Unfortunately, "safe" in 2015 became "dangerous" in 2024. The error "uv requires Internet Explorer version 8, 9, 10 or 11 to run" is not a bug; it is a fossil. It is a reminder that Windows is a layered cake of decades of backwards compatibility.
If you see this error, don't panic. Don't downgrade your whole OS. Simply enable the IE 11 Windows Feature, run your script, and then (if you are a purist) disable it again. Or, better yet, pester your software vendor to release a version that uses WebView2. uv requires internet explorer version 8 9 10 or 11 to run
If you are a developer working with legacy enterprise software, Microsoft tools, or specific CI/CD pipelines, you might have stumbled upon an error message that feels like a slap in the face from the past: "uv requires Internet Explorer version 8, 9, 10 or 11 to run." Your first reaction is likely confusion. You might be running Windows 11, Edge Chromium, or even a headless Linux server. Why on earth does a modern tool require a browser that Microsoft officially retired in June 2022? Unfortunately, "safe" in 2015 became "dangerous" in 2024
The answer is legal and logistical. Microsoft cannot redistribute Google Chrome's DLLs inside their OS kernel tools due to licensing. Furthermore, the Windows API ( IWebBrowser2 ) is a COM interface that is guaranteed to exist on every Windows machine (until recently). For a systems tool, using the OS intrinsic component is the safest bet for "it just works." If you see this error, don't panic
DISM /Online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName:Browser.InternetExplorer~~~~0.0.11.0 If you are maintaining an internal tool, check if Microsoft released an update. Many tools that required uv (like older Visual Studio 2017 installers) have been patched to use the Edge WebView2 runtime instead. Upgrade your build tools if possible. The "Why not Chrome?" Question A reader might ask: "Why does Microsoft software depend on Microsoft IE instead of Google Chrome?"