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Free VMs of Windows to test older versions of IE

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Re: Free VMs of Windows to test older versions of IE

#71

Post by adrr »

j_s wrote: post #18
thristian wrote: post #2

The VMs are designed for Virtual PC, which is of course only available for Windows. There's a script called ievms that will automatically downloade those VMs and convert them for use with VirtualBox on OS X or Linux: http://xdissent.github.com/ievms/

Virtual PC isn't supported in Windows 8 and I couldn't get these images working in Hyper-V. They are truly almost an afterthought from Microsoft.

Doesn't IE10 let you run the past versions of IE with developer mode? Haven't tried with IE10 but i know IE9 had it.

Re: Free VMs of Windows to test older versions of IE

#72

Post by voltagex_ »

j_s wrote: post #18
thristian wrote: post #2

The VMs are designed for Virtual PC, which is of course only available for Windows. There's a script called ievms that will automatically downloade those VMs and convert them for use with VirtualBox on OS X or Linux: http://xdissent.github.com/ievms/

Virtual PC isn't supported in Windows 8 and I couldn't get these images working in Hyper-V. They are truly almost an afterthought from Microsoft.

Now this sounds interesting. Why wouldn't they run in 8?

Re: Free VMs of Windows to test older versions of IE

#73

Post by risratorn »

mr_luc wrote: post #60
mgeraci wrote: post #42

xdissent made a great command line installer on github for virtualbox and these virtual machines; you can get them running with one command. I've used the script for the last year or so when I've had to set up a new box for testing and I've really enjoyed it. https://github.com/xdissent/ievms

I came here to post this; instead I'll mention more features: - Handles interrupted downloads for you, continues them. - Hilariously, each browser comes in a distinct version of the operating system. Windows 95 for IE7, Windows Vista for IE8, and Windows 7 for IE9. A trip down memory lane! - Debugging for IE7 is not enabled by default on the IE7 image. Thanks, MS ... people mostly use IE8 with IE7 mode turned on, but…

The windows versions you mention are not right. It's WindowsXP-IE6, WindowsVista-IE7, Windows7-IE8/9

https://github.com/xdissent/ievms/blob/master/ievms.sh#L150

Re: Free VMs of Windows to test older versions of IE

#74

Post by dave1010uk »

duck wrote: post #28

Or better yet, just use https://browserling.com/ which is from another HN member, pkrumins.

Similar remote browser testing services I'll be testing soon:

    http://saucelabs.com/
    http://crossbrowsertesting.com/
    http://www.browserstack.com/
Some of these even do mobile browsers too. After spending several hours setting up just 1 or 2 VMs, I'm convinced using these services is not only cheaper and more stress-free but also lets you keep more up to date.

Re: Free VMs of Windows to test older versions of IE

#75

Post by ataylor32 »

Daegalus wrote: post #40

You don't need VMs or the sort to test old versions of IE. Open IE and hit F12, this will open IEs equivalent of Chrome Developer tools. It has options to change which IE engine it uses all the way back to IE7 for testing.

I agree with ecaron. See this link:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10249454/how-well-does-ie...

Re: Free VMs of Windows to test older versions of IE

#76

Post by TazeTSchnitzel »

adrr wrote: post #71
j_s wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Virtual PC isn't supported in Windows 8 and I couldn't get these images working in Hyper-V. They are truly almost an afterthought from Microsoft.

Doesn't IE10 let you run the past versions of IE with developer mode? Haven't tried with IE10 but i know IE9 had it.

No, that's compatibility mode. It isn't the actual browser.

Re: Free VMs of Windows to test older versions of IE

#77

Post by polyvisual »

xdissent wrote: post #17
Hawkee wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ievms is not even necessary. This article explains how to do it with VirtualBox, http://samvermette.com/256

ievms was written for convenience, not out of necessity.

ievms is brilliant. It's made my life much easier, thanks.

Re: Free VMs of Windows to test older versions of IE

#78

Post by axefrog »

TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #76
adrr wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't IE10 let you run the past versions of IE with developer mode? Haven't tried with IE10 but i know IE9 had it.

No, that's compatibility mode. It isn't the actual browser.

Compatibility mode isn't what he's talking about. In the developer tools, there's also "browser mode", which allows you to select a different user agent, and "document mode", which allows you to select a rendering engine from IE7 onwards.

Re: Free VMs of Windows to test older versions of IE

#79

Post by TazeTSchnitzel »

axefrog wrote: post #78
TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, that's compatibility mode. It isn't the actual browser.

Compatibility mode isn't what he's talking about. In the developer tools, there's also "browser mode", which allows you to select a different user agent, and "document mode", which allows you to select a rendering engine from IE7 onwards.

I know about them. They aren't actually the browsers in question, though. It's IE9/10 engine with some stuff disabled.

Re: Free VMs of Windows to test older versions of IE

#80

Post by thisone »

sudhirj wrote: post #36

It would serve the world so much better IF THEY JUST LET IT FUCKING DIE! GRAAAAAAGGHH!

the only way early versions of IE would go away is if the computers upgraded themselves.

Even going out of support won't kill them as some people/businesses still won't allow their computers to upgrade IE, or install anything else.

Example: Over the weekend I was at a big chain store and decided to sign up for a discount card (which is done online). The employee pulls up the browser, and it's IE6.

The website we go to, the company's public website, is broken in IE6, yet they still use IE6 on their computers.

If businesses won't upgrade from IE6, even though the tools they make their employees use don't function properly in IE6, I don't think there's anything MS can do about it.

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