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Missing Internet Explorer Maintenance settings for Internet Explorer 11

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Caution

Update: The retired, out-of-support Internet Explorer 11 desktop application has been permanently disabled through a Microsoft Edge update on certain versions of Windows 10. For more information, see Internet Explorer 11 desktop app retirement FAQ.

Applies to:

  • Windows 10
  • Windows 8.1
  • Windows 7
  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1 (SP1)

The Internet Explorer Maintenance (IEM) settings have been deprecated in favor of Group Policy Preferences, Administrative Templates (.admx), and the IE Administration Kit 11 (IEAK 11).

Because of this change, your IEM-configured settings will no longer work on computers running Internet Explorer 10 or newer. To fix this, you need to update the affected settings using Group Policy Preferences, Administrative Templates (.admx), or IE Administration Kit 11 (IEAK 11).

Because Group Policy Preferences and IEAK 11 run using asynchronous processes, you should choose to use only one of the tools within each group of settings. For example, using only IEAK 11 in the Security settings or Group Policy Preferences within the Internet Zone settings. Also, it's important to remember that policy is enforced and can't be changed by the user, while preferences are configured, but can be changed by the user.

For more information about all of the new options and Group Policy, see:

IEM replacements

The IEM settings have replacements you can use in either Group Policy Preferences or IEAK 11.

Browser user interface replacements

IEM setting Description Replacement tool
Browser title Lets you customize the text that shows up in the title bar of the browser. On the Browser User Interface page of IEAK 11, click Customize Title Bars, and then type the text that appears on the title bar of the Title Bar Text box.

Your text is appended to the text," Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by".
Browser toolbar customizations (background and buttons) Lets you customize the buttons on the browser toolbar.
  • Buttons. Customizes the buttons on the Internet Explorer 11 toolbar.
  • Background. No longer available.
 On the Browser User Interface page of IEAK 11, click Add, type your new toolbar caption, action, and icon, and if the button should appear by default, and then click OK. You can also edit, remove, or delete an existing toolbar button from this page.
Custom logo and animated bitmaps Lets you replace the static and animated logos in the upper-right corner of the IE window with customized logos. This setting isn't available anymore.

Connection replacements

IEM setting Description Replacement tool
Connection settings Lets you import your connection settings from a previously set up computer. These settings define how your employees interact with the connection settings on the System Polices and Restrictions page. You can also remove old dial-up connections settings from your employee's computers. In the Internet Settings Group Policy Preferences dialog box, click the Connections tab, and set up your proxy settings.

-OR-

On the Connection Settings page of IEAK 11, change your connection settings, including importing your current connection settings and deleting existing dial-up connection settings (as needed).
Automatic browser configuration Lets you update your employee's computer after you've deployed IE11, by specifying a URL to an .ins file, an auto-proxy URL, or both. You can decide when the update occurs, in minutes. Typing zero, or not putting in any number, means that automatic configuration only happens after the browser is started and used to go to a page. In the Internet Settings Group Policy Preferences dialog box, click the Automatic Configuration tab, and then add your URL.

On the Automatic Configuration page of IEAK 11, modify the configuration settings, including providing the URL to an .ins file or an auto-proxy site.
Proxy settings Lets you specify your proxy servers. In the Internet Settings Group Policy Preferences dialog box, click the Connections tab, click LAN Settings, and then choose whether to turn on automatic detection of your configuration settings and if you want to use proxy servers.

-OR-

On the Proxy Settings page of IEAK 11, turn on your proxy settings, adding your proxy server addresses and exceptions.
User Agent string Lets the browser provide identification to visited servers. This string is often used to keep Internet traffic statistics. This setting isn't available anymore.

URLs replacements

IEM setting Description Replacement tool
Favorites and links Lets you use custom URLs for the Favorites and Links folders. You can also specify the folder order, disable IE Suggested Sites, and import an existing folder structure. On the Favorites, Favorites Bar and Feeds page of IEAK 11, add your custom URLs to the Favorites, Favorites Bar, or RSS Feeds folders, or create new folders.

You can also edit, test, or remove your URLs, sort the list order, or disable IE Suggested Sites.
Important URLs Lets you add custom Home pages that can open different tabs. You can also add a Support page that shows up when an employee clicks online Help. In the Internet Settings Group Policy Preferences dialog box, click the General tab, and add your custom Home page.

On the Important URLs - Home page and Support page of IEAK 11, add the custom URLs to your Home and Support pages.

You can also click to retain the previous home page information when the user upgrades to a newer version of IE.

Security Zones and Content Ratings

IEM setting Description Replacement tool
Security zones Lets you change your security settings, by zone In the Internet Settings Group Policy Preferences dialog box, click the Security tab, and update your security settings, based on zone.

-OR-

On the Security and Privacy Settings page of IEAK 11, choose your Security Zones and Privacy setting, changing it, as necessary.
Content ratings Lets you change your content ratings so your employees can't view sites with risky content. On the Security and Privacy Settings page of IEAK 11, choose your Content Ratings setting, changing it, as necessary.
Authenticode settings Lets you pick your trustworthy software publishers and stop your employees from adding new, untrusted publishers while browsing. These settings aren't available anymore.

Programs

IEM setting Description Replacement tool
Programs Lets you import your default program settings, which specify the programs Windows uses for each Internet service. In the Internet Settings Group Policy Preferences dialog box, click the Programs tab, and choose how to open IE11 links.

-OR-

On the Programs page of IEAK 11, choose whether to customize or import your program settings.

Advanced IEM settings

The Advanced IEM settings, including Corporate and Internet settings, were also deprecated. However, they also have replacements you can use in either Group Policy Preferences or IEAK 11.

Note
Advanced IEM Settings were shown under Programs and only available when running in Preference mode.

IEM setting Description Replacement tool
Corporate settings Specifies the location of the file with the settings you use to make IE work best in your organization. On the Additional Settings page of IEAK 11, expand Corporate Settings, and then customize how your organization handles temporary Internet files, code downloads, menu items, and toolbar buttons.
Internet settings Specifies the location of the file that includes your default IE settings. In the Internet Settings Group Policy Preferences dialog box, click the Advanced tab, and then update your Internet-related settings, as required

-OR-

On the Additional Settings page of IEAK 11, expand Internet Settings, and then customize your default values in the Internet Options dialog box.