Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 EOL FAQ

Microsoft has announced end-of-life (EOL) for Internet Explorer beginning June 2022 and recommends using Microsoft Edge or Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer (IE) mode. This will impact automations (bots) based on the operating system currently in use where the bots are run.

For details, see the following table:

Microsoft operating system Automation 360 and Enterprise 11 bots
Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel Update bots to use a compatible browser.

For a list of supported browsers, see Browser requirements for Automation Workspace.
All other supported operating systems No immediate impact

Starting from the Automation 360 v.25 release, you will be prompted to access the Control Room through an alternative supported browser, such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (Chromium) instead of Internet Explorer. Your Control Room will no longer be accessible on Internet Explorer. By aligning with the Microsoft strategy for browser support, we can provide you with enhanced functionality that latest browsers such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge make technologically possible.

General FAQ

How do I know if I am going to be impacted by the Internet Explorer EOL?
To assess whether you are actually impacted by the Internet Explorer EOL, you need to do the following:
  • Check whether the underlying legacy application or website can run only on Internet Explorer and is not moved to any other browser.
  • Check whether the device on which the bot is running has Windows 10 version using Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) license.

If the answer to both of the above is Yes, you are impacted by the Internet Explorer EOL.

Why this change?
Microsoft recently announced that Internet Explorer will be retired on June 15, 2022 for certain versions of Windows operating systems.

While we will end support for the Control Room on Internet Explorer, we will continue to add new and advanced features that will be supported on alternative browsers.

Browser requirements for Automation Workspace | Internet Explorer EOL
When will the support end?
Starting from the upcoming Automation 360 v.25 release, any user trying to access the Control Room through Internet Explorer will be prompted to use alternative browsers such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (Chromium).
Can I connect to Enterprise 11 or Enterprise 10 Control Room?
You can continue to use Internet Explorer to connect to the Enterprise 11 Control Room.
What about the automations that I have already built using Internet Explorer?
Microsoft is planning to discontinue support for Internet Explorer from June 2022 on certain operating systems. If this change impacts you, you should start planning to update your automations to use other browsers, such as Microsoft Edge (Chromium).

See Internet Explorer EOL for list of Windows operating systems supporting Internet Explorer.

For information about scenario-based automation updates, see Migration FAQ.

Does the EOL impact my running automations if they are running on OS versions other than Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise licensed through the Semi-Annual Channel (SAC)?
No, your automations will not be impacted if they are running on OS versions other than Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise licensed through SAC. For more information, see the FAQ available from Microsoft.

Internet Explorer EOL

My organization has legacy apps and websites based on Internet Explorer 11 that are automated using Automation 360. We plan to move our legacy apps to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode before the EOL date. What will happen to my existing automations built on Internet Explorer 11?
After you move your legacy apps to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode, the automations that you previously built on Internet Explorer 11 will run only after you edit them and make them work for Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode.

You might have to capture the objects again and update the corresponding actions on these objects so that the automations can run successfully on Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode.

My application is running on Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode. Can I create and run object-based automations on Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode using Automation 360?
Yes, starting from Automation 360 v.23, object-based automations are supported for Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode. You can record objects and perform various actions by using Universal Recorder to automate your applications that run on Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode.
Note: A separate plug-in extension is not required. You can use the Microsoft Edge plug-in extension for your Microsoft Edge browser with Internet Explorer mode as well.
Will Automation Anywhere provide any tool to convert automations that use Internet Explorer to Microsoft Edge?
Microsoft recommends users to use Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer Compatibility mode. We will be providing a utility to convert automations that use Internet Explorer to use Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer Compatibility mode.

Migration FAQ

What is the guidance for Automation 360 users on the general availability of a conversion tool?
For Automation 360 users, we are planning a patch release on Automation 360 v.24 for On-Premises and Cloud users. You must apply this patch to take advantage of the support for Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode. This patch contains packages that are certified on Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer mode and a bot update wizard. You can either manually update your bots or use the bot update wizard to update your bots in bulk so that they work with Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer mode.
Note: On-Premises users can get early access to this patch to test it in the dev environment.
What is the guidance for Enterprise 11 users on the general availability of a conversion tool?
For Enterprise 11 users, we are planning to release a patch on the Version 11.3.5.x trail to support Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer mode. You must update to the latest version to take advantage of this patch. Along with this patch, a conversion utility and an enhanced Bot Scanner will also be released. With the enhanced Bot Scanner, you can get statistics on the usage of Internet Explorer in your bots so that you can plan and devise an overall conversion strategy. You can either manually update your bots or use the conversion utility to convert your bots in bulk to work with Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer mode.
Note: You can get early access to this patch to test it in the development (dev) environment.

