Use latest version of Internet Explorer in the webbrowser control

Question

The default version of the webbrowser control in a C# Windows Forms application is 7. I have changed to 9 by the article Browser Emulation, but how is it possible to use the latest version of the installed Internet Explorer in a webbrowser control?

Answer 1

I saw Veer's answer. I think it's right, but it did not I work for me. Maybe I am using .NET 4 and am using 64x OS so kindly check this.

You may put in setup or check it in start-up of your application:

private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    var appName = Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName + ".exe";
    SetIE8KeyforWebBrowserControl(appName);
}

private void SetIE8KeyforWebBrowserControl(string appName)
{
    RegistryKey Regkey = null;
    try
    {
        // For 64 bit machine
        if (Environment.Is64BitOperatingSystem)
            Regkey = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\Internet Explorer\\Main\\FeatureControl\\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", true);
        else  //For 32 bit machine
            Regkey = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Internet Explorer\\Main\\FeatureControl\\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", true);

        // If the path is not correct or
        // if the user haven't priviledges to access the registry
        if (Regkey == null)
        {
            MessageBox.Show("Application Settings Failed - Address Not found");
            return;
        }

        string FindAppkey = Convert.ToString(Regkey.GetValue(appName));

        // Check if key is already present
        if (FindAppkey == "8000")
        {
            MessageBox.Show("Required Application Settings Present");
            Regkey.Close();
            return;
        }

        // If a key is not present add the key, Key value 8000 (decimal)
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(FindAppkey))
            Regkey.SetValue(appName, unchecked((int)0x1F40), RegistryValueKind.DWord);

        // Check for the key after adding
        FindAppkey = Convert.ToString(Regkey.GetValue(appName));

        if (FindAppkey == "8000")
            MessageBox.Show("Application Settings Applied Successfully");
        else
            MessageBox.Show("Application Settings Failed, Ref: " + FindAppkey);
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        MessageBox.Show("Application Settings Failed");
        MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
    }
    finally
    {
        // Close the Registry
        if (Regkey != null)
            Regkey.Close();
    }
}

You may find messagebox.show, just for testing.

Keys are as the following:

• 11001 (0x2AF9) - Internet Explorer 11. Webpages are displayed in IE11 edge mode, regardless of the !DOCTYPE directive.

• 11000 (0x2AF8) - Internet Explorer 11. Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE11 edge mode. Default value for IE11.

• 10001 (0x2711)- Internet Explorer 10. Webpages are displayed in IE10 Standards mode, regardless of the !DOCTYPE directive.

• 10000 (0x2710)- Internet Explorer 10. Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE10 Standards mode. Default value for Internet Explorer 10.

• 9999 (0x270F) - Internet Explorer 9. Webpages are displayed in IE9 Standards mode, regardless of the !DOCTYPE directive.

• 9000 (0x2328) - Internet Explorer 9. Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE9 mode.

• 8888 (0x22B8) - Webpages are displayed in IE8 Standards mode, regardless of the !DOCTYPE directive.

• 8000 (0x1F40) - Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE8 mode.

• 7000 (0x1B58) - Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE7 Standards mode.

Reference: MSDN: Internet Feature Controls

I saw applications like Skype use 10001. I do not know.

NOTE

The setup application will change the registry. You may need to add a line in the Manifest File to avoid errors due to permissions of change in registry:

<requestedExecutionLevel level="highestAvailable" uiAccess="false" />

UPDATE 1

This is a class will get the latest version of IE on windows and make changes as should be;

public class WebBrowserHelper
{


    public static int GetEmbVersion()
    {
        int ieVer = GetBrowserVersion();

        if (ieVer > 9)
            return ieVer * 1000 + 1;

        if (ieVer > 7)
            return ieVer * 1111;

        return 7000;
    } // End Function GetEmbVersion

    public static void FixBrowserVersion()
    {
        string appName = System.IO.Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location);
        FixBrowserVersion(appName);
    }

    public static void FixBrowserVersion(string appName)
    {
        FixBrowserVersion(appName, GetEmbVersion());
    } // End Sub FixBrowserVersion

