IE8 issue with Twitter Bootstrap 3

Question

I am creating a site using the new Twitter Bootstrap. The site looks fine and works in all required browsers except IE8.

In IE8 it seems to be displaying elements of the mobile version but stretched across the full screen of my desktop. I believe the problem I'm having is that Twitter bootstrap is mobile first. So for some reason IE8 is going for this option.

I also notice that the container class does not seem to be pulling in the max-width CSS properties as intended. Can anyone see what I've done wrong?

<!-- Favicon -->
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon.png">

<!-- Bootstrap -->
<link href="//netdna.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.0.0-rc1/css/bootstrap.css" rel="stylesheet">
<link href="//netdna.bootstrapcdn.com/font-awesome/3.2.1/css/font-awesome.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="/SiteFiles/js/modernizr.js"></script>

<!-- CSS -->
<link href="/SiteFiles/css/main.css" rel="stylesheet">

<header>
    <div class="topArea clearfix">
        <div class="container">
            <div class="topLinks">
                <div class="btn-group">
                    <span class="flag" data-toggle="dropdown">&nbsp;</span>
                    <ul class="dropdown-menu">
                        <li><a href="#">Country 1</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">Country 2</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">Country 3</a></li>
                        <li class="divider"></li>
                        <li><a href="#">Country 4</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">Country 5</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">Country 6</a></li>
                    </ul>
                </div>
                <div class="visible-sm btn-group">
                    <div class="plus" data-toggle="dropdown"><i class="icon-plus icon-2x">&nbsp;</i></div>
                    <ul class="dropdown-menu">
                        <li><a href="#">Parts & Service</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">Store Locator</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">Find a Service Centre</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">Parts List</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">Tool Vibration</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">Resource Centre</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">Media Centre</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">Register your Tools</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">About Us</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">
                            <button type="button" class="btn btn-default">Where to Buy</button></a></li>
                    </ul>
                </div>
                <div class="topNav">
                    <ul class="hidden-sm">
                        <li>
                            <div class="btn-group">
                                <a href="#" data-toggle="dropdown">Parts & Service</a>
                                <ul class="dropdown-menu">
                                    <li><a href="#">Store Locator</a></li>
                                    <li><a href="#">Find a Service Centre</a></li>
                                    <li><a href="#">Parts List</a></li>
                                    <li><a href="#">Tool Vibration</a></li>
                                </ul>
                            </div>
                        </li>
                        <li><a href="#">Resource Centre</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">Media Centre</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">Register your Tools</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">About Us</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">
                            <button type="button" class="btn btn-default">Where to Buy</button></a></li>
                    </ul>
                </div>
                <div class="searchArea">
                    <input type="text" />
                    <a href="#" class="goBtn">GO</a>
                </div>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
    <div class="mainNavArea">
        <div class="container rel">

            <div class="logo">
                <img src="/SiteFiles/img/logo.png" title="Milwaukee - Nothing but heavy duty" alt="Milwaukee - Nothing but heavy duty" />
            </div>
            <div class="navi">
                <div class="navbar">
                    <div class="container">

                        <!-- .navbar-toggle is used as the toggle for collapsed navbar content -->
                        <button type="button" class="navbar-toggle" data-toggle="collapse" data-target=".navbar-responsive-collapse">
                            <span class="icon-bar"></span>
                            <span class="icon-bar"></span>
                            <span class="icon-bar"></span>
                        </button>

                        <!-- Place everything within .navbar-collapse to hide it until above 768px -->
                        <div class="nav-collapse collapse navbar-responsive-collapse">
                            <ul class="nav nav-justified">
                                <li><span class="dropArrow">&nbsp;</span><span class="topNavPosition">Power Tools</span>

