64-Bit Versions of IE 7 & IE8 Are Not Fully Compatible with SharePoint 2010

By Zubair Alexander

- On April 18, 2010

As you may know, most new computers are 64-bit and come with a 64-bit version of Windows 7. By default, the 64-bit Windows 7 uses the 32-bit version of IE 8, however, if you use the 64-bit version of IE8 you should know that your browser is not fully compatible with SharePoint 2010. According to Microsoft's own testing, the 64-bit versions of IE 7 and IE8, and Mozilla Firefox are not fully compatible with SharePoint 2010. Although there are several SharePoint features that will work, but there are more than a dozen features that won't in Microsoft's 64-bit versions of IE7 and IE8. For example, you cannot edit in Microsoft Office applications or use the Datasheet View on Microsoft's latest 64-bit browsers (IE7 & IE8) and Microsoft does not offer any workarounds as of April 16, 2010.

IE8 (64-bit) Limitations According to Microsoft, the following features have known limitations in IE 8 (64-bit). Microsoft does not offer any workarounds in most cases.

Note: The 32-bit version of IE8 has no known limitations.

Feature	Limitation
Connect to Outlook, Connect to Office, and Sync to SharePoint Workspace	Works with an ActiveX control and the stssync:// protocol. Therefore, functionality may be limited without an ActiveX control, such as the one that is included in Microsoft Office 2010. The feature also requires an application that is compatible with the stssync:// protocol, such as Microsoft Outlook.
Datasheet view	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control.
Edit in Microsoft Office application	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control.
Explorer view	Removed in SharePoint Server 2010. Libraries that have been upgraded from earlier versions of SharePoint Server 2010 may still have Explorer views and these may not work.
Export to Excel	Downloads a file with an .iqy extension to the Web browser. If Microsoft Excel is not installed, and if no other application is configured to open this file, then this feature will not work.
File upload and copy	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control.
Microsoft InfoPath 2010 integration	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control.
Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 Picture Library integration	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control, such as the one that is delivered in Microsoft Office 2010. The user can use the following workarounds when no control has been installed: If a user wants to upload multiple pictures in a picture library, the user must upload one picture at a time by using Upload.aspx. If a user wants to edit a picture in a picture library, the user must download the picture, edit it, and then upload the picture to the picture library. If a user wants to download more than one picture from a picture library, the user must download one picture at a time by clicking on the picture link.
Microsoft Visio 2010 diagram creation	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control.
New Document	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control. Although the New Document command may not work, you can use the Upload Document functionality. If you install and configure Office Web Applications on the server, the New Document command works, and you can create an Office document in your browser.
Send To	Can leverage a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control. Without the control, files cannot be sent from one SharePoint farm to another SharePoint farm. However, files can still be sent from one site to another site.
Signing Forms (InfoPath Form Services)	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control.
Spreadsheet and Database integration	Require a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control. The user can use the following workarounds when no control has been installed: If a user wants to edit a document, the user must download the document, edit it, and then save it back to the server. In a list that requires a document to be checked out for editing, a user must use the Edit menu to check out the document, edit it, and then check it in by using the Edit menu. Export to spreadsheet. Users can export a SharePoint list as a spreadsheet by clicking Export to Spreadsheet on the List tab on the ribbon.
Web Part to Web Part Connections	May require deactivation of browsers pop-up blockers for SharePoint sites.
Slide library and PowerPoint 2010 integration	Require a 64-bit ActiveX control. The user can use the following workarounds when no control has been installed: Delete a slide. Users can delete a slide by first clicking the slide, and then clicking Delete Slide. Repeat for each slide.

IE 7 (64-bit) Limitations According to Microsoft, the following features have known limitations in IE 7 (64-bit). Microsoft does not offer any workarounds in most cases.

Note: The 32-bit version of IE8 has no known limitations.

Feature	Limitation
Connect to Outlook, Connect to Office, and Sync to SharePoint Workspace	Works with an ActiveX control and the stssync:// protocol. Therefore, functionality may be limited without an ActiveX control, such as the one that is included in Microsoft Office 2010. This feature requires an application that is compatible with the stssync:// protocol, such as Microsoft Outlook.
Datasheet view	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control.
Edit in Microsoft Office application	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control.
Explorer view	Removed in SharePoint Server 2010. Libraries that have been upgraded from earlier versions of SharePoint Server 2010 may still have Explorer views.
Export to Excel	Downloads a file with an .iqy extension to the Web browser. If Microsoft Excel is not installed, and if no other application is configured to open this file, then this feature will not work.
File upload and copy	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control.
Microsoft InfoPath 2010 integration	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control.
Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 Picture Library integration	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control, such as the one that is delivered in Microsoft Office 2010. The user can use the following workarounds when no control has been installed: If a user wants to upload multiple pictures in a picture library, the user must upload one picture at a time by using Upload.aspx. If a user wants to edit a picture in a picture library, the user must download the picture, edit it, and then upload the picture to the picture library. If a user wants to download more than one picture from a picture library, the user must download one picture at a time by clicking on the picture link.
Microsoft Visio 2010 diagram creation	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control.
New Document	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control. Although the New Document command may not work, you can use the Upload Document functionality. If you install and configure Office Web Applications on the server, the New Document command works, and you can create an Office document in your browser.
Send To	Can leverage a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control. Without the control, files cannot be sent from one SharePoint farm to another SharePoint farm. However, files can still be sent from one site to another site.
Signing Forms (InfoPath Form Services)	Requires a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control.
Spreadsheet and Database integration	Require a 64-bit ActiveX control. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a 64-bit version of this control. The user can use the following workarounds when no control has been installed: If a user wants to edit a document, the user must download the document, edit it, and then save it back to the server. In a list that requires a document to be checked out for editing, a user must use the Edit menu to check out the document, edit it, and then check it in by using the Edit menu. Export to spreadsheet. Users can export a SharePoint list as a spreadsheet by clicking Export to Spreadsheet on the List tab on the ribbon.
Web Part to Web Part Connections	May require deactivation of browsers pop-up blockers for SharePoint sites.
Slide library and PowerPoint 2010 integration	Require a 64-bit ActiveX control. The user can use the following workarounds when no control has been installed: Delete a slide. Users can delete a slide by first clicking the slide, and then clicking Delete Slide. Repeat for each slide.

