Using the Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool

  • Article

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Vista

The Windows® Internet Explorer® Compatibility Test Tool (IECTT) collects your application compatibility data and uploads it to the ACT Log Processing Service, displaying results in real-time, including:

  • Details about found compatibility issues

  • Links for more information about each compatibility issue

To access the Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool

  1. On the taskbar, click Start, and then point to Programs, then Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.6, then Developer and Tester Tools, and then click Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool.

Important

The IECTT is supported only on the Windows® XP operating system, the Windows Vista® operating system, the Windows 7 operating system, the Windows Server® 2003 operating system, and the Windows Server 2008 operating system.

Using the Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool

In the IECTT, you can view the potential compatibility issues for your Web sites and Web applications. You can also filter your results, save an issue report, and open an existing issue report, and upload all data to your ACT database.

Important

The ACT Log Processing Service, used to upload your data to the ACT database, requires an Administrator account.

Collecting Your Compatibility Data

You can collect your Web site and Web application-related compatibility data by using the IECTT tool with either Windows Internet Explorer 7 or Windows Internet Explorer 8.

To collect your compatibility data

  1. Before you begin, you must close all of your active Internet Explorer browser windows.

  2. On the Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool toolbar, click Enable.

  3. Open an Internet Explorer 7 or Internet Explorer 8 browser window.

    A message appears, stating that compatibility evaluation logging is turned on.

  4. Visit the Web sites or Web applications that are required for use by your organization.

    As you visit each site, the IECTT tool will reflect, in real-time, your potential compatibility issues.

  5. On the Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool toolbar, click Disable when you are done.

    The compatibility logging process finishes and stops.

Filtering Your Issue Results

You can filter any of your IECTT results by object name, by issue type, or by both.

To filter your issue results

  1. On the Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool screen, click Filter.

    The Issues Filter dialog box appears.

  2. Type the name of the object that you intend to view in the Enter the name of the object to view issues for box.

Note

You can select the Find Exact Match check box, if you want to search only for objects that match your criteria exactly.

  1. Select the check box for the types of issues that you intend to view, and then click OK.

    The IECTT tool updates to show only the issues related to both your search criteria and issue type.

Saving Your Issue Results as a Report

You can save any of your IECTT results as a report (.cet) file, so that you can review your issues at a later time, or for archival purposes.

To save your issue results

  1. On the Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool screen, click Save.

  2. Browse to where you intend to store your issue result report, and then click Save.

Opening an Existing Issue Result Report

You can open any of your existing issue result reports in the IECTT.

To open an existing issue result report

  1. On the Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool screen, click Open.

  2. Browse to where you stored your issue result report, and then click Open.

    The specified issue result report opens in a new tab, next to the Live Data tab.

See Also

Concepts

Uploading Web-based Issue Data to the ACT Database
Development Tools
Internet Explorer Reports
Known Internet Explorer Security Feature Issues
Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool Technical Reference

Other Resources

Testing and Mitigating Issues by Using the Development Tools