Can I run multiple versions of Google Chrome on the same machine? (Mac or Windows)

A small virtual machine maybe?

Try VirtualBox a freeware program to install virtual machines (a lot of work for what you want to do, but it'll work)

Oldapps.com has old versions of Chrome available for download, and they’re the standalone versions, so combined with @SamMeiers’ answer, these work a treat.

The Google Chrome support forum has some good discussion of getting old versions of Chrome.

As professional testers, my friends use Spoon.net browsers section to test compatibility of site in various browsers. Hope this should help you.

I have done the following on a Citrix XenDesktop VM, however you could just do this on your local PC:

Microsoft Virtual PC

If you are running Windows 7, you can download Microsoft virtual PC and create as many copies of Virtual PC as you need for testing without any licensing issues:

• http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/default.aspx

This requires no additional Windows licenses; you simply set up multiple machines with different browsers on them. You can run the browsers out of the window by following the tutorial available here:

• http://ieblog.members.winisp.net/images/InstallingXPMode.htm

Installing Browsers

You will need to create at least 3 virtual PC's (tip: keep the memory down to 256mb for each virtual PC to avoid wasting memory on the virtual desktops).

On the first VPC I installed this:

• http://tredosoft.com/Multiple_IE

along with Chrome 1, Safari 3.1, Opera 8.

On the second I installed Internet Explorer 7, Chrome 3, Safari 3.2.1, Opera 9.

On the third I installed Internet Explorer 8, Chrome 8. Safari 4.0.5, Opera 10.

On Windows 7 (native machine) I had Internet Explorer 9, Chrome 11, Safari 5, Opera 11 and for Firefox I install the following app natively too:

• http://utilu.com/UtiluMFC/

Personally I would not go back further than 5 years with compatibility (other than IE for government networks) unless you have a specific requirement (I split Chrome & Opera across years as I decided there were just to many releases). However, if you find that someone has a specific issue with a site using a specific version of the browser it becomes very easy to install additional virtual machines to run additional browser versions.

Obtaining Older Browsers

You can download older versions of Chrome from here:

• http://www.oldapps.com/google_chrome.php

and Opera here:

• http://www.oldapps.com/opera.php

Virtualizing The Test Platform (Optional)

I use Xen Desktop to virtualize the testing platform so that I can use it anywhere and have included my favorite development tools on there as well:

• http://deliver.citrix.com/go/citrix/XenDesktop

The express edition is available for free.

A Good Commercial Alternative

Another great product I recently came accross is Stylizer which is a CSS editor that installs multiple versions of browsers for testing purposes, however this is a commercial paid for product but is very good and worth the small fee they require to run it.

I've recently stumbled upon the following solution to this problem:

Source: Multiple versions of Chrome

...this is registry data problem: How to do it then (this is an example for 2.0.172.39 and 3.0.197.11, I'll try it with next versions as they will come, let's assume I've started with Chrome 2):

1. Install Chrome 2, you'll find it Application Data folder, since I'm from Czech Republic and my name is Bronislav Klučka the path looks like this:

   C:\Documents and Settings\Bronislav Klučka\Local Settings\Data aplikací\Google\Chrome
   

   and run Chrome

2. Open registry and save

   [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Update\Clients\{8A69D345-D564-463c-AFF1-A69D9E530F96}]
   [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Update\ClientState\{8A69D345-D564-463c-AFF1-A69D9E530F96}]
   

   keys, put them into one chrome2.reg file and copy this file next to chrome.exe (ChromeDir\Application)

3. Rename Chrome folder to something else (e.g. Chrome2)

4. Install Chrome 3, it will install to Chrome folder again and run Chrome

5. Save the same keys (there are changes due to different version) and save it to the chrome3.reg file next to chrome.exe file of this new version again

6. Rename the folder again (e.g. Chrome3)

   the result would be that there is no Chrome dir (only Chrome2 and Chrome3)

7. Go to the Application folder of Chrome2, create chrome.bat file with this content:

   @echo off
   regedit /S chrome2.reg
   START chrome.exe -user-data-dir="C:\Docume~1\Bronis~1\LocalS~1\Dataap~1\Google\Chrome2\User Data"
   rem START chrome.exe -user-data-dir="C:\Documents and Settings\Bronislav Klučka\Local Settings\Data aplikací\Google\Chrome2\User Data"
   

   the first line is generic batch command, the second line will update registry with the content of chrome2.reg file, the third lines starts Chrome pointing to passed directory, the 4th line is commented and will not be run.

   Notice short name format passed as -user-data-dir parameter (the full path is at the 4th line), the problem is that Chrome using this parameter has a problem with diacritics (Czech characters)

8. Do 7. again for Chrome 3, update paths and reg file name in bat file for Chrome 3

Try running both bat files, seems to be working, both versions of Chrome are running simultaneously.

Updating: Running "About" dialog displays correct version, but an error while checking for new one. To correct that do (I'll explain form Chrome2 folder): 1. rename Chrome2 to Chrome 2. Go to Chrome/Application folder 3. run chrome2.reg file 4. run chrome.exe (works the same for Chrome3) now the version checking works. There has been no new version of Chrome since I've find this whole solution up. But I assume that update will be downloaded to this folder so all you need to do is to update reg file after update and rename Chrome folder back to Chrome2. I'll update this post after successful Chrome update.

Bronislav Klucka

在评论中，我用 提到一步一步的方法轻松安装多个 Chrome 版本，并排。这个答案引用了我最初的答案，并且包含了一个脚本来为你完成这个工作。

引自:

Chrome : 独立安装程序可以从 文件 Hippo下载，也可以运行多个 Chrome 版本 肩并肩。

虽然 Sandboxie 可以使用，但它是 建议使用下一个本机方法以运行多个 并排版本。

1. 从 文件 Hippo下载所需的版本。

2. 创建 主目录，例如 C:\Chrome\。

3. 提取 安装程序(= 没有安装) ，例如使用 7-Zip 也提取这个文件，并下降创建的 Chrome-bin 现在，您将看到 chrome.exe和一个类似于 18.0.1025.45的目录。 将 chrome.exe移至 18.0.1025.45，然后将此目录移至 Chrome-bin中剩余的文件可以安全地 删除。

4. 创建一个快捷方式 每个版本:

    "C:\Chrome\18.0.1024.45\chrome.exe" --user-data-dir="..\User Data\18" --chrome-version=18.0.1025.45
   

这条捷径的解释是:

• 这是 发射器