Hello,
Thank you for the Update on related issue.
If OP (original post) writer would not reply with the details then how can we reach the conclusion. Please do not blame Microsoft or Internet Explorer unnecessarily and without any research. What you thinking is just an assumption. We certainly like if our valuable users use our programs but it bring no good to our program by enforcing users to uninstall third party program.
Please think other way around, Internet Explorer and Windows shares system files and if would be obvious if Windows need Internet Explorer active during course of troubleshooting.
Please feel free to reply, in case you face any other issues with Windows in future.