    // FixBrowserVersion("<YourAppName>", 9000);
    public static void FixBrowserVersion(string appName, int ieVer)
    {
        FixBrowserVersion_Internal("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE", appName + ".exe", ieVer);
        FixBrowserVersion_Internal("HKEY_CURRENT_USER", appName + ".exe", ieVer);
        FixBrowserVersion_Internal("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE", appName + ".vshost.exe", ieVer);
        FixBrowserVersion_Internal("HKEY_CURRENT_USER", appName + ".vshost.exe", ieVer);
    } // End Sub FixBrowserVersion 

    private static void FixBrowserVersion_Internal(string root, string appName, int ieVer)
    {
        try
        {
            //For 64 bit Machine 
            if (Environment.Is64BitOperatingSystem)
                Microsoft.Win32.Registry.SetValue(root + @"\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", appName, ieVer);
            else  //For 32 bit Machine 
                Microsoft.Win32.Registry.SetValue(root + @"\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", appName, ieVer);


        }
        catch (Exception)
        {
            // some config will hit access rights exceptions
            // this is why we try with both LOCAL_MACHINE and CURRENT_USER
        }
    } // End Sub FixBrowserVersion_Internal 

    public static int GetBrowserVersion()
    {
        // string strKeyPath = @"HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer";
        string strKeyPath = @"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer";
        string[] ls = new string[] { "svcVersion", "svcUpdateVersion", "Version", "W2kVersion" };

        int maxVer = 0;
        for (int i = 0; i < ls.Length; ++i)
        {
            object objVal = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.GetValue(strKeyPath, ls[i], "0");
            string strVal = System.Convert.ToString(objVal);
            if (strVal != null)
            {
                int iPos = strVal.IndexOf('.');
                if (iPos > 0)
                    strVal = strVal.Substring(0, iPos);

                int res = 0;
                if (int.TryParse(strVal, out res))
                    maxVer = Math.Max(maxVer, res);
            } // End if (strVal != null)

        } // Next i

        return maxVer;
    } // End Function GetBrowserVersion 


}

using of class as followed

WebBrowserHelper.FixBrowserVersion();
WebBrowserHelper.FixBrowserVersion("SomeAppName");
WebBrowserHelper.FixBrowserVersion("SomeAppName",intIeVer);

you may face a problem for in comparability of windows 10, may due to your website itself you may need to add this meta tag

<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=11" >

Enjoy :)

Answer 2

Using the values from MSDN:

  int BrowserVer, RegVal;

  // get the installed IE version
  using (WebBrowser Wb = new WebBrowser())
    BrowserVer = Wb.Version.Major;

  // set the appropriate IE version
  if (BrowserVer >= 11)
    RegVal = 11001;
  else if (BrowserVer == 10)
    RegVal = 10001;
  else if (BrowserVer == 9)
    RegVal = 9999;
  else if (BrowserVer == 8)
    RegVal = 8888;
  else
    RegVal = 7000;

  // set the actual key
  using (RegistryKey Key = Registry.CurrentUser.CreateSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", RegistryKeyPermissionCheck.ReadWriteSubTree))
    if (Key.GetValue(System.Diagnostics.Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName + ".exe") == null)
      Key.SetValue(System.Diagnostics.Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName + ".exe", RegVal, RegistryValueKind.DWord);

Answer 3

var appName = System.Diagnostics.Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName + ".exe";

using (var Key = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", true))
    Key.SetValue(appName, 99999, RegistryValueKind.DWord);

According to what I read here (Controlling WebBrowser Control Compatibility:

What Happens if I Set the FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION Document Mode Value Higher than the IE Version on the Client?

Obviously, the browser control can only support a document mode that is less than or equal to the IE version installed on the client. Using the FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION key works best for enterprise line of business apps where there is a deployed and support version of the browser. In the case you set the value to a browser mode that is a higher version than the browser version installed on the client, the browser control will choose the highest document mode available.

The simplest thing is to put a very high decimal number ...

