What to Know
- Hands-down easiest: Press the F11 key.
- Next easiest: Gear icon > File > Full Screen.
This article explains how to open a link in Internet Explorer 11 full-screen mode on any supported version of Microsoft Windows.
Activate Full-Screen Mode in Internet Explorer 11
Turn IE11 full-screen mode on and off in a few steps.
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Open Internet Explorer.
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Select the gear icon (located in the upper-right corner of the browser window).
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When the drop-down menu appears, hover the mouse cursor over the File option to open a submenu.
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Select Full Screen. Alternatively, use the F11 keyboard shortcut.
The browser should be in full-screen mode. To disable full-screen mode and return to the standard Internet Explorer 11 window, press the F11 key.
Set Internet Explorer to Always Open Maximized
If Internet Explorer does not open as a maximized window when you select it in the Start menu, the shortcut has the incorrect default Run property. Change it from the Windows desktop.
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Right-click a blank area on the desktop. Point to New and select Shortcut.
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Select Browse, then navigate to Program Files/Internet Explorer/iexplore.exe.
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Choose Next.
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Enter a name for the shortcut, then select Finish. The shortcut appears on the desktop.
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Right-click the shortcut and select Properties.
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Go to the Shortcut tab. Then, select the Run drop-down arrow and choose Maximized.
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Select Apply, then select OK.
Internet Explorer opens in the maximized state any time you open it using a shortcut.