Installing IE6/IE7 on win7

swarfega said:

They seem to install and run ok for me.

hi sir, can i pls have the version of IE 7 you are using?....and maybe Windows 7 as well

How did u get it to install lol?

Hi there
It really doesn't matter "how compliant" a browser is with "Standards" if the code the browser is trying to reach isn't "standard" in the first place --- how many youngsters / sub teens "holed up in bedrooms etc" who are just experimenting with their first web designs are even going to be THINKING about standards - and these "tinkerers" are tomorrows real web designers BTW.

I think also the whole idea of online advertising is grossly overblown and exaggerated as a successful business medium -- I try and totally ignore ALL ads / popups etc and am not alone in this either. If the site is too annoying I simply look elsewhere -- and the VERY WORST offenders are those little irritating boxes that just popup right over the bit you are reading.

If I'm LOOKING for a product or actually shopping then that's another matter but general pervasive adverts that appear all over the place while I'm doing research etc --- no no.

In any case IE6 still will access a huge number of sites -- maybe it will miss some "multi-media" features but the browser in general will work properly accessing HTML code.

Your site in any case can always get the name of the browser accessing it so you should if necessary be able to code something like this in your site

case browser name
when MSIE6 ......
when MSIE7......
when MSIE8.......
whenFirefox...............
when Opera..........
when Konqueror ................. (popular linux KDE browser)

endcase.

A lot of the code might be "common" to all the browsers.

Whilst people CAN change the name of the browser identifier to confuse the target website the "average joe" won't know how to do this so this method should work in 90% of cases.

Cheers
jimbo

I'll make a list of the ones who went out of their way to support it:

Oh? Go "out of their way"? I don't think so. Where did you see that?

Before I go further, I must backup and apologize. I am not about to post links to government or defense contractor policy statements that state their support policies. As someone in the Defense IT industry for many years, I know it to be true. BUT, I can't expect you to take my word on my say, then not take your word under the same circumstances. So I retract my government and defense contractor statement - I should not have made a "statement of fact" I could not backup with substantiating evidence, even if a generalized statement. Certainly, there are many federal, state, and local networks without the resources (tax money) to upgrade legacy systems, and they are locked into legacy support until they do.

But now, you created(?) a list of specific examples. What's your source? For already, it was easy for me to discover some glaring big name inaccuracies in your list.

BTW I don't think it fair to lump IE7 in there with IE6, so I won't. It is a totally different, or rather many different buckets of worms supporting 1 version back than 2! But I do recommend all who are able to move to IE8 now, as part of good user discipline and safe computing practices necessary to protect us, our families, and our fellow Internet users from the badguys. Even if IE is not our default browser.

Now to specific inaccuracies in your list. Some on your list are NOT supporting IE6 now, and some are actively campaigning to stop.
Google Labels IE6 as "unsupported browser"
YouTube Will Be Next To Kiss IE6 Support Goodbye
WordPress.org- Stop Living in the Past
Apple's MobileMe drops support for IE 6
MDBG: Facebook - Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 is no longer supported

Not on your list but significant:
Can You Digg It? Maybe Not, If You’re Stuck On IE6
37signals Product Blog: Phasing out support for IE 6 across all 37signals products on August 15, 2008
IE6 No More - Home
Developers say Goodbye, Internet Explorer 6.
Internet Explorer 8 Released, Time To Drop IE6 Support | Goodings Media

Look at the economics. How many extra development man-hours are spent (wasted?) supporting that ancient technology and legacy browser? How much of your time is spent on IE6?

Look at Internet innovation and you can see it being held back. IE6 Must Die for the Web to Move On. IE6 does not support WSG Web Standards, CSS 2.1 styling, PNG images, URIs and more. IE6 was not built to meet today's Internet content delivery capabilities.

Look at those users - at least the innocent naive users who are stuck in a "sense of security" of times long gone, falsely led to believe their systems are keeping up with today's needs. They are living back in the day when people never locked their doors at night. You don't build a new super-highway to support a 1924 Model-T, you build it to meet the needs of today's, and tomorrow's cars. If you have a Model-T, and you can't do 75, you stay off the highway so you and your passengers are not put in danger, and to avoid being a danger to others.

I understand there are some out there stuck with Windows 2000, Windows ME and Windows 98 machines who cannot upgrade to IE7. Or they may be in a locked-down network using proprietary software. But IE6 is now 8 years old (I incorrectly said almost 7 above), two versions back, and is unsafe. It is time to move on and stop enabling those who are simply refusing to upgrade.

