== == Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer use a lot of the same code, and they are both integral components of the windows operating system. If you type a URL into the address bar of Windown Explorer it 'becomes' Internet Explorer, and vice versa. It's part of Microsoft Operating System and it has to connect to the internet in order to install updates to the users computer.

Have you tried to restart the computer.

Windows Internet Explorer is a Web Browsing tool and it is the only application on your computer that can connect you to the Internet, unless you have another Web Browsing application like Netscape or Mozilla Firefox. Also when you disable your firewall you are risking the possibility that Internet Criminals can access your computer.

Windows internet explorer is a web browser from Microsoft.