Answer 4

Rather than changing the RegKey, I was able to put a line in the header of my HTML:

<html>
    <head>
        <!-- Use lastest version of Internet Explorer -->
        <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" />

        <!-- Insert other header tags here -->
    </head>
    ...
</html>

See Web Browser Control & Specifying the IE Version.

Answer 5

You can try this link

try
{
    var IEVAlue =  9000; // can be: 9999 , 9000, 8888, 8000, 7000
    var targetApplication = Processes.getCurrentProcessName() + ".exe"; 
    var localMachine = Registry.LocalMachine;
    var parentKeyLocation = @"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\MAIN\FeatureControl";
    var keyName = "FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION";
    "opening up Key: {0} at {1}".info(keyName, parentKeyLocation);
    var subKey = localMachine.getOrCreateSubKey(parentKeyLocation,keyName,true);
    subKey.SetValue(targetApplication, IEVAlue,RegistryValueKind.DWord);
    return "all done, now try it on a new process".info();
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
    ex.log();
    "NOTE: you need to run this under no UAC".info();
}

Answer 6

Here the method that I usually use and works for me (both for 32 bit and 64 bit applications; ie_emulation can be anyone documented here: Internet Feature Controls (B..C), Browser Emulation):

    [STAThread]
    static void Main()
    {
        if (!mutex.WaitOne(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(2), false))
        {
            // Another application instance is running
            return;
        }
        try
        {
            Application.EnableVisualStyles();
            Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);

            var targetApplication = Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName  + ".exe";
            int ie_emulation = 10000;
            try
            {
                string tmp = Properties.Settings.Default.ie_emulation;
                ie_emulation = int.Parse(tmp);
            }
            catch { }
            SetIEVersioneKeyforWebBrowserControl(targetApplication, ie_emulation);

            m_webLoader = new FormMain();

            Application.Run(m_webLoader);
        }
        finally
        {
            mutex.ReleaseMutex();
        }
    }

    private static void SetIEVersioneKeyforWebBrowserControl(string appName, int ieval)
    {
        RegistryKey Regkey = null;
        try
        {
            Regkey = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", true);

            // If the path is not correct or
            // if user haven't privileges to access the registry
            if (Regkey == null)
            {
                YukLoggerObj.logWarnMsg("Application FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION Failed - Registry key Not found");
                return;
            }

            string FindAppkey = Convert.ToString(Regkey.GetValue(appName));

            // Check if key is already present
            if (FindAppkey == "" + ieval)
            {
                YukLoggerObj.logInfoMsg("Application FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION already set to " + ieval);
                Regkey.Close();
                return;
            }

            // If a key is not present or different from desired, add/modify the key, key value
            Regkey.SetValue(appName, unchecked((int)ieval), RegistryValueKind.DWord);

            // Check for the key after adding
            FindAppkey = Convert.ToString(Regkey.GetValue(appName));

            if (FindAppkey == "" + ieval)
                YukLoggerObj.logInfoMsg("Application FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION changed to " + ieval + "; changes will be visible at application restart");
            else
                YukLoggerObj.logWarnMsg("Application FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION setting failed; current value is  " + ieval);
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            YukLoggerObj.logWarnMsg("Application FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION setting failed; " + ex.Message);

        }
        finally
        {
            // Close the Registry
            if (Regkey != null)
                Regkey.Close();
        }
    }

Answer 7

I was able to implement Luca's solution, but I had to make a few changes for it to work. My goal was to use D3.js with a Web Browser control for a Windows Forms Application (targeting .NET 2.0). It is working for me now. I hope this can help someone else.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Threading;
using Microsoft.Win32;
using System.Diagnostics;

namespace ClientUI
{
    static class Program
    {
        static Mutex mutex = new System.Threading.Mutex(false, "jMutex");