                                    <div class="navDrop">
                                        <div class="navDropInner">
                                            <div class="row">
                                                <div class="hidden-sm col-sm-4 col-lg-4">
                                                    <img src="/SiteFiles/img/drill.jpg" alt="" />
                                                </div>
                                                <div class="col-12 col-sm-8 col-lg-8">
                                                    <h2>Power Tools</h2>
                                                    <div class="row">
                                                        <div class="col-6 col-sm-6 col-lg-6">
                                                            <a href="#">Cutters</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Levels</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Pliers</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Saws</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Screwdrivers</a>
                                                        </div>
                                                        <div class="col-6 col-sm-6 col-lg-6">
                                                            <a href="#">Snips</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Utility Knives</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Combo Knives</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Hand Tool Accessories</a>
                                                        </div>
                                                    </div>
                                                </div>
                                            </div>
                                        </div>
                                        <a href="#" class="closeNav">X</a>
                                    </div>
                                </li>
                                <li><span class="dropArrow">&nbsp;</span><span class="topNavPosition">Hand Tools</span>

                                    <div class="navDrop">
                                        <div class="navDropInner">
                                            <div class="row">
                                                <div class="hidden-sm col-sm-4 col-lg-4">
                                                    <img src="/SiteFiles/img/drill.jpg" alt="" />
                                                </div>
                                                <div class="col-12 col-sm-8 col-lg-8">
                                                    <h2>Hand Tools</h2>
                                                    <div class="row">
                                                        <div class="col-6 col-sm-6 col-lg-6">
                                                            <a href="#">Cutters</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Levels</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Pliers</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Saws</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Screwdrivers</a>
                                                        </div>
                                                        <div class="col-6 col-sm-6 col-lg-6">
                                                            <a href="#">Snips</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Utility Knives</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Combo Knives</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Hand Tool Accessories</a>
                                                        </div>
                                                    </div>
                                                </div>
                                            </div>
                                        </div>
                                        <a href="#" class="closeNav">X</a>
                                    </div>
                                </li>
                                <li><span class="dropArrow">&nbsp;</span><span class="topNavPosition">Test & Measurement</span>

                                    <div class="navDrop">
                                        <div class="navDropInner">
                                            <div class="row">
                                                <div class="hidden-sm col-sm-4 col-lg-4">
                                                    <img src="/SiteFiles/img/drill.jpg" alt="" />
                                                </div>
                                                <div class="col-12 col-sm-8 col-lg-8">
                                                    <h2>Test & Measurement</h2>
                                                    <div class="row">
                                                        <div class="col-6 col-sm-6 col-lg-6">
                                                            <a href="#">Cutters</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Levels</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Pliers</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Saws</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Screwdrivers</a>
                                                        </div>
                                                        <div class="col-6 col-sm-6 col-lg-6">
                                                            <a href="#">Snips</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Utility Knives</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Combo Knives</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Hand Tool Accessories</a>
                                                        </div>
                                                    </div>
                                                </div>
                                            </div>
                                        </div>
                                        <a href="#" class="closeNav">X</a>
                                    </div>
                                </li>
                                <li><span class="dropArrow">&nbsp;</span><span class="topNavPosition">Accessories</span>

                                    <div class="navDrop">
                                        <div class="navDropInner">
                                            <div class="row">
                                                <div class="hidden-sm col-sm-4 col-lg-4">
                                                    <img src="/SiteFiles/img/drill.jpg" alt="" />
                                                </div>
                                                <div class="col-12 col-sm-8 col-lg-8">
                                                    <h2>Accessories</h2>
                                                    <div class="row">
                                                        <div class="col-6 col-sm-6 col-lg-6">
                                                            <a href="#">Cutters</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Levels</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Pliers</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Saws</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Screwdrivers</a>
                                                        </div>
                                                        <div class="col-6 col-sm-6 col-lg-6">
                                                            <a href="#">Snips</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Utility Knives</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Combo Knives</a>
                                                            <a href="#">Hand Tool Accessories</a>
                                                        </div>
                                                    </div>
                                                </div>
                                            </div>
                                        </div>
                                        <a href="#" class="closeNav">X</a>
                                    </div>
                                </li>
                            </ul>
                        </div>
                        <!-- /.nav-collapse -->
                    </div>
                    <!-- /.container -->
                </div>
                <!-- /.navbar -->
            </div>

        </div>
    </div>
</header>

Answer 1

If you use Bootstrap 3 and everything works fine on other browsers except IE, try the below.

