internet-explorerbrowserinternet-explorer-8internet-explorer-7internet-explorer-6

Reputation: 31753

Running Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, and Internet Explorer 8 on the same machine

Like everyone else, I need to test my code on Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7. Now Internet Explorer 8 has some great tools for developer, which I'd like to use. I'd also like to start testing my code with Internet Explorer 8, as it will soon be released.

The question is: how to run Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, and Internet Explorer 8 on the same machine. So far with Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7 I've been using Multiple IE. But people have reported (see comments on the page linked in the previous sentence) issue with Internet Explorer 6 after installing Internet Explorer 8. Those errors are related to focus in form fields. Running Internet Explorer 7 wouldn't matter so much as Internet Explorer 8 can use the Internet Explorer 7 rendering engine, but we still need Internet Explorer 6.

How to run Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, and Internet Explorer 8 on the same machine?

Upvotes: 339

Answers (30)

Ian Robinson

Reputation: 16944

I wouldn't do it. Use virtual PCs instead. It might take a little setup, but you'll thank yourself in the long run. In my experience, you can't really get them cleanly installed side by side and unless they are standalone installs you can't really verify that it is 100% true-to-browser rendering.

Update: Looks like one of the better ways to accomplish this (if running Windows 7) is using Windows XP mode to set up multiple virtual machines: Testing Multiple Versions of IE on one PC at the IEBlog.

Update 2: (11/2014) There are new solutions since this was last updated. Microsoft now provides VMs for any environment to test multiple versions of IE: Modern.IE

Upvotes: 220

Eduardo Molteni

Reputation: 39413

You can use the new MS Expression Web SuperPreview

_{(source: istartedsomething.com)}

If you do not want to spend money on MS Expression Web, you can download Microsoft Expression Web SuperPreview for Windows Internet Explorer completely free. The only restriction is that after the trial expires you can't compare to non IE browsers.

Upvotes: 55

Fabien Ménager

Reputation: 140205

Try http://finalbuilds.edskes.net/iecollection.htm.

Utilu IE Collection contains multiple IE versions, which are standalone so they can be used at the same time.

Conditional Comments work exactly the same as in the native versions. The original version number is shown correctly in the User Agent string. The version number can be found in the window title too.

Utilu IE Collection also includes the Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar 1.00.2189.0. This Explorer Bar provides a variety of tools which make troubleshooting websites easier. The Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar is compatible with Internet Explorer 5.0 and higher when using Windows 2000 or higher.

Utilu IE Collection has the option to install the Firebug Web Development Extension for Internet Explorer. Firebug provides a lot of useful tools which make web development easier...

Upvotes: 18

Tsvetomir Tsonev

Reputation: 106494

Nobody mentioned this, but IETester is a great tool. It supports Internet Explorer 5.5, 6, 7 and 8RC1. The rendering matches the corresponding browsers. At least I haven't found any discrepancies yet.

I normally use it to do a basic check of the layout. I still need VMs to debug JavaScript or to use the Developer Toolbar with a specific Internet Explorer version.

IETester 0.3

Upvotes: 156

David d C e Freitas

Reputation: 7511

Also have a look at Microsoft's Compatibility Inspector, which will give you warnings of issues that will affect your sites backwards compatibility.

http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/html5/compatinspector/

Upvotes: 0

Denilson Sá Maia

Reputation: 49367

There is also CrossBrowserTesting, which supports many browsers, seems to work without installing any plugins on your computer, and also includes a very neat layout comparison tool.

CrossBrowserTesting was advertised from within Browsershots.

Upvotes: 0

Alex Bagnolini

Reputation: 22382

I use http://www.spoon.net/browsers (Windows-only).

You can run IE8, IE7, IE6, Firefox 3.5, Firefox 3, Firefox 2, Safari 4, Safari 3, Opera 10, Opera 9, Chrome.

You just need to install a plugin, and then click on the corresponding icon. It will download and run the files needed to run each of the above mentioned browsers.

