Tips and Tricks: Running Multiple Versions of Internet Explorer All Sorts of Options Available for Testing Different IE Versions Eric Geier
If you're writing or implementing a Web application on your network, you might want to test it with different versions of Internet Explorer (IE). This is especially true with the major changes that occurred in the IE rendering engine between IE7 and 8. However, as you might already know, Microsoft does not let you install multiple versions of IE on the same machine.
Don't let Microsoft stop you, though. You can use what are commonly referred to as standalone versions of Internet Explorer. These are modified versions of the program that can be installed right along with other official or standalone installations.
Instead of running between computers that have the various Internet Explorer versions installed, you can stay put and run them simultaneously on one PC. Who knows, you might even want to toy around with the almost 15-year-old IE 1 that debuted back in August of 1995.
In addition to standalone versions, there are test browsers that emulate the different versions of Internet Explorer and other Web browsers. This makes it convenient since there're all in one app. Another way to test Web sites or applications is to use online services that provide screenshots of the given URL in different browsers on various operating systems.
Safeguard Your Computer First
Keep in mind, these standalone versions of Internet Explorer are not official and aren't released by Microsoft. Before downloading them, it's a good idea to at least create a new system restore point. That way if the installation causes problems, you can just roll your system back.
To bring up System Restore in Windows XP, Vista, or 7, click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.
The Internet Explorer Collection
There are packages of standalone IE versions, such as the Internet Explorer Collection by Edskes Software. Its current release at the time of this writing (1.6.0.1) includes over a dozen versions, from IE 1 to IE 8, and a few in between. It's supported on Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
This package of IE browsers also includes the Developer Toolbar. It helps you validate CSS and HTML, preview pages at various resolutions, and conduct other testing. These features have actually been built into IE 8, where they're referred to as the Developer Tools.
When you're installing the IE Collection, you can pick exactly which versions you want to install. If you run into any problems or have questions about the collection, review the extensive FAQ. If you want to see what they've added over the years, check out the change log.
The IETester Browser
One universal browser that emulates different IE versions is IETester. It can imitate IE 5.5 through IE 8 on Windows XP, Vista, or 7. At the time of this writing, it's still in the alpha release stage but can be helpful with simpler sites or applications.
IETester even sports the new ribbon interface, instead of the ol' toolbar. You can easily bring up windows for each of the versions. Plus you can launch tabs of different versions to get a good look at them all.
