The last official Internet Explorer for Mac is no longer functional since the release of OS X 10.7 (Lion) and is discontinued since 2005, but we have a fix!
Now you can run the latest version of Internet Explorer on Macs using virtualization. For those of you requiring Internet Explorer to run ActiveX Controls on the Mac, this is the perfect solution.
To do this, you'll need VirtualBox, the free-to-download and free-to-use virtualization software which allows you to run Windows and other “guest” operating systems on a Mac “host.”
VirtualBox makes it possible to run Windows applications on a Mac, which means Internet Explorer can become a Mac application if you take the necessary steps. Just follow our step by step tutorial.
How to run Internet Explorer on a Mac
Step 1. Download Oracle VirtualBox for Mac and Extension Pack. Install VirtualBox and after that, double click on the Extension Pack and follow the instructions.
Step 2. Run once VirtualBox Manager and then close it. This is necessary so that the system records certain pieces of information, making it possible for the following steps to work properly.
Step 3. Launch Terminal and paste one of the following commands, depending on which version of IE you'd like to install.
If your machine is not new or powerful, I recommend installing Internet Explorer 8. This will install Windows XP Virtual Machine. XP is old and unsupported, but it's perfect to use in a Virtual Machine on punctual occasions.
Internet Explorer 11 Only - Windows 7 image
Step 5. Run the Windows virtual machine. In case you're prompted to enter a password, password hint from the login screen and launch Internet Explorer.
Step 6. Turn on automatic updates and install updates. This will increase the space used by the virtual machine.
Note: The Windows XP installation is set to expire after 30 days of use. The Windows 7 installation is set to expire after 90 days and can be rearmed 5 times.
If you have storage problems, just run in Terminal this command after the installation.