        /// <summary>
        /// The main entry point for the application.
        /// </summary>
        [STAThread]
        static void Main()
        {
            if (!mutex.WaitOne(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(2), false))
            {
                // Another application instance is running
                return;
            }
            try
            {
                Application.EnableVisualStyles();
                Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);

                var targetApplication = Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName + ".exe";
                int ie_emulation = 11999;
                try
                {
                    string tmp = Properties.Settings.Default.ie_emulation;
                    ie_emulation = int.Parse(tmp);
                }
                catch { }
                SetIEVersioneKeyforWebBrowserControl(targetApplication, ie_emulation);

                Application.Run(new MainForm());
            }
            finally
            {
                mutex.ReleaseMutex();
            }
        }

        private static void SetIEVersioneKeyforWebBrowserControl(string appName, int ieval)
        {
            RegistryKey Regkey = null;
            try
            {
                Regkey = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", true);

                // If the path is not correct or
                // if user doesn't have privileges to access the registry
                if (Regkey == null)
                {
                    MessageBox.Show("Application FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION Failed - Registry key Not found");
                    return;
                }

                string FindAppkey = Convert.ToString(Regkey.GetValue(appName));

                // Check if key is already present
                if (FindAppkey == ieval.ToString())
                {
                    MessageBox.Show("Application FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION already set to " + ieval);
                    Regkey.Close();
                    return;
                }

                // If key is not present or different from desired, add/modify the key , key value
                Regkey.SetValue(appName, unchecked((int)ieval), RegistryValueKind.DWord);

                // Check for the key after adding
                FindAppkey = Convert.ToString(Regkey.GetValue(appName));

                if (FindAppkey == ieval.ToString())
                {
                    MessageBox.Show("Application FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION changed to " + ieval + "; changes will be visible at application restart");
                }
                else
                {
                    MessageBox.Show("Application FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION setting failed; current value is  " + ieval);
                }
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                MessageBox.Show("Application FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION setting failed; " + ex.Message);
            }
            finally
            {
                //Close the Registry
                if (Regkey != null) Regkey.Close();
            }
        }
    }
}

Also, I added a string (ie_emulation) to the project's settings with the value of 11999. This value seems to be working for IE11(11.0.15).

Next, I had to change the permission for my application to allow access to the registry. This can be done by adding a new item to your project (using VS2012). Under the General Items, select Application Manifest File. Change the level from asInvoker to requireAdministrator (as shown below).

<requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false" />

If someone reading this is trying to use D3.js with a webbrowser control, you may have to modify the JSON data to be stored within a variable inside your HTML page because D3.json uses XmlHttpRequest (easier to use with a webserver). After those changes and the above, my windows forms are able to load local HTML files that call D3.

Answer 8

Combine the answers of RooiWillie and MohD
and remember to run your app with administrative right.

var appName = System.Diagnostics.Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName + ".exe";

RegistryKey Regkey = null;
try
{
    int BrowserVer, RegVal;

    // get the installed IE version
    using (WebBrowser Wb = new WebBrowser())
        BrowserVer = Wb.Version.Major;

    // set the appropriate IE version
    if (BrowserVer >= 11)
        RegVal = 11001;
    else if (BrowserVer == 10)
        RegVal = 10001;
    else if (BrowserVer == 9)
        RegVal = 9999;
    else if (BrowserVer == 8)
        RegVal = 8888;
    else
        RegVal = 7000;

    //For 64 bit Machine 
    if (Environment.Is64BitOperatingSystem)
        Regkey = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\Internet Explorer\\MAIN\\FeatureControl\\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", true);
    else  //For 32 bit Machine 
        Regkey = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Internet Explorer\\Main\\FeatureControl\\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", true);

    //If the path is not correct or 
    //If user't have priviledges to access registry 
    if (Regkey == null)
    {
        MessageBox.Show("Registry Key for setting IE WebBrowser Rendering Address Not found. Try run the program with administrator's right.");
        return;
    }

    string FindAppkey = Convert.ToString(Regkey.GetValue(appName));

    //Check if key is already present 
    if (FindAppkey == RegVal.ToString())
    {
        Regkey.Close();
        return;
    }

    Regkey.SetValue(appName, RegVal, RegistryValueKind.DWord);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    MessageBox.Show("Registry Key for setting IE WebBrowser Rendering failed to setup");
    MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
}
finally
{
    //Close the Registry 
    if (Regkey != null)
        Regkey.Close();
}

Answer 9

A cheap and easy workaround for it is that you can just put a value which is bigger than 11001 in the FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION key. Then it takes the latest IE that is available in the system.