Upvotes: 10

Hirvesh

Reputation: 7982

modern.IE is an undertaking by Microsoft to make cross-browser testing for the Internet Explorer browsers easier. Microsoft has created modern.IE to provide developers and designers with a suite of tools to facilitate IE browser testing.

With modern.IE you have two methods of testing your website in IE. First, modern.IE offers you three months free usage of the web-based browser testing service BrowserStack. You just need a Facebook account to login and start testing.

The second method modern.IE offers is a virtualization image of each browser from IE 6 to IE 10, which can be run on virtualization software like VirtualBox, Virtual PC, Hyper-V or VMWare Player on WIndows, Mac or Linux.

Additionally, modern.IE also provides a tool which scans your web page for common coding problems and lists them out for you to correct so that they display correctly in all IE versions.

Source: modern.IE - Cross-Browser IE Testing Tools Suite

Upvotes: 40

Tomas Kubes

Reputation: 25108

Very good option is update to Internet Explorer 10. You will find very useful developers tools including compatibility with from IE5 to IE 10 including quirks mode. If switch the IE version i menu, the page rendering of the page is changing immediately.

Very good feature of this mode is javascript and HTML (firebug like) debugger, which works in compatibility mode. It means, you can debug javascript in very old IE with the newest debugger, which is very cool feature. You cannot do that with virtual machine. Yes, you can have virtual machine for checking the final result. enter image description here

Upvotes: 4

bobber205

Reputation: 13372

Microsoft now offers virtual images that you can use in your choice of software to run IE8 and other legacy software!

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=11575

A fairly large download but works wonderfully! (Requires a valid version of Windows 7 to work fwiw).

Upvotes: 0

Nathan24

Reputation: 1402

I found a new tool that makes this Really REALLY easy.

Use IE9 Developer mode. push F12.

Up in the File Menu, you can see Browser Version: IE9, click here and you can change the browser version all the way back to 7. For 6 you will still need a virtual PC.

Upvotes: 0

Dan K.K.

Reputation: 6094

Here is the official microsoft VM images for doing IE 6, 7, 8 and 9 testing: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=11575

Upvotes: 0

Amitd

Reputation: 4849

Try using IE Tab .. Firefox / Chrome Extension
http://www.ietab.net/home

Upvotes: 0

Manjula

Reputation: 5091

If you have IE8 installed in your machine, you can test how your site works in IE7 too. When you are in the page you need to test in IE7 browser, Open "Tools"->"developer tools". And then in the menu of that "Developer tools" dialog box, Click on "Browser Mode:[CURRENT MODE]" and there you can select 3 options. that is,

IE7
IE8
IE8 Compatibility Mode

Upvotes: 9

James McLachlan

Reputation: 1368

VMWare Player is a free alternative to Oracle VirtualBox and Microsoft VirtualPC. As with the mentions of VirtualBox you'll need to create your own images of OS+browser, though. VMWare Player is here: http://www.vmware.com/products/player/

Upvotes: 2

Bjorn

Reputation: 71850

You can't use IE8 to replace IE7. The JavaScript engine in IE8 is never the same as in IE7. Try leaving trailing commas in array or object literals in both IE7 and IE8 - you'll get an error in the former, but not the latter even in compatibility mode. If you want your site to work in IE7, you need to test in IE7.

Upvotes: 17

IsmailS

Reputation: 10863

Use Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC Image.

Download it from Microsoft Download Center link

Upvotes: 2

migueltonic

Reputation: 91

I've installed Virutal PC according to Donavon's tutorial but it seems that my laptop's BIOS doesn't support Hardware Virtualization, and it's required to run Virtual PC. So, make sure your equipment supports that before you go any further wirh Virtual PC.

Upvotes: 2

i_am_jorf

Reputation: 54600

For windows users there is Windows XP Mode which allows you to run multiple versions of IE on a Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate edition.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2011/02/04/testing-multiple-versions-of-ie-on-one-pc.aspx

Upvotes: 4

Tommy

Reputation: 4111

I did this on my Windows 7 computer today:

Installed Windows Virtual PC, and ran XP Mode
Created two Windows XP images. One with Internet Explorer 6 and one with Internet Explorer 7.
Now I can run these to browsers from my Windows 7 desktop! Just like any other application. No need to open Virtual PC.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/

Upvotes: 7

Baljeetsingh Sucharia

Reputation: 2079

To check all versions of Internet Explorer you can go to codecpack.nl and install all versions of Internet Explorer, that is, IE collection.

