Internet Explorer 6 was the last version of the popular web browser to support older versions of Windows, including Windows NT 4.0 SP6a, Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows ME. However, it was only available as pre-installed with Windows XP RTM-SP1 and Windows Server 2003 RTM. The subsequent version, Internet Explorer 7, only supported Windows XP SP2 or later and Windows Server 2003 SP1 or later.

As of 2015, Microsoft no longer supported Internet Explorer 6, and it was not available for download from the company's website. In fact, the browser was rebranded as Windows Internet Explorer starting with the release of Internet Explorer 7 in 2006.

Despite its popularity at one time, Internet Explorer 6 has been widely criticized for its security issues and lack of support for modern web standards. It has made frequent appearances on lists of the 'worst tech products of all time,' with PC World labeling it 'the least secure software on the planet.'

In response to these criticisms, Microsoft planned to address some of the browser's security issues in Internet Explorer 7, which was released in October 2006. However, the update took over five years to arrive, and by that point, a significant percentage of the web audience had already moved on to newer versions of the browser or switched to different browsers altogether.

In fact, some websites dropped support for Internet Explorer 6 entirely, with Google being one of the most notable examples. The company stopped supporting IE6 in some of its services as early as March 2010.

Microsoft did establish campaigns in the late 2000s to encourage users to upgrade to newer versions of Internet Explorer or switch to different browsers. However, despite these efforts, a substantial percentage of users continued to use the outdated browser, especially in China.

Internet Explorer 6 was released on August 24, 2001, and it was the sixth version of the popular web browser. It was the successor to Internet Explorer 5 and was available for Windows NT 4.0, Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows ME. However, unlike its predecessor, it did not support earlier versions of Windows.

Overall, Internet Explorer 6 was an important but ultimately outdated version of the popular web browser. Its legacy lives on in the form of continued efforts to encourage users to upgrade to newer versions or switch to different browsers.

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