Browser features and compatibility changes

Learn about changes to Internet Explorer itself and how these changes affect compatibility. Use these to help figure out why things seem different than they used to and, more importantly, what to do.

In this section

Topic Description

ASP.NET fails to detect Internet Explorer

Certain versions of ASP.NET do not correctly recognize the latest version of Windows Internet Explorer and must be updated.

CSP 1.0 breaks inline script

Support for the W3C Content Security Policy specification may cause inline script to break.

Customizing the download experience

Downloading files is a very common activity, and in Internet Explorer 10 we made several improvements in the file download experience and integrated the SmartScreen Application reputation check to help users make better trust decisions. This article summarizes many server side customization options available with the Microsoft Download Manager so that developers can provide the best file download experience for users.

Disc volume determines AppCache and IndexedDB limits

Indexed Database and Application Cache limits are removed for Windows Store apps using JavaScript. Additionally, Internet Explorer for Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge now consider the volume size in determining the per-domain and per-total limit on how much disk space can be used.

Document modes are deprecated

Starting with Windows 10, document modes are considered deprecated and should not be used. Internet Explorer 11 will continue to support documents modes; however, Microsoft Edge will not support them. Make sure to update webpages and apps that require legacy document modes to support modern features, browsers, and devices.

Enhanced protected mode (EPM) may be enabled on the desktop

As of IE11, enhanced protected mode may be enabled for Internet Explorer for the desktop. Update add-ins, Browser Helper Objects (BHOs), and applications using local HTML resources to support enhanced protected mode.

HTTP/2 replaces SPDY/3

Microsoft Edge removes support for the experimental SPDY/3 protocol and implements the HTTP/2 standard.

Interoperable (HTML5) quirks mode

In Internet Explorer 10, we've modified the default behavior of quirks mode to improve support for industry standards, such as HTML5, and to increase interoperability with other browsers. Quirks mode now exposes the same set of APIs and behavior as standards mode with limited exceptions as defined in HTML5 and related W3C specifications.

Minor changes in IE11

Here is a list of some of the minor changes made to IE11 that affect many frequently visited websites.

Pseudo hit testing is disabled in IE11 edge mode

To provide better compatibility with other browsers and a more consistent experience for all interaction events (including touch and zoom), pseudo hit testing is disabled in IE11 edge mode.

Spell checking and autocorrect support

Internet Explorer 10 now includes spell checking and autocorrect support.

Understanding the Compatibility view list

Compatibility View allows content designed for older web browsers to render well in newer versions of Internet Explorer.

User-agent string changes

Each release of Microsoft Edge updates the user-agent string; here's what's changed recently.

 

ActiveX controls and plugin changes

CSS and layout compatibility changes

HTML and DOM compatibility changes

JavaScript compatibility changes

Legacy feature support changes

Internet Explorer compatibility changes by version