Windows – Multiple versions of Internet Explorer on a machine

Is it possible to have multiple versions of Internet Explorer on the same computer?

Solution:

Microsoft now provides free virtual machine images with a number of different versions of Internet Explorer preinstalled. You can grab a copy of the images on the modern.ie website, which currently includes the following combinations:

  • IE6 on Windows XP
  • IE7 on Windows Vista
  • IE8 on Windows XP
  • IE8 on Windows 7
  • IE9 on Windows 7
  • IE10 on Windows 7
  • IE10 on Windows 8
  • IE11 on Windows 8.1
  • IE11 on Windows 7
  • IE11 on Windows 10

The images are designed for the following virtualization platforms:

  • Microsoft Hyper-V
  • Microsoft VirtualPC
  • Oracle VirtualBox
  • Parallels
  • VMware

The images expire after a fixed amount of time, so snapshots are recommended to simplify the process of “resetting” them after they expire.

Screenshots

IE6 on Windows XPIE8 on Windows 7