How to automatically open certain sites in certain browsers?

April 2, 2014 11:32 AM

At work, we have to use IE8 for some websites, but Chrome for others. Is there a way to have certain links (such as certain domains or addresses or subdomains) open in IE8 automatically, and others open in Chrome automatically?

Setting Chrome as the default breaks the IE8-needing websites (since some links on those websites then try to open windows in Chrome), and with IE8 as the default, the Chrome-needing websites then try to open windows in IE8.
My desktop OS is Windows 7. It is not possible, given the circumstances, to have either website fixed, and they are both used many times a day.

posted by blue_wardrobe to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

Is there one you use more than another? There's a couple of sites I have to use IE for, so I have them as my home pages in IE and they open in tabs when I start the programme. I use chrome for everything else as my default browser, and I've got chrome and IE pinned to the start bar. The only time it's annoying is when I forget and click on a link to our HR system in one of its automatic emails and it opens in chrome where it doesn't work.
posted by Helga-woo at 11:40 AM on April 2, 2014

There is a Chrome extension called IETab that will auto-open certain sites using the IE rendering engine inside a tab in Chrome. This should fit the bill.
posted by trivia genius at 11:42 AM on April 2, 2014 [3 favorites]

In IE, it's possible to create a regular filesystem shortcut that looks like:

c:\program whatevers\files\place\iexplore.exe http://www.google.com

That will automatically open Google.com with only Internet Explorer. I haven't tried with all the other browsers (I know the IE thing thanks to activeX-requiring intranets), but I suspect other browsers work that way as well.
posted by AzraelBrown at 12:07 PM on April 2, 2014 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: @trivia genius: tried IEtab - the IE8-based website doesn't run properly under it, unfortunately. It's more of a web-based application than a site per se, and seems to need IE8 features like Active X, status bar control, window closing, opening, re-sizing, etc.
posted by blue_wardrobe at 12:11 PM on April 2, 2014

Try the "related" Chrome extensions - I think there is at least one that allows ActiveX to run as well (more like a full-fledged IE experience, not just the IE rendering engine).

I found IE Tab Multi (Enhance) which looks like it could work for you.
posted by trivia genius at 12:47 PM on April 2, 2014 [1 favorite]

This isn't *quite* what you're looking for, but Browser Chooser lets you choose what browser to open a given link in. The Open in IE extension might also help. Neither of these are automatic, per-se, but they do make dealing with multiple browsers easier.
posted by Aleyn at 12:19 AM on April 3, 2014

I don't know how extensive your needs are, but if it's just one or two sites, you could create an IE shortcut for that site and use that to get to it. That should work for Chrome too, if you'd prefer to use IE as default.
posted by ashirys at 7:35 AM on April 3, 2014

Check out the Legacy Browser Support extension and corresponding IE add-on. This allows you to configure a list of sites that need to open in IE, and have everything else open in Chrome, regardless of which browser is set as default or which one you're running when you click a link.
posted by FishBike at 8:10 AM on April 3, 2014