IE7 Auto Update scheduled for February 12th
We who design websites and test in multiple browsers need to note that an Auto Update is scheduled for February 12th to upgrade all IE users to IE7.
The reason this is important to WebDevs is that many corporate networks will not be installing this upgrade, so we will still have to keep testing in IE6. If your machine is scheduled to RECEIVE auto updates and you wish to continue to test IE6, that puts you in a bind.
I have two windows machines, one with IE7 installed, and one with IE6 installed. I’ve consequently shut off Auto Updates on the machine with IE6, so that I can continue to run IE6 on that machine. There is a downside to this since I’ll have to remember to check for updates myself, and manually go through the list to delete the IE7 upgrade from the upgrade list.
Is it possible that there may be some issues with this for those who are running a side by side installation of IE6 and IE7? I’d want to know about it ahead of time, if so.
More on this for network owners here and here.
Technorati Tags: IE7 Auto Update February 12, Windows Auto Update, Web Design Cross Browser Testing
January 26th, 2008 at 11:21 am
You can check http://tredosoft.com/Multiple_IE for multiple IE versions side by side
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January 26th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Yes, you can run multiple versions of IE, BUT there are sometimes issues even without this update coming.
And what will the forced auto-update do to the standalone version of IE6 that a machine is running? I’d rather know ahead of time if there might be an issue, and I don’t trust either MS or Tredosoft to bulletproof this.
These days a second (crappo old slow) windows test machine is cheap enough and easy enough to find. People throw out computers every day, at least here in the US, and most still have the OS installed.
January 27th, 2008 at 5:02 am
Yep, you are right that there is no bulletproof-ness in this situation. There is another way to use Microsoft Virtual PC solution if you want to use single machine instead of 2. (though having 2 computers at a time has its own advantages as well).
Link: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/virtualpc/default.mspx
January 27th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Yeah, a Virtual PC would do it as well. I prefer to work on a desktop, but have a laptop for when I’m travelling, so it made sense for me to have two versions of IE set up on two different boxes.
Thanks for the link to the virtual pc. I have an older computer I’m setting up as a linux box, and was considering doing a virtual windoze install on it (providing I can use my old win2k license with that, which I think I can) so I have another backup box just in case there are ever issues with my main box. I really hate to work on a laptop, and the laptop is currently my backup box.
January 29th, 2008 at 9:30 am
I have stand alone versions for many browsers from browsers.evolt.org IE6 and versions of NS and Opera.
Good news! According to the stats at Thecounter.com, 42% are using IE6 while 37% are using IE7 already. Up quite a bit from this fall.
I installed the stand alone browsers before I installed IE7beta and have had no problems so far with updates to IE7. Hope it lasts!!
Peace
January 29th, 2008 at 9:58 am
LOL! Okparrothead, it WOULD be good news if IE7 actually worked like a real browser! Is it better than IE6? Yes. But that means I only have 10 bugs to bust in IE7 to 15 in IE6 when I’m bugbusting in a new layout. Hardly the improvement they promised.
January 29th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Microsoft’s “IE Application Compatibility” virtual machine has been a great resource for me personally, but that was the case only after I upgrade my machine to 4GB of RAM. If anyone is interested, here is a direct link to the free IE 6 testing VM: Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC Image
January 29th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Thanks Brian. I think that for folks who only run one machine the Virtual is probably the better way to go. I’ve heard that the standalones choke on Conditional Comments. I also thank you for the warning about it being a mem hog!
February 6th, 2008 at 3:02 am
We had a (albeit small) party at work when we heard about this, seriously.
May 4th, 2008 at 1:01 am
heya,
Turns out that you can roll back from IE7 to IE6, I managed to do this by simply uninstalling IE7..
if you constantly need to switch back and forth between IE6/IE7 then I’d suggest setting up another machine and terminal service into it..
And after all that effort, microsoft will be coming out with IE8 which apparently passes the ACID2 test and they claim it’ll be the most compatible browser out haha.
May 9th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Sigh…IE…The only time I click on that blue icon is when I have to see how my web site will look in it, I also have two versions of it installed on different computers since there are differences between the two. A suggestion if you’re a developer - get firefox and install firebug plugin on it, you’ll love it, it will save you lots of time.
May 10th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Thanks for the link to the virtual pc.