If you want just to try the new features of IE7 without installing it, read this guide.
Note:To run Internet Explorer 7, you need Windows XP SP2.
Step 1
Download Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 (11.9 MB) from here . You shouldn't try this with the latest IE7 Beta 3.
Step 2
With WinRar (get a free trial here) extract the files from the setup to a folder like C:Program FilesIE7.
Step 3
With notepad, create a new file named ie7.bat in that folder, and copy the code below (courtesy of Jon Galloway):
@ECHO OFF
TITLE IE7 Launcher 1.4
ECHO IE7 STANDALONE LAUNCHER 1.4
ECHO Updated for IE7 Beta 2 Preview
ECHO.
ECHO Do not close this window or it will not clean up after itself properly.
ECHO You can pass a URL into this batch file, like this:
ECHO ie7.bat www.microsoft.com
ECHO.
ECHO When you close IE7, this will remove the registry key and shut itself down.
ECHO.
ECHO Setting up IE7 for standalone mode...
PUSHD %~dp0
ECHO Removing IE7 registry key and set the version vector to "7.0000".
%TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg ECHO REGEDIT4
%TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg ECHO.
%TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg ECHO [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{C90250F3-4D7D-4991-9B69-A5C5BC1C2AE6}]
%TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg ECHO [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTInterface{000214E5-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
%TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg ECHO [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftInternet ExplorerVersion Vector]
%TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg ECHO "IE"="7.0000"
%TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg ECHO.
:: Merge the REG file to delete the IE7 standalone entry
REGEDIT /S %TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg
REN SHLWAPI.DLL SHLWAPI.DLL.BAK
TYPE NUL > IEXPLORE.exe.local
ECHO Running IE7...
iexplore.exe "%1"
:: Merge the REG file to delete the IE7 standalone entry
REGEDIT /S %TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg
:: Delete the temporary REG file
DEL %TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg
ECHO Removing IE7 standalone files...
REN SHLWAPI.DLL.BAK SHLWAPI.DLL
DEL IEXPLORE.exe.local
:: Set the old version vector "6.0000".
%TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg ECHO REGEDIT4
%TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg ECHO.
%TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg ECHO [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftInternet ExplorerVersion Vector]
%TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg ECHO "IE"="6.0000"
%TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg ECHO.
REGEDIT /S %TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg
DEL %TEMP%.IE7Fix.reg
POPD
ECHO Complete, closing...
Step 4
In the same folder, create a new file ie7.vbs with this code:
Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
oShell.Run "ie7.bat", 0, True
Step 5
Create a shortcut on the desktop to ie7.vbs. Change the icon of the shortcut to one from IE7's iexplore.exe.
Step 6
Go to the subfolder update and run xmllitesetup.exe (this way, IE7 will have tabs). Now you have a standalone Internet Explorer 7 that runs along with Internet Explorer 6. You can launch IE7 from the shortcut you've created on the desktop.