Internet Explorer Testing

Browserling lets you cross-browser test your websites and web applications in all the Internet Explorer versions. We run actual Windows installations in virtual machines and you get access to real Internet Explorers. We don't use IE emulators or simulators so what you get is the native and real IE.

We support the following Internet Explorer versions:

  • Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) on Windows XP
  • Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) on Windows XP
  • Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) on Windows XP
  • Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) on Windows Vista
  • Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) on Windows Vista
  • Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) on Windows Vista
  • Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) on Windows 7
  • Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) on Windows 7
  • Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) on Windows 7
  • Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) on Windows 7
  • Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) on Windows 8
  • Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) on Windows 8.1

And we also support testing in the new Edge browser.

Try Browserling now!

Enter your website here and start testing in IE:

We offer IE11 for free but other IE versions require the developer plan.

Internet Explorer Testing FAQ

Is this a real Internet Explorer or is it an emulator?

This is a real Internet Explorer. We run IE on actual Windows computers and stream the desktop to you. You can use Internet Explorer as an online browser from your own browser. We invented smart algorithms that do it.

Do you have IE developer tools installed?

Yes, you can access Internet Explorer developer tools by pressing F12.

What challenges did developers face in Internet Explorer?

Throughout its existence, Internet Explorer presented several challenges to web developers due to its quirks, inconsistent behavior, legacy decisions, and often slow adoption of new web standards. These challenges varied depending on the version and here's an overview of the main issues developers faced with IE:

  • Box Model Bugs: IE6 interpreted the CSS box model differently from other browsers. This often resulted in layouts appearing differently in IE compared to browsers like Firefox or Chrome.
  • PNG Transparency Problems: IE6 did not support alpha transparency in PNG images correctly.
  • CSS Compatibility Issues: IE often lagged behind in adopting the latest CSS standards. Developers had to use browser-specific hacks or fallbacks to ensure consistent styling.
  • JavaScript Inconsistencies: There were discrepancies in JavaScript execution between IE and other browsers, which sometimes resulted in scripts failing or behaving unpredictably.
  • Slow Adoption of HTML5: While other browsers moved quickly to adopt HTML5 features, IE heavily lagged behind, forcing developers to use polyfills or alternative methods to achieve the desired functionality.
  • Rendering Modes and Document Types: Developers often had to grapple with IE's various document modes and doctype triggers to control the rendering mode of the browser, leading to added complexity in ensuring consistent website design.
  • Inconsistent DOM: The Document Object Model (DOM) in IE had inconsistencies when compared to other browsers, leading to challenges in dynamic content manipulation.
  • Vendor Prefixes: Like other browsers, IE had its own set of vendor-specific prefixes (it had a prefix -ms-) for certain CSS properties. This required developers to write additional lines of code for styling that might have been standardized in other browsers.
  • Lack of Modern Developer Tools: Earlier versions of IE lacked comprehensive developer tools, making debugging and performance testing more challenging compared to browsers like Chrome or Firefox.
  • Performance Issues: IE often had performance issues, especially concerning JavaScript execution and rendering, compared to Chrome and Firefox.
  • Security Vulnerabilities: Early IE versions, especially IE6 and IE7, were often criticized for security vulnerabilities, some of which were exploited in the wild.

The rapid evolution of web standards, coupled with the legacy challenges associated with the IE brand, meant that it still faced challenges. This was a major factor in Microsoft's decision to develop and shift focus to Edge.

What was the most common bug in Internet Explorer?

The most common bug in older IEs, such as IE8, was forgetting the trailing comma in a JavaScript object:

var data = {
  "one" : 5,
  "two" : 10,  // <- trailing comma here, delete it!
};

When were various IE versions released?

As we support Internet Explorer versions starting from 6, then we only have kept track of IE release dates since IE6. Here are all the release dates for IE6 to IE11:

  • Internet Explorer 11: IE11 was released on October 17, 2013 for Windows 8.1 and on November 7, 2013 for for Windows 7.
  • Internet Explorer 10: IE10 was released on October 26, 2012 for Windows 8 and on February 26, 2013 for Windows 7.
  • Internet Explorer 9: IE9 was released released on March 14, 2011 for Windows Vista and Windows 7.
  • Internet Explorer 8: IE8 was released on March 19, 2009 for Windows XP and Windows Vista.
  • Internet Explorer 7: IE7 was released on October 18, 2006 for Windows Vista.
  • Internet Explorer 6: IE6 was released on August 24, 2001 for Windows XP and later on August 6, 2024, IE6 SV1 was released for Windows XP as part of service pack 2 (SP2).

Do you also offer testing in the new Edge browser?

Yes, you can test in the new Edge browser if you select the Windows 10 operating system.

Can you help us debug our old IE app?

Sure! Shoot us an email at hello@browserling.com and we'll solve it for you. We have the expertise and infrastructure to quickly debug and solve all Internet Explorer compatibility issues. We have been doing this for over 10 years!

Can I run modern webapps in old IEs?

Glad you asked. We developed a technology called Live API that lets you run modern browsers in Internet Explorer 8+. Here's how it works – we embed a modern Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Opera inside IE. It doesn't require any additional installations. It all just works through JavaScript!

Can I run old IE apps in modern browsers?

Yes! Just like we can run modern apps in old IEs (see previous question), we can also run old IE apps in modern browsers (reverse!). This can also be achieved via our Live API technology. One of our customers (University of Basel in Switzerland) is using exactly this to run an archive of old IE programs that no longer work in modern browsers. We embed old IEs in their webpages and anyone can still use their old apps from any modern browser.

Support

For technical support please contact us at support@browserling.com or use the contact forum.