Mozilla Firefox Limitations Unfortunately, you can't use Mozilla Firefox as a workaround. When it comes to SharePoint, Firefox too has numerous limitations and Microsoft does not offer any workarounds in most cases. According to Microsoft, they tested the latest version of Firefox 3.6 and found the following limitations on Windows operating systems.

Feature	Limitation
Connect to Outlook, Connect to Office, and Sync to SharePoint Workspace	Works with an ActiveX control, but requires a Firefox control adaptor. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a Firefox control adaptor for this control. The feature also requires an application that is compatible with the stssync:// protocol, such as Microsoft Outlook.
Datasheet view	Requires an ActiveX control, such as the one that is delivered in Microsoft Office 2010, and a Firefox control adaptor. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a Firefox control adaptor for this control.
Drag and Drop Web Parts	Cannot be moved by using drag and drop on Web Part pages. Users must click Edit on the Web Part, select Modify Web Part, and then select the zone from the Layout section of the Web Part properties page. Web Parts can be moved using drag and drop on Pages.
Edit in Microsoft Office application	Requires an ActiveX control, such as the one that is delivered in SharePoint Server 2010, and a Firefox control adaptor. Firefox users can read more about the control by visiting Microsoft Office 2010 Firefox Plug-in. If you install and configure the Office Web Applications on the server, the Edit functionality works and you can modify Office documents in your browser.
Explorer view	Removed in SharePoint Server 2010. Libraries that have been upgraded from earlier versions of SharePoint Server 2010 may still have Explorer views, and these may not work. Explorer view requires Internet Explorer.
Export to Excel	Downloads a file with an .iqy extension to the Web browser. If Microsoft Excel is not installed, and if no other application is configured to open this file, then this feature will not work.
File upload and copy	Requires an ActiveX control, such as the one that is delivered in Microsoft Office 2010, and a Firefox control adaptor. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a Firefox control adaptor for this control.
Microsoft InfoPath 2010 integration	Requires an ActiveX control, such as the one that is delivered in Microsoft Office 2010, and a Firefox control adaptor. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a Firefox control adaptor for this control.
Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 Picture Library integration	Requires an ActiveX control, such as the one that is delivered in Microsoft Office 2010, and a Firefox control adaptor. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a Firefox control adaptor for this control. The user can use the following workarounds when no control has been installed: If a user wants to upload multiple pictures in a picture library, the user must upload one picture at a time by using Upload.aspx. If a user wants to edit a picture in a picture library, the user must download the picture, edit it, and then upload the picture to the picture library. If a user wants to download more than one picture from a picture library, the user must download one picture at a time by clicking on the picture link.
Microsoft Visio 2010 diagram creation	Requires an ActiveX control, such as the one delivered in Microsoft Office 2010, and a Firefox control adaptor. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a Firefox control adaptor for this control.
New Document	Requires an ActiveX control, such as the one delivered in Microsoft Office 2010, and a Firefox control adaptor. Firefox users can read more about the control by visiting Microsoft Office 2010 Firefox Plug-in. Although the New Document command may not work, you can use the Upload Document functionality. If you install and configure Office Web Applications on the server, the New Document command works, and you can create an Office document in your browser.
Rich Text Editor – Basic Toolbar	Requires Internet Explorer.
Send To	Can leverage an ActiveX control, such as the one that is delivered in Microsoft Office 2010, and a Firefox control adaptor. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a Firefox control adaptor for this control. Without the control, files cannot be sent from one SharePoint farm to another SharePoint farm. However, files can still be sent from one site to another site.
Signing Forms (InfoPath Form Services)	Requires an ActiveX control, such as the one that is delivered in Microsoft Office 2010, and a Firefox control adaptor. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a Firefox control adaptor for this control.
Spreadsheet and Database integration	Require ActiveX controls, such as those that are delivered in Microsoft Office 2010, and Firefox control adaptors. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a Firefox control adaptor for this control. The user can use the following workarounds when no control has been installed: If a user wants to edit a document, the user must download the document, edit it, and then save it back to the server. In a list that requires a document to be checked out for editing, a user must use the Edit menu to check out the document, edit it, and then check it in by using the Edit menu. Export to spreadsheet. Users can export a SharePoint list as a spreadsheet by clicking Export to Spreadsheet on the List tab on the ribbon.
Web Part to Web Part Connections	May require deactivation of browsers pop-up blockers for SharePoint sites.
Slide library and PowerPoint 2010 integration	Require ActiveX controls, such as those that are delivered in Microsoft Office 2010, and Firefox control adaptors. Microsoft Office 2010 does not provide a Firefox control adaptor for this control. The user can use the following workarounds when no control has been installed: Delete a slide. Users can delete a slide by first clicking the slide, and then clicking Delete Slide. Repeat for each slide. The following features do not work on this platform: Copy a slide to a presentation. This feature enables users to add a slide to a PowerPoint 2010 presentation. Publish a slide. This feature enables users to upload a single slide from a PowerPoint 2010 presentation to a slide library. Microsoft Office must be installed on the client computer.