Answer 10

just adding the following to your html does the trick no need for registry settigns

<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=11" >

Answer 11

Visual Basic Version:

Private Sub setRegisterForWebBrowser()

    Dim appName = Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName + ".exe"
    SetIE8KeyforWebBrowserControl(appName)
End Sub

Private Sub SetIE8KeyforWebBrowserControl(appName As String)
    'ref:    http://stackoverflow.com/questions/17922308/use-latest-version-of-ie-in-webbrowser-control
    Dim Regkey As RegistryKey = Nothing
    Dim lgValue As Long = 8000
    Dim strValue As Long = lgValue.ToString()

    Try

        'For 64 bit Machine 
        If (Environment.Is64BitOperatingSystem) Then
            Regkey = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\Internet Explorer\\MAIN\\FeatureControl\\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", True)
        Else  'For 32 bit Machine 
            Regkey = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Internet Explorer\\Main\\FeatureControl\\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION", True)
        End If


        'If the path Is Not correct Or 
        'If user't have priviledges to access registry 
        If (Regkey Is Nothing) Then

            MessageBox.Show("Application Settings Failed - Address Not found")
            Return
        End If


        Dim FindAppkey As String = Convert.ToString(Regkey.GetValue(appName))

        'Check if key Is already present 
        If (FindAppkey = strValue) Then

            MessageBox.Show("Required Application Settings Present")
            Regkey.Close()
            Return
        End If


        'If key Is Not present add the key , Kev value 8000-Decimal 
        If (String.IsNullOrEmpty(FindAppkey)) Then
            ' Regkey.SetValue(appName, BitConverter.GetBytes(&H1F40), RegistryValueKind.DWord)
            Regkey.SetValue(appName, lgValue, RegistryValueKind.DWord)

            'check for the key after adding 
            FindAppkey = Convert.ToString(Regkey.GetValue(appName))
        End If

        If (FindAppkey = strValue) Then
            MessageBox.Show("Registre de l'application appliquée avec succès")
        Else
            MessageBox.Show("Échec du paramètrage du registre, Ref: " + FindAppkey)
        End If
    Catch ex As Exception


        MessageBox.Show("Application Settings Failed")
        MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)

    Finally

        'Close the Registry 
        If (Not Regkey Is Nothing) Then
            Regkey.Close()
        End If
    End Try
End Sub

Answer 12

I know this has been posted but here is a current version for dotnet 4.5 above that I use. I recommend to use the default browser emulation respecting doctype

InternetExplorerFeatureControl.Instance.BrowserEmulation = DocumentMode.DefaultRespectDocType;

internal class InternetExplorerFeatureControl
{
    private static readonly Lazy<InternetExplorerFeatureControl> LazyInstance = new Lazy<InternetExplorerFeatureControl>(() => new InternetExplorerFeatureControl());
    private const string RegistryLocation = @"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl";
    private readonly RegistryView _registryView = Environment.Is64BitOperatingSystem && Environment.Is64BitProcess ? RegistryView.Registry64 : RegistryView.Registry32;
    private readonly string _processName;
    private readonly Version _version;

    #region Feature Control Strings (A)

    private const string FeatureRestrictAboutProtocolIe7 = @"FEATURE_RESTRICT_ABOUT_PROTOCOL_IE7";
    private const string FeatureRestrictAboutProtocol = @"FEATURE_RESTRICT_ABOUT_PROTOCOL";

    #endregion

    #region Feature Control Strings (B)

    private const string FeatureBrowserEmulation = @"FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION";

    #endregion

    #region Feature Control Strings (G)

    private const string FeatureGpuRendering = @"FEATURE_GPU_RENDERING";

