Use latest version of Internet Explorer in the web

Question

The default version of the webbrowser control in a C# Windows Forms application is 7. I have changed to 9 by the article Browser Emulation, but how is it possible to use the latest version of the installed Internet Explorer in a webbrowser control?

Answer 1

Using the values from MSDN:

  int BrowserVer, RegVal;

  // get the installed IE version
  using (WebBrowser Wb = new WebBrowser())
    BrowserVer = Wb.Version.Major;

  // set the appropriate IE version
  if (BrowserVer >= 11)
    RegVal = 11001;
  else if (BrowserVer == 10)
    RegVal = 10001;
  else if (BrowserVer == 9)
    RegVal = 9999;
  else if (BrowserVer == 8)
    RegVal = 8888;
  else
    RegVal = 7000;

  // set the actual key
  using (RegistryKey Key = Registry.CurrentUser.CreateSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", RegistryKeyPermissionCheck.ReadWriteSubTree))
    if (Key.GetValue(System.Diagnostics.Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName + ".exe") == null)
      Key.SetValue(System.Diagnostics.Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName + ".exe", RegVal, RegistryValueKind.DWord);

Answer 2

Use:

// Get the installed Internet Explorer version
using (WebBrowser Wb = new WebBrowser())
    BrowserVer = Wb.Version.Major;

// Set the appropriate Internet Explorer version
if (BrowserVer >= 11)
    RegVal = 11001;
else if (BrowserVer == 10)
    RegVal = 10001;
else if (BrowserVer == 9)
    RegVal = 9999;
else if (BrowserVer == 8)
    RegVal = 8888;
else
    RegVal = 7000;

// Set the actual key
RegistryKey Key = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", true);
Key.SetValue(System.Diagnostics.Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName + ".exe", RegVal, RegistryValueKind.DWord);
Key.Close();

Answer 3

You can try this link

try
{
    var IEVAlue =  9000; // can be: 9999 , 9000, 8888, 8000, 7000
    var targetApplication = Processes.getCurrentProcessName() + ".exe"; 
    var localMachine = Registry.LocalMachine;
    var parentKeyLocation = @"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\MAIN\FeatureControl";
    var keyName = "FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION";
    "opening up Key: {0} at {1}".info(keyName, parentKeyLocation);
    var subKey = localMachine.getOrCreateSubKey(parentKeyLocation,keyName,true);
    subKey.SetValue(targetApplication, IEVAlue,RegistryValueKind.DWord);
    return "all done, now try it on a new process".info();
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
    ex.log();
    "NOTE: you need to run this under no UAC".info();
}

Answer 4

Combine the answers of RooiWillie and MohD
and remember to run your app with administrative right.

var appName = System.Diagnostics.Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName + ".exe";

RegistryKey Regkey = null;
try
{
    int BrowserVer, RegVal;

    // get the installed IE version
    using (WebBrowser Wb = new WebBrowser())
        BrowserVer = Wb.Version.Major;

    // set the appropriate IE version
    if (BrowserVer >= 11)
        RegVal = 11001;
    else if (BrowserVer == 10)
        RegVal = 10001;
    else if (BrowserVer == 9)
        RegVal = 9999;
    else if (BrowserVer == 8)
        RegVal = 8888;
    else
        RegVal = 7000;

    //For 64 bit Machine 
    if (Environment.Is64BitOperatingSystem)
        Regkey = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\Internet Explorer\\MAIN\\FeatureControl\\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", true);
    else  //For 32 bit Machine 
        Regkey = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Internet Explorer\\Main\\FeatureControl\\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", true);

    //If the path is not correct or 
    //If user't have priviledges to access registry 
    if (Regkey == null)
    {
        MessageBox.Show("Registry Key for setting IE WebBrowser Rendering Address Not found. Try run the program with administrator's right.");
        return;
    }

    string FindAppkey = Convert.ToString(Regkey.GetValue(appName));

    //Check if key is already present 
    if (FindAppkey == RegVal.ToString())
    {
        Regkey.Close();
        return;
    }

    Regkey.SetValue(appName, RegVal, RegistryValueKind.DWord);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    MessageBox.Show("Registry Key for setting IE WebBrowser Rendering failed to setup");
    MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
}
finally
{
    //Close the Registry 
    if (Regkey != null)
        Regkey.Close();
}

Answer 5

just adding the following to your html does the trick no need for registry settigns

<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=11" >

Answer 6

I know this has been posted but here is a current version for dotnet 4.5 above that I use. I recommend to use the default browser emulation respecting doctype