If you are migrating from Enterprise 11 to Automation 360, you can combine the migration and conversion of your bots to use Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer mode in a single operation after updating to the Automation 360 v.24 patch.

What options are available for users to maintain business continuity if their automations are being affected by the Internet Explorer EOL?
You can maintain business continuity by choosing one of the following options:
  1. Change the license of your Windows version from Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) to Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC).

    For details, see Internet Explorer EOL.

  2. Upgrade the Windows operating system version for your device that is running automations to a version other than Windows 10 SAC.

    For details, see Internet Explorer EOL.

  3. Manually edit the affected bots by recapturing the application objects by using supported browsers (other than Internet Explorer) and change the window titles, variables, or any of the corresponding actions that are browser-specific. Validate your automation and run the updated bots on target applications in the selected browser.
    Note: This is not applicable to migrated Enterprise 11 or Enterprise 10 bots that use the Web Recorder command.
  4. Recreate the bots, replacing the old ones by using any of the supported browsers, such as Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.
  5. Use the conversion tool provided by Automation Anywhere to convert your bots based on Internet Explorer to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode.
    Note: The tool cannot be used to convert bots built in Internet Explorer to other supported browsers, such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge (Standard mode), or Mozilla Firefox.
After the Windows update, Internet Explorer requests are redirected to Microsoft Edge. Will the IE mode be set automatically or need to be set manually?
  • The approach recommended by Microsoft is to register your site or application running on Internet Explorer to the Microsoft Site List manager.

    For details, see Enterprise Mode and the Enterprise Mode Site List.

  • Alternatively, you can list certain websites to open only in IE mode by using the Microsoft Edge IE mode compatibility settings in Microsoft Edge. Note that these settings need to be updated every 30 days.

Migration scenario A: If you are new to Automation 360 and have bots built using Internet Explorer, or if you have migrated from Enterprise 11 or Enterprise 10 to Automation 360 and have bots built using Internet Explorer, review the following information.

What do I need to do to ensure that my automations built on Internet Explorer continue to run after Internet Explorer reaches EOL?
To ensure that your automations continue to run on Internet Explorer after EOL, you need to do the following:
  • Register your site or application running on Internet Explorer to the Microsoft Site List manager. For details, see Enterprise Mode and the Enterprise Mode Site List.
  • Update Automation 360 to the latest patch on Automation 360 v.24 release with support for Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode.
  • Use the Update bot wizard to convert each bot running on Internet Explorer to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode.
    • Bots that do not use commands related to Internet Explorer will not be converted.
    • If the bot update is completed without any errors, a new version of the bot will be created in the Control Room public repository.
  • Check the update bot report to see whether you need to review the updated bot or take any action.

  • Run the updated bot to validate that the bot runs fine in Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode.

I am using an earlier version of Automation 360 On-Premises. Can I directly update to Automation 360 v.24 patch release or should I manually uninstall the previous version and install the new patch version?
Yes, you can directly update your existing Automation 360 version to the latest Automation 360 v.24 patch release.

Note that we support directly updating from n-3 releases (where n is the latest release). For updating from a version of Automation 360 earlier than that, you must perform a multistep update. For example, if you are on Automation 360 v.19, you must first update to Automation 360 v.22 and then to Automation 360 v.24.

Do I need to update my Automation 360 Bot Agent?
Yes, the Bot Agent needs to be updated.

Starting from the Automation 360 v.24 release, Bot Agent update is optional with some releases.

Migration scenario B: If you are currently on Enterprise 11 or Enterprise 10 and plan to migrate to Automation 360, review the following information.

I have not started the migration to Automation 360 yet. What is your recommendation for planning the migration?
Migration to Automation 360 involves the conversion of the Enterprise 11 or Enterprise 10 bots to Automation 360 compatible format so that the converted bot runs successfully in Automation 360.

If these bots are automated using Internet Explorer 11, then you will have to include the efforts involved in further converting these bots to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode and validate the bots in the new browser.

If you are on Enterprise 11 and are impacted by Internet Explorer EOL, our recommendation is that you continue on Enterprise 11 and convert the bots related to Internet Explorer to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode so that you can test and validate the bots before the EOL date.

For details on the conversion tool, see Enterprise 11 and upcoming Internet Explorer 11 EOL FAQ. Migration to Automation 360 can be planned at a later date according to your convenience.

If you are on Enterprise 10 and are impacted by Internet Explorer EOL, we recommend that you migrate to Enterprise 11 first and convert the bots related to Internet Explorer to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode so that you can test and validate the bots before the EOL date.