    #endregion

    #region Feature Control Strings (L)

    private const string FeatureBlockLmzScript = @"FEATURE_BLOCK_LMZ_SCRIPT";

    #endregion

    internal InternetExplorerFeatureControl()
    {
        _processName = $"{Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName}.exe";
        using (var webBrowser = new WebBrowser())
            _version = webBrowser.Version;
    }

    internal static InternetExplorerFeatureControl Instance => LazyInstance.Value;

    internal RegistryHive RegistryHive { get; set; } = RegistryHive.CurrentUser;

    private int GetFeatureControl(string featureControl)
    {
        using (var currentUser = RegistryKey.OpenBaseKey(RegistryHive.CurrentUser, _registryView))
        {
            using (var key = currentUser.CreateSubKey($"{RegistryLocation}\\{featureControl}", false))
            {
                if (key.GetValue(_processName) is int value)
                {
                    return value;
                }
                return -1;
            }
        }
    }

    private void SetFeatureControl(string featureControl, int value)
    {
        using (var currentUser = RegistryKey.OpenBaseKey(RegistryHive, _registryView))
        {
            using (var key = currentUser.CreateSubKey($"{RegistryLocation}\\{featureControl}", true))
            {
                key.SetValue(_processName, value, RegistryValueKind.DWord);
            }
        }
    }

    #region Internet Feature Controls (A)

    /// <summary>
    /// Windows Internet Explorer 8 and later. When enabled, feature disables the "about:" protocol. For security reasons, applications that host the WebBrowser Control are strongly encouraged to enable this feature.
    /// By default, this feature is enabled for Windows Internet Explorer and disabled for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control.To enable this feature using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.
    /// </summary>
    internal bool AboutProtocolRestriction
    {
        get
        {
            if (_version.Major < 8)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{AboutProtocolRestriction} requires Internet Explorer 8 and Later.");
            var releaseVersion = new Version(8, 0, 6001, 18702);
            return Convert.ToBoolean(GetFeatureControl(_version >= releaseVersion ? FeatureRestrictAboutProtocolIe7 : FeatureRestrictAboutProtocol));
        }
        set
        {
            if (_version.Major < 8)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{AboutProtocolRestriction} requires Internet Explorer 8 and Later.");
            var releaseVersion = new Version(8, 0, 6001, 18702);
            SetFeatureControl(_version >= releaseVersion ? FeatureRestrictAboutProtocolIe7 : FeatureRestrictAboutProtocol, Convert.ToInt16(value));
        }
    }

    #endregion

    #region Internet Feature Controls (B)

    /// <summary>
    /// Windows Internet Explorer 8 and later. Defines the default emulation mode for Internet Explorer and supports the following values.
    /// </summary>
    internal DocumentMode BrowserEmulation
    {
        get
        {
            if (_version.Major < 8)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{nameof(BrowserEmulation)} requires Internet Explorer 8 and Later.");
            var value = GetFeatureControl(FeatureBrowserEmulation);
            if (Enum.IsDefined(typeof(DocumentMode), value))
            {
                return (DocumentMode)value;
            }
            return DocumentMode.NotSet;
        }
        set
        {
            if (_version.Major < 8)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{nameof(BrowserEmulation)} requires Internet Explorer 8 and Later.");
            var tmp = value;
            if (value == DocumentMode.DefaultRespectDocType)
                tmp = DefaultRespectDocType;
            else if (value == DocumentMode.DefaultOverrideDocType)
                tmp = DefaultOverrideDocType;
            SetFeatureControl(FeatureBrowserEmulation, (int)tmp);
        }
    }

    #endregion

    #region Internet Feature Controls (G)

