Determining the Internet Explorer Version

To date, Microsoft has released a number of versions of the Internet Explorer browser.

Firstly, the version numbers used internally by Microsoft. Furthermore, the version numbers do not increment in the same manner as that in the product name. You will have to use a lookup table to match the version numbers against the product names.
For the version look up table go to website
<http://www.codeproject.com/shell/detectie.asp>


Determining the Internet Explorer Version from the Registry

We can get the full version string from the Registry using the Version string value.
The version number of the installed Internet Explorer can be found under the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer

For Internet Explorer 4.0 and later, the Build value is a string that contains a five-character value, followed by a period and four more characters, in the following format:
major-version-build-number.sub-build-number
E.g. the Build value for Internet Explorer 5 is "52014.0216."

In addition, it adds a Version string value under the same key, in the following format.
major-version.minor-version.build-number.sub-build-number
E.g. the Version value for Internet Explorer 5 is "5.00.2014.0216".

If none of these values is in the registry, Internet Explorer is not installed properly or at all.

Determining the Internet Explorer Version from Shdocvw.dll

You may use the version number of the Shdocvw.dll (Shell Document Object and Control Library) file to determine the version of Internet Explorer installed. However, note that this approach can only be used on Internet Explorer 3.0 and later since this file does not exist in previous versions of Internet Explorer.

Also, do take note that the version number of this dll is not the same as that stored in the registry. (Although the later versions are starting to have the same numbers.) A table listing the version numbers of the Shdocvw.dll file and the corresponding versions of Internet Explorer may be found <http://www.codeproject.com/shell/detectie.asp>

The Shdocvw.dll file is installed in the Windows\System folder in Windows 95/98, and in the Winnt\System32 folder in Windows NT/2000. If the Shdocvw.dll file does not exist,
Internet Explorer 3.0 or later is not installed properly or at all.