The retro browser that can run modern websites.
Glossy orbs, tabs, a Favorites Bar and the little orange feed button, just like 2008. Under the hood it uses today's Microsoft Edge engine, so the sites you use every day actually load.
Download
A portable app: no installer, no admin rights, nothing written outside its own folder except your favorites and history.
Retro Explorer 1.0 (portable)
Download .zipSHA-256 checksum
0FC9E218386DE1B1953723F37D9C547F2430DB81C645847F6D195C7BCB46C9FE
- Unzip the folderRight-click the .zip and choose Extract All. Put it anywhere: Desktop, Program Files or a USB stick.
- Run RetroExplorer.exeIf SmartScreen says "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway. The app isn't code-signed yet.
- On Windows 7 or 8.1, add the engineInstall .NET Framework 4.8 and the WebView2 Runtime. Retro Explorer tells you if one is missing.
Which Windows can run it?
Modern websites need a modern engine. Retro Explorer uses Microsoft's Edge WebView2, so it runs wherever that engine does.
| Windows | Status | Web engine | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 | Supported | Latest Edge, auto-updates | Everything is preinstalled. Just unzip and run. |
| Windows 10 | Supported | Latest Edge, auto-updates | Version 1903 or later has .NET Framework 4.8 built in. |
| Windows 8.1 | Works, with limits | Edge 109 (frozen) | Install .NET 4.8 and WebView2 Runtime 109. The engine no longer receives security updates, so a few newer sites may break. |
| Windows 7 SP1 | Works, with limits | Edge 109 (frozen) | Same as 8.1. Needs the SHA-2 code signing update (KB4474419). |
| Windows Vista | Not supported | None available | Microsoft never shipped a modern web engine for Vista, and .NET 4.8 won't install. |
| Windows XP | Not supported | None available | The last Chromium for XP was from 2016. It can't open most of today's sites. |
Everything you remember
The look and feel of a late-2000s browser, rebuilt from scratch.
Tabbed browsing
Rounded tabs with a red close button on hover. Ctrl+T opens one, middle-click closes it.
Favorites Bar
Click the star with the green arrow to pin any site under the address bar.
Feed discovery
The orange feed button lights up when a page offers an RSS or Atom feed.
Modern engine
Pages render with Chromium through Microsoft Edge WebView2. Video, web apps and logins work.
Zoom 50% to 400%
Click the zoom control in the status bar, or press Ctrl + and Ctrl −.
The classic error page
"Retro Explorer cannot display the webpage", with a Try Again button.
Privacy
Retro Explorer has no accounts, no ads and no analytics. It never sends anything to us, because there is no Retro Explorer server.
Stays on your PC
- Favorites, history and typed addresses are saved in
%AppData%\RetroExplorer\settings.json. - Cookies, cache and site logins are saved in
%AppData%\RetroExplorer\WebData. - Tools > Delete Browsing History clears history, typed addresses, cookies and cached files. Deleting the
RetroExplorerfolder in%AppData%removes everything.
Goes to other companies
- Websites you visit receive your requests directly, the same as in any browser.
- Bing receives your searches from the search box, and anything you type in the address bar that isn't a web address.
- Microsoft makes the WebView2 engine that shows the pages. Microsoft Defender SmartScreen checks addresses against its list of dangerous sites, and the engine may send diagnostic data based on your Windows settings. See the Microsoft Privacy Statement.
This website: this download page is hosted on GitHub Pages and loads its fonts from Google Fonts, so GitHub and Google can see your IP address when you visit. It sets no cookies and has no tracking. See the GitHub Privacy Statement and the Google Privacy Policy.
Questions
Is this Internet Explorer?
No. Retro Explorer is an independent project inspired by the look of browsers from around 2007–2010. It isn't made by or affiliated with Microsoft. It shows pages with the Microsoft Edge WebView2 engine.
Why can't it run on Windows XP or Vista?
Opening today's websites takes a current browser engine with modern security. The newest engine that ever ran on XP is from 2016, and nothing modern ever shipped for Vista. A retro look on top of an old engine would just show broken pages.
Is it safe to use on Windows 7?
It works, but the Edge 109 engine for Windows 7 and 8.1 stopped getting security updates in 2023. Use it for fun and nostalgia, and avoid banking or other sensitive sites on those systems.
Where are my favorites and history stored?
In %AppData%\RetroExplorer on your PC. Use Tools > Delete Browsing History to clear history, typed addresses and cookies.
How do I uninstall it?
Delete the Retro Explorer folder. To remove your saved data as well, delete %AppData%\RetroExplorer.