Running Multiple Versions Of IE On The Same Box

re: Running Multiple Versions Of IE On The Same Box

Chris Quirke — Tue, 26 May 2009 20:52:22 GMT

The problem is chaining a relatively trivial app that needs to be widely deployed, to a lumpy anchor like an OS.

Ideally, it should be possible to install and use any version of IE on any version of Windows, and by eating that SxS dogfood, have it co-exist with different versions of itself.

Now I know you'll say IE is hardly a "trivial app" - but it is hugely edge-facing, and IMO that means it should be somewhat detached from the OS's innards. Think of how a leaf can be pulled off a tree without ripping it open; that's how I'd prefer to see edge-facing software that's exposed to exploits, so I can quickly amputate it if need be.

Jake Munson refers to "stagnant IE6" - heh, imagine if all those years weren't stagnating in IE6, you'd prolly have another 2 or 3 versions of OS-bound browsers to test :-)

re: Running Multiple Versions Of IE On The Same Box

timber — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:18:18 GMT

Can I use two versions of FF on the same box?

re: Running Multiple Versions Of IE On The Same Box

Roland Bouman — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:26 GMT

The inability to run multiple versions of IE does not just hurt when testing websites.

Upgrading IE is a major issue for many corporations because there is a very real risk of breaking existing web applications. For the same reason, this may hold organizations back from using new webapplications that run well only on the more standards compliant versions of IE (like 7 and 8).

All these problems would be gone if IE was architected such that IE instances would be stand alone and isolated from one another.

Firefox can, why can't IE?

What is the benefit for the customer to integrate an application with the OS to the extent that you cannot upgrade it without the risk of breaking something?

re: Running Multiple Versions Of IE On The Same Box

Jake Munson — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:20:40 GMT

I'm sorry, but stuff like this makes me wonder if Microsoft hates web developers. The IE6 stagnation debacle combined with this VPC image crap...do you guys really care how much time you make us web developers waste? Do you even realize that most web developers HATE IE and wish it would just silently go away?

re: Running Multiple Versions Of IE On The Same Box

Olivier — Sat, 09 May 2009 01:53:43 GMT

"They’re time bombed, because we’re basically giving a copy of Windows away, but users can also build their own."

The timebomb isn't fun, so how can we make our own VPC images in a legal way ? I mean, I don't want to pay several Windows licenses just to be able to test in IE4,5,5.5,6,7,...

Or as asked by David, why Microsoft doesn't provide stripped down versions of Windows with no timebomb ? By restricting users so they can't install any software, but they can install updates from Windows Updates. Or like Windows PE : the Windows reboot or shutdown every hour/two hours,... or something like that.

re: Running Multiple Versions Of IE On The Same Box

Jeff L — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:16:37 GMT

as asked above, what about Xenocode?

http://www.xenocode.com/Browsers/

re: Running Multiple Versions Of IE On The Same Box

rico — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:27:07 GMT

Using terms like "Frankenbuilds" to steer people away from IEtester etc. is not a good idea. The solution offered here may be less of a hack, but has some really obvious drawbacks of its own. The road to testing in shitty old IE6* remains slippery either way.

*Who built the monster in the first place ?..

re: Running Multiple Versions Of IE On The Same Box

Sean Hogan — Thu, 07 May 2009 01:53:00 GMT

I don't understand the logic of time-bombing the VPC images. Isn't the only difference (between a non-expiring image and a time-bombed one) that every three months developers have to remind MS that the image is expired, wait for MS to update them, download and install the new one?

You say that MS is giving away a copy of Windows but either I already have Windows or I've chosen a different OS.

re: Running Multiple Versions Of IE On The Same Box

frymaster — Thu, 07 May 2009 01:51:51 GMT

"VPC images do not run on Vista Home Premium"

possibly, but developers will be running vista business, so that's ok :P

re: Running Multiple Versions Of IE On The Same Box

JFR — Wed, 06 May 2009 23:57:56 GMT

@Sam: IETester is using the exact rendering engin and javascript engine of the ie engine it is instanciating for each tab.

What do you mean exactly when you say "IETester will still have the same problems as other multiple IE solutions". Can you be precise please ?