “Turn Windows features on or off” window revealed that IE11 was no longer listed.
– An attempt to re-add IE11 resulted in an error message: Error code 0x80070490.
– The user seeks a way to restore IE11 without restarting the computer, concerned about losing app data during reinstallation.

Diagnosing the Problem

The removal of IE11 through the Optional Features interface doesn’t typically delete the underlying files but disables or hides the component. If IE11 is missing from the Windows Features list and cannot be re-enabled, potential reasons include:

Partial removal or corruption of system files,
Conflicts with other Windows features,
System inconsistencies affecting feature management.

The error code 0x80070490 usually indicates a “Component Store corruption” or issues within Windows Update components, which can interfere with reinstalling optional features.