IE6 and IE7 on One Machine
Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:19PM EST
See Comments (4)
Reader T writes: I need both IE6 and IE7 and currently have IE7 installed. I noticed in an article that you wrote that you talked of running multiple browsers on various computers. I recently installed an installer that is supposed to run multiple versions of IE (3.0-6.0 I believe), but the pages do not load correctly. I was wondering if you could tell me how to run IE6 on the same computer I have IE7 installed on, as I like IE7 and don't want to uninstall it just to use IE6.
Windows really hates having multiple versions of the same program on the same machine. The solution you're using (which I anticipate is this tool from TredoSoft), is about as good as it gets for running multiple versions of Internet Explorer on one PC. Not all pages load perfectly because of registry issues, but they should be very close.
Your other option would be to leave IE6 installed (for you that would mean uninstalling IE7, which restores IE6 to its former state), then installing a standalone version of IE7. TredoSoft also has a tool that gets this done. The Standalone Internet Explorer 7 Installer is also available from TredoSoft, and you'll find it by scrolling down the page I linked to the section marked "Download Links." Unfortunately the standalone IE7 is missing a few features, and I've found it buggy on some machines and completely nonfunctional from time to time. The program's limitations are outlined on the website, and I will add that it also has trouble with add-on toolbars.
Unfortunately, aside from running an emulator like Virtual PC or installing multiple versions of Windows on a single machine (via partitioning your drive), this is the only way I know of to get the job done. (It's also the easiest and the only way that doesn't cost anything.)
Good luck, and let me know if you come up with another method that I'm not aware of. Same goes for readers: Let's hear any special methods you're using to run multiple IE browsers.
While you're at it, here's what's new in IE7 and my hands-on IE7 review.
Top 5 Posts
More About Software
Comments on IE6 and IE7 on One Machine
Post a Comment
Join in the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.
-
2 Posted by holt_tm on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:20PM EDT Report Abuse
It may well be that he wants both IE6 and IE7 installed so that he can see how his website looks to visitors using those browsers and fix any cross-browser compatibility issues. Installing Firefox wouldn't help him do that.
-
3 Posted by alfiestapleton2000 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:50PM EDT Report Abuse
People make out that IE7 is better. I prefer it, but certain cool features on IE6 were deleted on IE7, so I think that having both is a good idea! Its a shame IE6 doesn't have tabs, or display the adress bar in full screen mode. And its a shame that IE7 lags more in full screen.
-
4 Posted by tmai_p on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:13PM EDT Report Abuse
IE7, firefox, and other browsers out there are better than IE6. You don't have a choice when the clients want to use IE6 & IE7 at the same time.
Sponsored Links
My Tech
Please enable your browser's cookies to activate the My Tech column.
Also on Yahoo! Tech
| Computers | Home Office | Wi-Fi & Networking | Phones & PDAs | Cameras & Camcorders | TV & Home Theater | Portable Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Posted by compusmart02 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:28PM EDT Report Abuse
Why bother with the hassle of doing all that when you should just get Firefox to begin with? Firefox has similar features to that of both IE6 and IE7 (btw, IE7's features aren't new. Firefox has had most of it's features since version 1.0), and it's just plain better than IE. You should have just told the guy to download Firefox.