After installing IE 8, IE6 no longer displays web pages properly. Argh.

**Reckoner** · 11-06-2009, 04:02 PM

Hi there,

So I've recently upgraded to IE 8, but now when I try to use IE 6, dropdown menus, etc no longer work as the once did.

(I use IE 6 to just check and see how things look in that older browser)

Can someone please help in why this is happening or what could be done to get things to look correct again in IE 6?

Better yet, can some kind soul who has IE 6 just check my site to check if the dropdown menu is working for it?

The section in question is here:
http://modenafinefoods.com/acetum.html

I just need the dropdown to work in IE6 under "news"

Many thanks.

Pat

**wayfarer07** · 11-06-2009, 04:11 PM

Errr, how do you have IE6 and IE8 running at the same time at all? That isn't supposed to be possible. One thing you can do is install IE tester instead: http://my-debugbar.com/wiki/IETester/HomePage It's pretty good, and I use it a lot.

**hotsmusic** · 11-06-2009, 08:10 PM

I think ie6 is only shortcut. it will be replace with ie8.

**Reckoner** · 11-06-2009, 08:15 PM

Thanks for the replies guys,

I am not sure, but IE 6 still works but is funky with IE 8 installed. I really needed to check and ensure that everything looks correct in IE 6, so I just uninstalled IE 8, and re-installed IE 7. IE 6 now works as it should for dropdowns, etc.

IE 8 still is pretty new - and from what I read it adheres to W3 standards more, so I think I should mainly worry about IE 7 and 6 since they are turd burglars when it comes to layout for now.

**marketingman100** · 11-06-2009, 08:40 PM

The core products of IE6 and IE 8 use the same common .dlls which the installation of 8 has now replaced with updated versions.

Typically, drop down menus don't work well in IE6, depending on which language they were written in.

Code for the present, not a browser that is several years dead.

**Custom Cars** · 11-07-2009, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reckoner

Thanks for the replies guys,

I am not sure, but IE 6 still works but is funky with IE 8 installed. I really needed to check and ensure that everything looks correct in IE 6, so I just uninstalled IE 8, and re-installed IE 7. IE 6 now works as it should for dropdowns, etc.

IE 8 still is pretty new - and from what I read it adheres to W3 standards more, so I think I should mainly worry about IE 7 and 6 since they are turd burglars when it comes to layout for now.

Yeah, but fortunately MS is prompting users to upgrade to IE 8. Hopefully we won't need to worry too much about IE 7, though some institutions may still retain IE 6.

**wayfarer07** · 11-07-2009, 03:07 PM

Unfortunately IE6 is far from "dead", especially in the corporate world. Also, I've realized, that as long as there is an IE8, IE7 will still exist, in the form of "compatibility mode". Read the sticky in this very forum to see why.

**darrenfox** · 11-07-2009, 04:21 PM

IE8 nuked my computer and I still have not got it back to working. Now I just use a tester for anything IE related.

**marketingman100** · 11-07-2009, 05:35 PM

The last numbers I saw read on my stats show FF at a 60% share, IE7 at about 30%
and five other browsers sharing the other 10%. Code for the biggest audience.

**wayfarer07** · 11-09-2009, 11:00 AM

Of course, those are your stats. My own stats are very similar, with Chrome taking almost an equal share with IE, and Firefox getting over 60%. Most of the people browsing my sites are developers reading about my plugins. Worldwide stats are much much different. Cutting out IE6 is usually a bad business decision IMO, unless your target audience is a tech-savvy crowd.

My favorite global stats site is the W3 counter: http://w3counter.com/globalstats.php It tracks browser statistics from almost 30000 websites, only uses the last 15000 pageviews per site, and only counts pageviews during the month of the report. So it is a very accurate real-world model of browser usage.

IE6: 12.83% - still significant usage worldwide

**sequencehosting** · 11-09-2009, 11:11 AM

I agree with everyone else, it really does depend on your site. In the last month the majority of my visitors were using Firefox. I did get some visitors using IE6 as well but it was under 1%.

**Brian07002** · 11-09-2009, 01:46 PM

I would just stick with the latest version of IE and use a different browser such as opera as a main choice, I hate when you have to install plugins after you re-install a web browser...(unless of course it's really needed). With opera, I just install it, and the flash plugin was already included, that's why I believe that is a good browser, though I am not a big fan of flash, it's still good to have it as part of the browser than to have to find it when you need it.