For details on the conversion tool, see Enterprise 11 and upcoming Internet Explorer 11 EOL FAQ. Migration to Automation 360 can be planned at a later date according to your convenience.

For any new bots that you plan to build in Enterprise 11 or Enterprise 10, we recommend that you build them in Automation 360 by using any of the supported browsers to minimize the impact of the Internet Explorer EOL.

Migration scenario C: If you are currently on Enterprise 11 or Enterprise 10 and are in the middle of migration to Automation 360, review the following information.

I have migrated a few bots to Automation 360, which use Internet Explorer, and have a few bots that are pending migration in Enterprise 11, which use Internet Explorer. What is the your recommendation regarding maintaining two parallel environments?
If you are in the middle of your migration journey, maintaining two parallel environments where there are bots based on Internet Explorer on both Enterprise 11 and Automation 360 versions, then you need to ensure that these bots are converted to Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer mode in their respective environments in case you cannot complete migration of your pending Enterprise 11 bots to Automation 360 before the Internet Explorer EOL.

For Enterprise 11 bots based on Internet Explorer, upgrade your Enterprise 11 to the latest Version 11.3.5.x patch release, which supports Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode. After the upgrade, use the Enterprise 11 conversion utility to convert these bots in Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode so that these bots continue to run in Enterprise 11 even after the Internet Explorer EOL.

Similarly, for Automation 360 bots based on Internet Explorer, update to the latest Automation 360 v.24 patch release, which supports Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode. After the update, use the Automation 360 bot update wizard to convert these bots in Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode so that these bots continue to run in Automation 360 even after Internet Explorer EOL.

You can later decide when to migrate the Enterprise 11 bots converted to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode to Automation 360. When you decide to do so, note that you can use the Automation 360 Bot migration wizard without the Convert bots built using IE to Edge with IE mode option.

For details, see Bot Migration Wizard.

Note: For Enterprise 10 bots based on Internet Explorer, we do not plan to release a patch on Enterprise 10 that supports Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode. Hence, Enterprise 10 users must ensure that their bots based on Internet Explorer are migrated to Automation 360 v.24 patch release.
How can I determine which bots use commands or actions related to Internet Explorer and hence require conversion to Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode?
For Enterprise 11 bots, you can run the Bot Scanner utility with an option to scan bots for Internet Explorer usage. This utility generates a report that lists all the bots that use commands related to Internet Explorer.

For Automation 360 bots, the tool to scan bots and generate Internet Explorer usage report is currently not available.

Do I need to manually change the bot after it is migrated to Automation 360 using the Bot Migration Wizard along with the Convert bots built using IE to Edge with IE mode option?
Yes, only for bots that are migrated to Automation 360 with Action Required or Review Required messages. Review the messages in the Migration Report that suggest that the user edit the bot, for example, if the bot uses a reference of Internet Explorer in the window title through a variable, file, and so on.

Contact your assigned CSM or Support for any further questions about this change.

Known behavior and limitations

The following table lists known behavior and limitations that apply to bots migrated from Enterprise 11 to Automation 360 and to Automation 360 bots that run on Microsoft Internet Explorer and are converted to Microsoft Edge with IE mode.
Description Applies to Enterprise 11 to Automation 360 (migration) Applies to Automation 360 to Automation 360 (updating)
The bot conversion utility updates only bots that use Internet Explorer for automations and does not update bots that use other browsers. Yes Yes
For web pages or URLs to open in Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode, you must register your site or application running on Internet Explorer to Microsoft Site List Manager or Group Policy within your organization.