InternetExplorerFeatureControl.Instance.BrowserEmulation = DocumentMode.DefaultRespectDocType;

internal class InternetExplorerFeatureControl
{
    private static readonly Lazy<InternetExplorerFeatureControl> LazyInstance = new Lazy<InternetExplorerFeatureControl>(() => new InternetExplorerFeatureControl());
    private const string RegistryLocation = @"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl";
    private readonly RegistryView _registryView = Environment.Is64BitOperatingSystem && Environment.Is64BitProcess ? RegistryView.Registry64 : RegistryView.Registry32;
    private readonly string _processName;
    private readonly Version _version;

    #region Feature Control Strings (A)

    private const string FeatureRestrictAboutProtocolIe7 = @"FEATURE_RESTRICT_ABOUT_PROTOCOL_IE7";
    private const string FeatureRestrictAboutProtocol = @"FEATURE_RESTRICT_ABOUT_PROTOCOL";

    #endregion

    #region Feature Control Strings (B)

    private const string FeatureBrowserEmulation = @"FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION";

    #endregion

    #region Feature Control Strings (G)

    private const string FeatureGpuRendering = @"FEATURE_GPU_RENDERING";

    #endregion

    #region Feature Control Strings (L)

    private const string FeatureBlockLmzScript = @"FEATURE_BLOCK_LMZ_SCRIPT";

    #endregion

    internal InternetExplorerFeatureControl()
    {
        _processName = $"{Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName}.exe";
        using (var webBrowser = new WebBrowser())
            _version = webBrowser.Version;
    }

    internal static InternetExplorerFeatureControl Instance => LazyInstance.Value;

    internal RegistryHive RegistryHive { get; set; } = RegistryHive.CurrentUser;

    private int GetFeatureControl(string featureControl)
    {
        using (var currentUser = RegistryKey.OpenBaseKey(RegistryHive.CurrentUser, _registryView))
        {
            using (var key = currentUser.CreateSubKey($"{RegistryLocation}\\{featureControl}", false))
            {
                if (key.GetValue(_processName) is int value)
                {
                    return value;
                }
                return -1;
            }
        }
    }

    private void SetFeatureControl(string featureControl, int value)
    {
        using (var currentUser = RegistryKey.OpenBaseKey(RegistryHive, _registryView))
        {
            using (var key = currentUser.CreateSubKey($"{RegistryLocation}\\{featureControl}", true))
            {
                key.SetValue(_processName, value, RegistryValueKind.DWord);
            }
        }
    }

    #region Internet Feature Controls (A)

    /// <summary>
    /// Windows Internet Explorer 8 and later. When enabled, feature disables the "about:" protocol. For security reasons, applications that host the WebBrowser Control are strongly encouraged to enable this feature.
    /// By default, this feature is enabled for Windows Internet Explorer and disabled for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control.To enable this feature using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.
    /// </summary>
    internal bool AboutProtocolRestriction
    {
        get
        {
            if (_version.Major < 8)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{AboutProtocolRestriction} requires Internet Explorer 8 and Later.");
            var releaseVersion = new Version(8, 0, 6001, 18702);
            return Convert.ToBoolean(GetFeatureControl(_version >= releaseVersion ? FeatureRestrictAboutProtocolIe7 : FeatureRestrictAboutProtocol));
        }
        set
        {
            if (_version.Major < 8)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{AboutProtocolRestriction} requires Internet Explorer 8 and Later.");
            var releaseVersion = new Version(8, 0, 6001, 18702);
            SetFeatureControl(_version >= releaseVersion ? FeatureRestrictAboutProtocolIe7 : FeatureRestrictAboutProtocol, Convert.ToInt16(value));
        }
    }

    #endregion

    #region Internet Feature Controls (B)

    /// <summary>
    /// Windows Internet Explorer 8 and later. Defines the default emulation mode for Internet Explorer and supports the following values.
    /// </summary>
    internal DocumentMode BrowserEmulation
    {
        get
        {
            if (_version.Major < 8)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{nameof(BrowserEmulation)} requires Internet Explorer 8 and Later.");
            var value = GetFeatureControl(FeatureBrowserEmulation);
            if (Enum.IsDefined(typeof(DocumentMode), value))
            {
                return (DocumentMode)value;
            }
            return DocumentMode.NotSet;
        }
        set
        {
            if (_version.Major < 8)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{nameof(BrowserEmulation)} requires Internet Explorer 8 and Later.");
            var tmp = value;
            if (value == DocumentMode.DefaultRespectDocType)
                tmp = DefaultRespectDocType;
            else if (value == DocumentMode.DefaultOverrideDocType)
                tmp = DefaultOverrideDocType;
            SetFeatureControl(FeatureBrowserEmulation, (int)tmp);
        }
    }

    #endregion

    #region Internet Feature Controls (G)