Or you can use www.multibrowserviewer.com. It can check in 45 browsers and 3 OSes.

Upvotes: -1

Judah Gabriel Himango

Reputation: 60021

As Eduardo mentioned, the recently announced Microsoft SuperPreview is a tool that lets you view how web pages are rendered in many different browsers, even if they aren't installed locally.

For example, you can see how your page looks in Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 8, Firefox, and Safari, even if you don't have those browsers installed.

Upvotes: 1

WalterJ89

Reputation: 1045

Firefox has an add-in that will render a webpage the same as if it was in Internet Explorer 5.5/6/7/8 beta 2.

IE NET Renderer

Edit: This looks like it only does screenshots so it may not be very useful. Good for making sure your layout isn't broken, but not much else.

Upvotes: 1

SuperRoach

Reputation: 215

Backing up the other users, you will need to run Virtual PC instances on your Windows box. If you try to do a multi install of Internet Explorer, you will break conditional comments on pages, which will make testing difficult anyway (For example, With Internet Explorer 5, 6 and 7. On a Windows box, the IF Internet Explorer statements will resolve to Internet Explorer 7 even in Internet Explorer 5, which means even more weird bugs.

More information and a link to download and run a Internet Explorer 6 Virtual Image: http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2007/04/17/ie7-virtual-pc-image-and-ie6-virtual-pc-image-refresh.aspx

If you have Virtual PC already, here is the image: http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=21eabb90-958f-4b64-b5f1-73d0a413c8ef&displaylang=en

Upvotes: 8

Tumharyyaaden

Reputation: 2893

The best and probably only solution is probably IE tester that could be found at ietester[dot]com It uses the IEengines for all IE 6, 7 and 8! And I have not found any discrepancies yet!

Upvotes: 0

Toronto Website Designers

Reputation: 1

There is one elegant way to run IE6, IE7 and IE8 on the same machine, called virtual PC.

First download virtual PC from Microsoft website here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/details.aspx?FamilyID=04d26402-3199-48a3-afa2-2dc0b40a73b6&displaylang=en

Then download 3 EXE files with IE6, IE7 and IE8 here:http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=21EABB90-958F-4B64-B5F1-73D0A413C8EF&displaylang=en

Install them on your PC and test your web applications. Saved me days of looking for similar solutions.

Upvotes: 5

Jitendra Vyas

Reputation: 152677

Run IE6, IE7, and IE8 on the Same Machine Using Windows 7 XP Mode

http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/ie6-ie7-ie8-win7-xp-mode

Upvotes: 2

Mike Cornell

Reputation: 6059

A colleague of mine recommended Internet Explorer Collection. It appears to work without issues, but I'm far from a power user. It also supports installing IE 1 (!!) through 8.

Upvotes: 1

rolfen

Reputation: 1

Multiple IE http://tredosoft.com/Multiple_IE Will install ie up to 6, without disrupting current installation (i have 7 and it left it as it is). Now I need to find a way to run 8 on top of all that. 6 and 7 already run fine thanks to that little app above. (only tested on XP)

Upvotes: 1

coobird

Reputation: 160964

I would also suggest running a few virtual machines rather than running multiple versions of Internet Explorer on the same instance of Windows.

Microsoft provides Virtual PC disk images with Internet Explorer 6, 7, and 8 at the Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC Image download page.

The current list of virtual disk images available from the above link are:

Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP SP3
Internet Explorer 7 on Windows XP SP3
Internet Explorer 8 on Windows XP SP3
Internet Explorer 7 on Windows Vista
Internet Explorer 8 on Windows Vista

(List is current as of October 11, 2009. All versions have expiration dates.)

Upvotes: 50

Running Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, and Internet Explorer 8 on the same machine

Answers (30)

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