Internet Exploder strikes again!
Users have reported that Internet Explorer refuses to load some websites on the WordPress.com platform when they try to reach it by clicking a link (from social media or an email, for example). IE will give them a message that says:
The website you were trying to reach doesn't work with Internet Explorer.
You've been redirected to Microsoft Edge where you can continue your browsing uninterrupted.
This seems to have started after Microsoft deployed its latest update to Edge on July 16, 2020. Some users will have noticed that this update changed their Edge desktop icon to the new "wave" logo Microsoft unveiled last year.
If the user doesn't have Edge installed, the bug is flaky. It seems to usually give a 404 error the first time a user clicks a link to the page in question, but if the user tries again, it seems to load up. Some users have reported it takes several tries to make it load.
If this is happening to you, or if you're a site owner and this is happening to your visitors, here's the solution: Tell your users to download a different browser.
Microsoft has been trying to distance itself from the notoriously troublesome browser for years and encouraging everyone to use its revamped, rebranded browser, Edge. Microsoft has stated it will continue support for IE only for the life of Windows 10. So, if you're still using Explorer, you're living on borrowed time anyway. Today's a good day to switch.