Microsoft Refreshes IE 7 Beta 2 Preview

Microsoft Monday updated the Beta 2 preview of Internet Explorer 7, saying that the next generation browser's rendering engine is now complete.

Nailing down the engine -- or as Microsoft called it, making the browser "layout complete" -- means that Web site owners can now begin testing their sites using Internet Explorer 7 (IE 7).

The new version was handed out to attendees of inaugural MIX06 conference in Las Vegas where Microsoft is touting its Web strategy. But it has also been posted for public download on the IE site.

This interim release comes between the January debut of IE 7 Beta 2 Preview, the first public edition, and Beta 2, which Microsoft has said will post this summer. The final version for Windows XP and a separate version for Windows Vista are to appear before the end of the year.

Users who installed the first edition of IE 7 Beta 2 Preview must uninstall it before installing Monday's version, Microsoft's developers said on the IE blog site.To uninstall a Beta 2 Preview, users should use the "Add or Remove Programs" control panel. From there, they should check "Show Updates" and then scroll down until they see "Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 Preview" under "Windows XP - Software Updates."