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

<!-- HTML5 Shim and Respond.js IE8 support of HTML5 elements and media queries -->
<!-- WARNING: Respond.js doesn't work if you view the page via file:// -->
<!--[if lt IE 9]>
<script src="https://oss.maxcdn.com/libs/html5shiv/3.7.0/html5shiv.js"></script>
<script src="https://oss.maxcdn.com/libs/respond.js/1.3.0/respond.min.js"></script>
<![endif]-->

Answer 2

I had exactly the same problem when migrating from bootstrapv2 to v3.

If (like me) you migrated by replacing the old spanX with col-sm-X you also need to add col-X classes. col-X are the styles that are outside of any @media blocks so they work without media query support.

To fix the container width you can set it yourself outside of a @media block. Something like:

.container {
  max-width: @container-tablet;
}
@import "twitter-bootstrap/less/bootstrap";

Answer 3

In my case, the bootstrap minified CSS was causing the issue. To make bootstrap 3.0.2 responsive in IE8 (emulated using the F12 Developer Tools) I had to:

1 - Set the X-UA-Compatible flag.

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

2 - Use the non-minified bootstrap.css, instead of bootstrap.min.css

<link href="/css/bootstrap.css" rel="stylesheet" />

3 - Add the respond.js (and html5shiv.js)

<!--[if lt IE 9]>
  <script src="/js/html5shiv.min.js"></script>
  <script src="/js/respond.min.js"></script>
<![endif]-->

Answer 4

I've read every comment here, tried everything.. but couldn't get it to work with Windows 7 - Internet Explorer 11 (with document mode: IE8).

Then it came to mind that running a document mode (IE8) isn't the same as the real IE8, so I installed Windows Virtual PC (Windows 7 with Internet Explorer 8) and tadaaaa... it works like a charm!

I've put this piece of code JUST at the bottom of the page to make it work:

<!-- HTML5 Shim and Respond.js IE8 support of HTML5 elements and media queries -->
<!-- WARNING: Respond.js doesn't work if you view the page via file:// -->
<!--[if lt IE 9]>
<script src="https://oss.maxcdn.com/libs/html5shiv/3.7.0/html5shiv.js"></script>
<script src="https://oss.maxcdn.com/libs/respond.js/1.3.0/respond.min.js"></script>
<![endif]-->
</body>
</html>

Answer 5

I faced the same problem, tried the first answer but something was missing.

If you guys are using Webpack, your css will be loaded as a style tag which is not supported by respond.js, it needs a file, so make sure bootstrap is loaded as a css file

Personally I used extract-text-webpack-plugin

const webpack = require("webpack")
const ExtractTextPlugin = require("extract-text-webpack-plugin")
const path = require("path")

module.exports = {
    context: __dirname+"/src",
    entry: "./index.js",
    output: {
        filename: "./dist/bundle.js",
        path: __dirname
    },
    plugins: [
        ...,
        new ExtractTextPlugin("./dist/bootstrap.css", {
            allChunks: true
        })
    ],
    module: {
        loaders: [
            ...,
            // your css loader excluding bootstrap
            {
                test: /\.css$/,
                loader: "style!css",
                exclude: [
                    path.resolve(__dirname, "node_modules/bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.css")
                ]
            },

            {
                // loads bootstrap as a file, change path accordingly if needs be, path needs to be absolute
                include: [
                    path.resolve(__dirname, "node_modules/bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.css")
                ],
                loader: ExtractTextPlugin.extract("style-loader", "css-loader?minimize")
            }
        ]
    }
}

Hope it will help you

Answer 6

Don't forget to place your css links in the <head> as respond.js takes only those.