It would be different if those systems were not so easily turned into zombie machines then used as weapons against the rest of us, but that is not the case. Responsible Internet use requires users keep their systems current, even if they need to be pushed in to it.

***
Interesting debate (but then most between developers and hardware types are. ) - but I think I might have driven your thread a bit OT. Sorry. I leave with one parting shot. The reason "PC" hardware is, considering the technology, so easy to assemble into computers and maintain is because long ago, hardware makers got together and settled on the ATX Form Factor industry standard that dictates shape, size, and electrical characteristic for all power supplies, motherboards, cases, fans, add-on cards - you name it. Designers only have to deal with one standard. That lowers costs, provides for much greater flexibility in options, and makes it a whole lot better on consumers - the people we (as help providers) work for. A win-win for all.

Notebook makers, on the other hand, did not settle on a standard. So notebook makers, and their marketeers (who exalt their uniqueness), use proprietary parts and software that requires expensive proprietary support and replacements. That's not a win for consumers.

jimbo45 said:

It really doesn't matter "how compliant" a browser is with "Standards" if the code the browser is trying to reach isn't "standard" in the first place --- how many youngsters / sub teens "holed up in bedrooms etc" who are just experimenting with their first web designs are even going to be THINKING about standards - and these "tinkerers" are tomorrows real web designers BTW.

Exactly my point. If there is only one standard being used, no one has to even THINK about it.

ccatlett1984 said:

This is not a discussion of whether or not its "best practice" to install the older versions of IE, just help the OP out or leave the thread.

I think you may be failing to realise that "Internet Explorer 6.0 Service Pack 1" is the cause of degenerative western decadence and the declining morality of today's youth

Tongue-removed-from-cheek, I agree with your post. This is about comprehensive testing of a (presumably commercial) software product, not an ideological test of character.

Why don't you guys just tell him to go back to Windows XP or later?

Those who don't go with a trend tend to get out-casted and left.
I say those who still want that, let them stay then realize they are behind and screwed (Not necessarily).

I realize you guys are trying to help and Understand you, but maybe the poster of the topic just has to do this to get paid? Simply Ignoring him.

I SAY take a hike go back to XP, because of people like you we are slowed down.
Use Xp buddy, if its not broken dont try to fix it, stick with XP for your IE6. Maybe later on you can change your ways and realize what some of these guys said were true.

Hi all
I can't see what's wrong with my suggestion -- all browsers report the version to the target website.

So Build your website using the MODERN code (IE8 etc compliant) and have bits encoded for IE6 etc.

as in my example above -- CASE BROWSERNAME
WHEN A.
WHEN B.

etc. (Programming 101 BTW using nearly any coding language will have constructs like this).

This will also make it SO EASY when you no longer need to support IE6 etc. Just comment out / delete the IE6 etc specific code.

If you really need to test your website using IE6 or other older versions of software why not just fire up a Virtual Machine or two -- on Microsoft Technet you can still get Windows 3 / 3.1 if you want.


Running W2K / W95 / W98 / XP on VM's is a doddle - so I'm not really sure what the OP is complaining about. You can even fire these VM's up on Linux boxes if you want.

This will certainly give you the opportuinity to test your site with older browsers -- why not go back further to IE 5.5 and W2K for example. Loads of people are actually STILL running W2K --it was quite a good system unlike the dreaded Windows Neanderthal (Windows NT).

Cheers
jimbo

ccatlett1984 said:

I found a solution for you, just use windows 7's "xp mode" and install the ie collection inside the vm, then just publish the different IE shortcuts and you can use them as if they were native. the only caveate to this, is that you might not be able to use it for locally hosted sites.

Hi there

the problem with "XP Mode" is that you won't be able to install the older browsers on it and in any case performance is a DOG. Screen Resolution is also a problem in XP mode so the chances are your website could look nothing like it would do on a users machine running IE6 or whatever.

Running a Full Virtual Machine whether under Virtual PC, Vmware, Virtual box or other will give you the proper screen resolutions with whatever browsers you install and you will see how your web site looks when a user runs the same version of IE on "Real" hardware.

However to re-iterate if you don't want to insert code in your website to handle different browsers like I've suggested then using Virtual Machines is your only realistic way to proceed.

Cheers
jimbo