Transparent PNGs in IE6: Implementation+Testing

Get Started
1

To fix issues with transparent PNGs in IE6, I’m attempting to implement the script at http://24ways.org/2007/supersleight-transparent-png-in-ie6.

I’m testing my site out on http://ipinfo.info/netrenderer/index.php and the PNGs were still not rendered properly according to the screenshots provided. I also notice that the IE6 tester screenshots show improperly rendered PNGs for other sites (not just mine) where claims were made that such PNGs should be properly rendered in IE6 due to a script being used.

So should I presume that the display of improperly rendered PNGs is a fault of http://ipinfo.info/netrenderer/index.php? If so, where can I find a reliable IE6 tester without having to download one of the bulky Windows Virtual PC VHDs?

2

IETester you can use, I use this soft to test on all versions of IE and it gives very good results

you can down here IETester

<snip/>

3

I would advise avoiding IETester. I thought I had a problem with one particular issue on one particular IE version… but the problem was with how IETester was rendering the page rather than my website. That was one day of my life I can’t get back and I’m still bitter about it.

If you are on Windows then defo use the Windows Virtual Machine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Virtual_PC.

They are really easy to set up and you can try the proper version of IE on the OS it was intended for.

4

IE tester does have a few faults but it is good enough to get you so far but to be sure you will need a virtual machine and a stand alone ie6 to be sure.

I have used virtualbox from oracle as a virtual machine and have windows XP running on my mac with ie6 and windows 7 running other windows browsers. It is open source so a free virtual machine (as long as you have the OS discs)

Also had a lot of trouble with transparent PNG’s on a client site. Tried a few different options and decided belatedPNG was a good option

5

I assume that the official VHD for IE6 would be XPSP3-IE6.EXE at this URL:

Question:
On the page there is a note that this VHD expires on 18 May 2011. Is this referring to the download link or the VHD itself? i.e. If I download the VHD now and install it, would I still be able to use it after 18 May 2011?

6

No. You’ll have to redownload the new image that is provided.
These images are time bombed to prevent excessive usage.
So you cannot run Windows free forever.

7

You might try BrowserLab by Adobe. I’ve used it before to test layouts before I had access to multiple machines.

That way you don’t have to install anything. It’s all browser based.

8

I tried IETester and overall it seems to do the trick. I recommend it. :wink: