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Internet Explorer 8: Compatibility View

Posted on June 15, 2009 by Jonathon Mezera0 Comments

Many websites do not display properly in Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.  Microsoft says this is because “some sites may not be ready for the new browser.”  Though that is a very vague problem description, there is an easy fix:  Compatibility View.

The compatibility view can work in one of two ways:

1. On a site-by-site basis, meaning you will have to enable it for every website that you have trouble viewing properly.
2. For all websites, meaning you will only have to enable it once.

If you chose the second option, then upgrading to IE8 has proven to be pretty pointless because the compatibility mode basically reverts the browser view settings back to that of IE7.

Here is how to enable the Compatibility View for a single site:

1.  Click on the “Tools” menu.
2.  Select “Compatibility View.”

The option right below it, “Compatibility View Settings,” allows you to manage the list of websites that will be viewed in the compatibility mode.