    /// <summary>
    /// Internet Explorer 9. Enables Internet Explorer to use a graphics processing unit (GPU) to render content. This dramatically improves performance for webpages that are rich in graphics.
    /// By default, this feature is enabled for Internet Explorer and disabled for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control.To enable this feature by using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.
    /// Note: GPU rendering relies heavily on the quality of your video drivers. If you encounter problems running Internet Explorer with GPU rendering enabled, you should verify that your video drivers are up to date and that they support hardware accelerated graphics.
    /// </summary>
    internal bool GpuRendering
    {
        get
        {
            if (_version.Major < 9)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{nameof(GpuRendering)} requires Internet Explorer 9 and Later.");
            return Convert.ToBoolean(GetFeatureControl(FeatureGpuRendering));
        }
        set
        {
            if (_version.Major < 9)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{nameof(GpuRendering)} requires Internet Explorer 9 and Later.");
            SetFeatureControl(FeatureGpuRendering, Convert.ToInt16(value));
        }
    }

    #endregion

    #region Internet Feature Controls (L)

    /// <summary>
    /// Internet Explorer 7 and later. When enabled, feature allows scripts stored in the Local Machine zone to be run only in webpages loaded from the Local Machine zone or by webpages hosted by sites in the Trusted Sites list. For more information, see Security and Compatibility in Internet Explorer 7.
    /// By default, this feature is enabled for Internet Explorer and disabled for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control.To enable this feature by using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.
    /// </summary>
    internal bool LocalScriptBlocking
    {
        get
        {
            if (_version.Major < 7)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{nameof(LocalScriptBlocking)} requires Internet Explorer 7 and Later.");
            return Convert.ToBoolean(GetFeatureControl(FeatureBlockLmzScript));
        }
        set
        {
            if (_version.Major < 7)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{nameof(LocalScriptBlocking)} requires Internet Explorer 7 and Later.");
            SetFeatureControl(FeatureBlockLmzScript, Convert.ToInt16(value));
        }
    }

    #endregion


    private DocumentMode DefaultRespectDocType
    {
        get
        {
            if (_version.Major >= 11)
                return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer11RespectDocType;
            switch (_version.Major)
            {
                case 10:
                    return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer10RespectDocType;
                case 9:
                    return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer9RespectDocType;
                case 8:
                    return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer8RespectDocType;
                default:
                    throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException();
            }
        }
    }

    private DocumentMode DefaultOverrideDocType
    {
        get
        {
            if (_version.Major >= 11)
                return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer11OverrideDocType;
            switch (_version.Major)
            {
                case 10:
                    return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer10OverrideDocType;
                case 9:
                    return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer9OverrideDocType;
                case 8:
                    return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer8OverrideDocType;
                default:
                    throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException();
            }
        }
    }
}

internal enum DocumentMode
{
    NotSet = -1,
    [Description("Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE latest installed version mode.")]
    DefaultRespectDocType,
    [Description("Webpages are displayed in IE latest installed version mode, regardless of the declared !DOCTYPE directive.  Failing to declare a !DOCTYPE directive could causes the page to load in Quirks.")]
    DefaultOverrideDocType,
    [Description(
        "Internet Explorer 11. Webpages are displayed in IE11 edge mode, regardless of the declared !DOCTYPE directive. Failing to declare a !DOCTYPE directive causes the page to load in Quirks."
    )] InternetExplorer11OverrideDocType = 11001,

    [Description(
        "IE11. Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE11 edge mode. Default value for IE11."
    )] InternetExplorer11RespectDocType = 11000,

    [Description(
        "Internet Explorer 10. Webpages are displayed in IE10 Standards mode, regardless of the !DOCTYPE directive."
    )] InternetExplorer10OverrideDocType = 10001,

    [Description(
        "Internet Explorer 10. Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE10 Standards mode. Default value for Internet Explorer 10."
    )] InternetExplorer10RespectDocType = 10000,

    [Description(
        "Windows Internet Explorer 9. Webpages are displayed in IE9 Standards mode, regardless of the declared !DOCTYPE directive. Failing to declare a !DOCTYPE directive causes the page to load in Quirks."
    )] InternetExplorer9OverrideDocType = 9999,

    [Description(
        "Internet Explorer 9. Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE9 mode. Default value for Internet Explorer 9.\r\n" +
        "Important  In Internet Explorer 10, Webpages containing standards - based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE10 Standards mode."
    )] InternetExplorer9RespectDocType = 9000,

    [Description(
        "Webpages are displayed in IE8 Standards mode, regardless of the declared !DOCTYPE directive. Failing to declare a !DOCTYPE directive causes the page to load in Quirks."
    )] InternetExplorer8OverrideDocType = 8888,

    [Description(
        "Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE8 mode. Default value for Internet Explorer 8\r\n" +
        "Important  In Internet Explorer 10, Webpages containing standards - based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE10 Standards mode."
    )] InternetExplorer8RespectDocType = 8000,

    [Description(
        "Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE7 Standards mode. Default value for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control."
    )] InternetExplorer7RespectDocType = 7000
}