Running Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7,

Question

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?

Answer 1

What about using App-V? http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/appv/default.mspx

In particular Dynamic Application Virtualization http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/appv/dynamic.mspx

It virtualizes at the application level. It is useful when running incompatible software on the same OS instance.

Answer 2

I use Virtual PC to run an instance of windows where I have IE6 installed. It's a bit clumsier than having different versions in the same computer, but it's a 100% working IE6. Multiple IE works fine for most testing, but it's lacking that last few percents.

Don't work too much to get the page looking right in IE8, it still has some glitches that most likely will be fixed in the final release.

Answer 3

This blog post worked for me: http://aarfing.dk/?p=120 (How to run IE6, IE7 and IE8 side by side).

Answer 4

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.

Answer 5

I did this on my Windows 7 computer today:

1. Installed Windows Virtual PC, and ran XP Mode
2. Created two Windows XP images. One with Internet Explorer 6 and one with Internet Explorer 7.
3. 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/

Answer 6

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,

1. IE7
2. IE8
3. IE8 Compatibility Mode