Installing various Browsers in one system

[Johana Solendhal]

I serioulsy considering downloading and installing Firefox, Opera and IE5 to check for compatibility regarding my designs, but I have no idea how this will affect my system considering I am only using one computer.

After installing the other browsers will I have to specify which one will be used for my default connection? And wont they add any processes to my OS?

[mrobinson]

Hi Johana,

I have Mozilla, Firefox, IE6 (and IE5.5, IE5.0, IE4 and IE3), Opera 7, Opera 5, and Netscape 4 all running on one machine (WinXP) for testing and I've never had any problems (Firefox is my browser of choice).

If they are all running at the same time then yes they will consume system resources (but I rarely have them all running at one time).

They will all hapily live side-by-side (that is except for the Microsoft offerings.

Take a look at QuirksMode for help running multiple versions of IE side-by-side.

Most browsers will prompt you to set them as the default browser when you run them, but that can usually be disabled.

Hope that helps.

Regards,
Mark

[Paul O'B]

Hi,

Previously it was though impssible to run multiple versios of ie but luckily now there is an easy solution that works very well.

http://www.skyzyx.com/archives/000094.php

I have installed on my system for testing these browsers which present no problems at all.

ie5
ie5.5.
ie6
Mozilla 1.2
Mozilla 1.4
firebird 0.5
firefox 0.8
opera 6.03
opear 7.03
opera 7.23
opera 7.54
NN 4.7
NN 6.2

As long as you don't run them all at once there should be no real problems.

Paul

[Pedro Monteiro]

When you talk about running them at the same time, don't the browsers add Reg Keys to your OS system and add a process even if they are not the default browsers?

[Johana Solendhal]

hola Pedro!

I think it must only add the process when it's running.

[Paul O'B]

and add a process even if they are not the default browsers?

Well nothing shows in task manager.

When installing the browsers like mozilla/firefox I make sure that when I asked I don't use the "partial loading/icon in sytem tray" etc options which is offered for faster browser loading.

However I expect there may be something in memory but I regulary use ie6, firefox, opera7 all running at the same time without problem.

The only one i get problems with is IE of course

Bear in mind that I'm using these browers possibly hundreds of times a day testing various layouts for the css forum, so i give them a really good bashing more so than the average user/developer.

If you want to test in various browsers then you have to load them on your system regardless of wheteher extra processes are running or not. So I don't really think it should influence your decision anyway .

Paul