Enterprise Mode and the Enterprise Mode Site List

Yes Yes
The Open Program/File command that contains a variable to store the location of the program or file property is not migrated or converted to use Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode. If the variable is pointing to Internet Explorer, update it to point to Microsoft Edge browser instead. Yes Yes
The following commands are not migrated or converted because browser components such as the menu bar, status bar, favorites bar, command bar, and other non-web page components differ in each browser. This can potentially impact captured screens or properties of the actions. We recommend that you review and recapture the screen or update the properties if required.
  • Image Recognition
  • OCR
  • Mouse
  • Wait> Wait for screen (Menu/Non-HTML objects)
  • Screen
  • Recorder
  • App Integration > Capture area
Yes Yes
Keystroke action that is based on the menu bar of a browser is not migrated or converted. Yes Yes
For Mouse commands such as Click, Move or Scroll, due to the difference in header bar height in Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode, there might be an incorrect Y-axis after the migration or conversion.
Note: This difference applies only to the Y-axis and not X-axis.
 Yes Yes
In the Image Recognition command, when the target image is on the lower and upper boundaries of the source image, the command is not migrated or converted because of the difference in the height of the header bar in Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge browsers. The following target actions are impacted: Right click, Left click, and Double click. Yes Yes
Review and recapture all commands, except Image Recognition that captures window coordinates with negative values, after migration or conversion.
Note: In Enterprise 11, the coordinates are captured the top-left of the screen at 0, 0. In Automation 360, the coordinates are captured as negative values.
 Yes Yes
Due to differences in the height of the header bar in Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode, the output of the actions might not be as expected. The following commands are impacted:
  • OCR> Capture area
  • Mouse
    • Button: Left button, Middle button, Right button
    • Event: Click, Double click, Button down, Button up
  • Screen> Capture area
Yes Yes
Window titles with regular expression variables containing partial text from Internet Explorer might be converted to the corresponding title in Microsoft Edge. However, sometimes the conversion might not happen. For example:
  • Internet
  • .Int,
  • Int
  • Expl*
  • .Expl
  • Internet Exp
 Yes Yes
Using the Microsoft registry setting, if you have changed the default text of the Internet Explorer window title bar to your preferred text, the changes applied on the title bar are not available after conversion. Yes Yes
In the Open Program/File, if you have used the taskkill /F /IM iexplore.exe command to terminate Internet Explorer, then after conversion, when you run the bot, it will forcefully terminate msedge.exe. But when you run the bot for the second time, it will display a Microsoft Edge Closed Unexpectedly error message. We recommend that you avoid the use of /F so that the bots run seamlessly. Yes Yes
Local HTML files are not supported for loading in Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode through Enterprise Site List Manager.

Workaround: You can deploy the local HTML file in localhost.

Example: The file:///C:/SampleHTML/sample.html URL will be replaced with https://localhost/SampleHTML/sample.html

Yes Yes
The wait for the browser does not work for Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode for commands such as Mouse, Insert Keystrokes, or Recorder. After conversion, the User32 API does not return the child window list. As a result, it cannot find the page Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode. Yes Yes
Object Cloning commands developed on a Citrix environment with Xen App Remote Agent and Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode are not supported.

Object Cloning commands developed on Silverlight and Flash technologies and Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode are not supported.

 Yes Not applicable
  • Object Cloning commands (with coordinates play mode) where Internet Explorer based toolbar is enabled and locked are not migrated or converted.
  • Object Cloning commands (with coordinates play mode) are not migrated or converted because browser components such as menu bar, status bar, favorites bar, command bar, and other non-web page components differ in each browser. This can potentially impact the captured screens or the properties of the actions. We recommend that you review and recapture the screen or update the properties if required.
  • Due to the difference in the height of the header bar in Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode, an incorrect Y-axis might occur after the migration or conversion. This difference can be seen in Get text, Set text, Left click, Right click, Middle click, Double click of the coordinates play mode.
    Note: This difference applies only to the Y-axis and not X-axis.
 Yes No
Migrated bots with Mouse Click command might not work as expected when the Relative to property is Screen. This is because of the difference in the offset of the address bar between Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. Yes Yes
Objects captured on Internet Explorer using Standard or Legacy technology in the Object Cloning command will not work after migration or conversion. Yes No
The commands that store window titles with wildcard characters such as *Applet* are based on the Internet Explorer browser window with Web Java technology. If you have selected the None of the above option for such commands, note that the commands will not work in Microsoft Edge with IE mode as these are not migrated to Edge. Yes No
Bot Scanner does not count the commands that use variables to store the window title as part of the statistics. However, these commands are displayed in the Review Required tab so you can review these commands manually to verify if the window title is based on the Internet Explorer browser window. No Yes
User Interface (UI) based and window triggers with Internet Explorer based window title are not migrated or converted. No Yes
Recorder developed on a Citrix environment with Xen App Remote Agent, and Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode is not supported.

Recorder actions developed on Silverlight and Flash technologies and Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode is not supported.

 Not applicable Yes
For the Bot Migration Wizard and Update Bot wizard, when you select the Bot Assistant screen to view the migration review and action messages, the review message is not displayed based on the version. In the Update Bot Assistance menu, the review message is overridden by the migration review message. No Yes
When you use the Update Bot wizard to convert Automation 360 bots that run on Microsoft Internet Explorer to Microsoft Edge, the In progress status will be shown indefinitely for the following scenarios:
  • When the bot fails to compile
  • When the bot fails to deploy
  • When the Bot Agent service stops or fails
  • When the Bot Runner user is not assigned the Allow a Bot user to update bots permission
 Not applicable Yes