Internet Explorer 7

Windows Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) (codenamed Rincon) is a web browser for Windows. It was released by Microsoft on October 18, 2006, as the seventh version of Internet Explorer and the successor to Internet Explorer 6. Internet Explorer 7 is part of a long line of versions of Internet Explorer and was the first major update to the browser since 2001. It was the default browser in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 (later default was Internet Explorer 9), as well as Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 (later default was Internet Explorer 8), and can replace Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, but unlike version 6, this version does not support Windows 2000, Windows ME, or earlier versions of Windows. It also does not support Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 or later Windows Versions.

Internet Explorer 7 requires Windows XP SP2 or Windows Server 2003 SP1 at the minimum. It is the last version of Internet Explorer that supports Windows XP x64 Edition RTM and Windows Server 2003 SP1; as the following version, Internet Explorer 8, only supports Windows XP x64 Edition SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP2. Some portions of the underlying architecture, including the rendering engine and security framework, have been improved. New features include tabbed browsing, page zooming, an integrated search box, a feed reader, better internationalization, and improved support for web standards, although it does not pass the Acid2 or Acid3 tests. Security enhancements include a phishing filter, stronger encryption on Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 (256-bit from 128-bit in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003), and a "Delete browsing history" button to easily clear private data. It is also the first version of Internet Explorer which is branded and marketed under the name 'Windows', instead of 'Microsoft'. IE7 shipped as the default browser in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 and was offered as a replacement for Internet Explorer 6 for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP. IE7 was superseded by Internet Explorer 8 in March 2009.

Support for Internet Explorer 7 ended on October 10, 2023 alongside the end of support for Windows Embedded Compact 2013. Support for Internet Explorer 7 on other Windows versions ended on January 12, 2016 when Microsoft began requiring customers to use the latest version of Internet Explorer available for each Windows version.