Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 supports several commonly used Web browsers. This article describes different levels of Web browser support, browser compatibility for published sites, and it explains how ActiveX controls affect features.
In this article:
About planning browser support
SharePoint Server 2010 supports several commonly used Web browsers. However, certain Web browsers might cause some SharePoint Server 2010 functionality to be downgraded, limited, or available only through alternative steps. In some cases, functionality might be unavailable for noncritical administrative tasks.
As part of planning your deployment of SharePoint Server 2010, we recommend that you review the browsers used in your organization to ensure optimal performance with SharePoint Server 2010.
Key planning phase of browser support
Browser support is an important part of your SharePoint Server 2010 implementation. Before you install SharePoint Server 2010, ensure that you know which browsers SharePoint Server 2010 supports. The information in this topic covers the following areas:
- Browser support levels
- Browser details
- Browser compatibility for publishing sites
Browser support levels
Browser support for SharePoint Server 2010 can be divided into three different levels, as follows:
- Supported
A supported Web browser is a Web browser that is supported to work with SharePoint Server 2010, and all features and functionality work. If you encounter any issues, support can help you to resolve these issues. - Supported with known limitations
A supported Web browser with known limitations is a Web browser that is supported to work with SharePoint Server 2010, although there are some known limitations. Most features and functionality work, but if there is a feature or functionality that does not work or is disabled by design, documentation on how to resolve these issues is readily available. - Not tested
A Web browser that is not tested means that its compatibility with SharePoint Server 2010 is untested, and there may be issues with using the particular Web browser. SharePoint Server 2010 works best with up-to-date, standards-based Web browsers.
Browser details
You should review the details of the Web browser that you have or plan to use in your organization to ensure that the Web browser works with SharePoint Server 2010 and according to your business needs.
Internet Explorer 8 (32-bit)
Internet Explorer 8 (32-bit) is supported on the following operating systems:
- Windows Server 2008 R2
- Windows Server 2008
- Windows Server 2003
- Windows 7
- Windows Vista
- Windows XP
Known limitations
There are no known limitations for Internet Explorer 8 (32-bit).
Internet Explorer 7 (32-bit)
Internet Explorer 7 (32-bit) is supported on the following operating systems:
- Windows Server 2008
- Windows Server 2003
- Windows Vista
- Windows XP
Known limitations
There are no known limitations for Internet Explorer 7 (32-bit).
Internet Explorer 8 (64-bit)
Internet Explorer 8.0 (64-bit) is supported on the following operating systems:
- Windows Server 2008 R2
- Windows Server 2008
- Windows Server 2003
- Windows 7
- Windows Vista
- Windows XP
Known limitations
The following table lists features and their know limitations in Internet Explorer 8 (64-bit).
| 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:
|
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 Documentcommand 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:
|
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:
|
Internet Explorer 7 (64-bit)
Internet Explorer 7 (64-bit) is supported on the following operating systems:
- Windows Server 2008
- Windows Server 2003
- Windows Vista
- Windows XP
Known limitations
The following table lists features and their know limitations in Internet Explorer 7 (64-bit).
| 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:
|
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 Documentcommand 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:
|
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:
|
Mozilla Firefox 3.6 (on Windows operating systems)
Mozilla Firefox 3.6 is supported on the following operating systems:
- Windows Server 2008 R2
- Windows Server 2008
- Windows Server 2003
- Windows 7
- Windows Vista
- Windows XP
Known limitations
The following table lists features and their know limitations in Mozilla Firefox 3.6 (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:
|
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 | A user can update the Rich Text Editor basic toolbar to a Full Rich Text Editor that includes the ribbon by changing the field's properties, as follows: On the FldEdit.aspx, in the List Settings menu, select Specific Field Settings. Next, under Columns, click Description. In theAdditional Columns Settings section, under Specify the type of text to allow, select Enhanced rich text (Rich text with pictures, tables, and hyperlinks). |
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:
|
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:
The following features do not work on this platform:
|
Mozilla FireFox 3.6 (on non-Windows operating systems)
Mozilla FireFox 3.6 is supported on the following operating systems:
- Mac OSX
- UNIX/Linux
Known limitations
The following table lists features and their know limitations in Mozilla FireFox 3.6 (on non-Windows operating systems).
| Feature | Limitation |
|---|---|
Connect to Outlook, Connect to Office, and Sync to SharePoint Workspace | Requires an application that is compatible with the stssync:// protocol, such as Microsoft Outlook. |
Datasheet view | Requires an ActiveX control that is not supported on this platform. 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 that is not supported on this platform. 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. Requires an application that is configured to open this file. |
File upload and copy | Requires an ActiveX control that is not support on this platform. |
Microsoft InfoPath 2010 integration | Requires an ActiveX control that is not support on this platform. |
Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 Picture Library integration | Requires an ActiveX control that is not supported on this platform. 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:
|
Microsoft Visio 2010 diagram creation | Requires an ActiveX control that is not supported on this platform. |
New Document | Requires an ActiveX control that is not supported on this platform. 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 | A user can update the Rich Text Editor basic toolbar to a Full Rich Text Editor that includes the ribbon by changing the field's properties, as follows: On the FldEdit.aspx, in the List Settings menu, select Specific Field Settings. Next, under Columns, click Description. In theAdditional Columns Settings section, under Specify the type of text to allow, select Enhanced rich text (Rich text with pictures, tables, and hyperlinks). |
Send To | Can leverage an ActiveX control that is not supported on this platform. 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 that is not supported on this platform. |
Spreadsheet and Database integration | Require ActiveX controls that is not supported on this platform. The user can use the following workarounds when no control has been installed:
|
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 that is not supported on this platform. The user can use the following workarounds when no control has been installed:
The following features do not work on this platform:
|
 Note: |
|---|
| FireFox browsers on UNIX/Linux systems may not work with the Web Part menu. |
| Note: |
|---|
| Some ActiveX features, such as list Datasheet view and the control that displays user presence information, do not work in Mozilla Firefox 3.6. Firefox users can use the Microsoft Office 2010 Firefox Plug-in to launch documents. |
Safari 4.04 (on non-Windows operating systems)
Safari 4.0.4 is supported on the following operating systems:
- Mac OSX (Version 10.6, Snow Leopard)
Known limitations
The following table lists features and their know limitations in Safari 4.04 (on non-Windows operating systems).
| Feature | Limitation |
|---|---|
Connect to Outlook, Connect to Office, and Sync to SharePoint Workspace | Requires an application that is compatible with the stssync:// protocol, such as Microsoft Outlook. |
Datasheet view | Requires an ActiveX control that is not supported on this platform. |
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 that is not supported on this platform. 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. Explorer view requires Internet Explorer. |
Export to Excel | Downloads a file with an .iqy extension to the Web browser. Requires an application that is configured to open this file. |
File upload and copy | Requires an ActiveX control that is not supported on this platform. |
Microsoft InfoPath 2010 integration | Requires an ActiveX control that is not supported on this platform. |
Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 Picture Library integration | Requires an ActiveX control that is not supported on this platform. The user can use the following workarounds when no control has been installed:
|
Microsoft Visio 2010 diagram creation | Requires an ActiveX control that is not supported on this platform. |
New Document | Requires an ActiveX control that is not supported on this platform. 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 | A user can update the Rich Text Editor basic toolbar to a Full Rich Text Editor that includes the ribbon by changing the field's properties, as follows: On the FldEdit.aspx, in the List Settings menu, select Specific Field Settings. Next, under Columns, click Description. In theAdditional Columns Settings section, under Specify the type of text to allow, select Enhanced rich text (Rich text with pictures, tables, and hyperlinks). |
Send To | Can leverage an ActiveX control that is not supported on this platform. 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 that is not supported on this platform. |
Spreadsheet and Database integration | Require ActiveX controls that are not supported on this platform. The user can use the following workarounds when no control has been installed:
|
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 that is not supported on this platform. The user can use the following workarounds when no control has been installed:
The following features do not work on this platform:
|
Internet Explorer 6 (32-bit)
SharePoint Server 2010 does not support Internet Explorer 6 (32-bit). If you use publishing sites, see the "Browser compatibility for publishing sites" section in this article.
Browser compatibility for publishing sites
For publishing sites, the Web Content Management features built into SharePoint Server 2010 provide a deep level of control over the markup and styling of the reader experience. Page designers can use these features to help ensure that the pages they design are compatible with additional browsers, including Internet Explorer 6, for viewing content. However, it is the page designers’ responsibility to create pages that are compatible with the browsers that they want to support.
A standards-based browser, such as Internet Explorer 8 or Firefox 3.x, is required to author content.
ActiveX controls
Some of the features in SharePoint Server 2010 use ActiveX controls. In secure environments, these controls must be able to work on the client computer before their features will function. Some ActiveX controls, such as those included in Microsoft Office 2010, does not work with 64-bit browser versions. For Microsoft Office 2010 (64-bit), only the following controls work with 64-bit browsers:
- ppslax.dll – Slide library and PowerPoint 2010 integration
- name.dll – Presence information
Reference http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc263526.aspx