    /// <summary>
    /// Internet Explorer 9. Enables Internet Explorer to use a graphics processing unit (GPU) to render content. This dramatically improves performance for webpages that are rich in graphics.
    /// By default, this feature is enabled for Internet Explorer and disabled for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control.To enable this feature by using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.
    /// Note: GPU rendering relies heavily on the quality of your video drivers. If you encounter problems running Internet Explorer with GPU rendering enabled, you should verify that your video drivers are up to date and that they support hardware accelerated graphics.
    /// </summary>
    internal bool GpuRendering
    {
        get
        {
            if (_version.Major < 9)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{nameof(GpuRendering)} requires Internet Explorer 9 and Later.");
            return Convert.ToBoolean(GetFeatureControl(FeatureGpuRendering));
        }
        set
        {
            if (_version.Major < 9)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{nameof(GpuRendering)} requires Internet Explorer 9 and Later.");
            SetFeatureControl(FeatureGpuRendering, Convert.ToInt16(value));
        }
    }

    #endregion

    #region Internet Feature Controls (L)

    /// <summary>
    /// Internet Explorer 7 and later. When enabled, feature allows scripts stored in the Local Machine zone to be run only in webpages loaded from the Local Machine zone or by webpages hosted by sites in the Trusted Sites list. For more information, see Security and Compatibility in Internet Explorer 7.
    /// By default, this feature is enabled for Internet Explorer and disabled for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control.To enable this feature by using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.
    /// </summary>
    internal bool LocalScriptBlocking
    {
        get
        {
            if (_version.Major < 7)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{nameof(LocalScriptBlocking)} requires Internet Explorer 7 and Later.");
            return Convert.ToBoolean(GetFeatureControl(FeatureBlockLmzScript));
        }
        set
        {
            if (_version.Major < 7)
                throw new NotSupportedException($"{nameof(LocalScriptBlocking)} requires Internet Explorer 7 and Later.");
            SetFeatureControl(FeatureBlockLmzScript, Convert.ToInt16(value));
        }
    }

    #endregion


    private DocumentMode DefaultRespectDocType
    {
        get
        {
            if (_version.Major >= 11)
                return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer11RespectDocType;
            switch (_version.Major)
            {
                case 10:
                    return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer10RespectDocType;
                case 9:
                    return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer9RespectDocType;
                case 8:
                    return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer8RespectDocType;
                default:
                    throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException();
            }
        }
    }

    private DocumentMode DefaultOverrideDocType
    {
        get
        {
            if (_version.Major >= 11)
                return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer11OverrideDocType;
            switch (_version.Major)
            {
                case 10:
                    return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer10OverrideDocType;
                case 9:
                    return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer9OverrideDocType;
                case 8:
                    return DocumentMode.InternetExplorer8OverrideDocType;
                default:
                    throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException();
            }
        }
    }
}

internal enum DocumentMode
{
    NotSet = -1,
    [Description("Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE latest installed version mode.")]
    DefaultRespectDocType,
    [Description("Webpages are displayed in IE latest installed version mode, regardless of the declared !DOCTYPE directive.  Failing to declare a !DOCTYPE directive could causes the page to load in Quirks.")]
    DefaultOverrideDocType,
    [Description(
        "Internet Explorer 11. Webpages are displayed in IE11 edge mode, regardless of the declared !DOCTYPE directive. Failing to declare a !DOCTYPE directive causes the page to load in Quirks."
    )] InternetExplorer11OverrideDocType = 11001,

    [Description(
        "IE11. Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE11 edge mode. Default value for IE11."
    )] InternetExplorer11RespectDocType = 11000,

    [Description(
        "Internet Explorer 10. Webpages are displayed in IE10 Standards mode, regardless of the !DOCTYPE directive."
    )] InternetExplorer10OverrideDocType = 10001,

    [Description(
        "Internet Explorer 10. Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE10 Standards mode. Default value for Internet Explorer 10."
    )] InternetExplorer10RespectDocType = 10000,

    [Description(
        "Windows Internet Explorer 9. Webpages are displayed in IE9 Standards mode, regardless of the declared !DOCTYPE directive. Failing to declare a !DOCTYPE directive causes the page to load in Quirks."
    )] InternetExplorer9OverrideDocType = 9999,

    [Description(
        "Internet Explorer 9. Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE9 mode. Default value for Internet Explorer 9.\r\n" +
        "Important  In Internet Explorer 10, Webpages containing standards - based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE10 Standards mode."
    )] InternetExplorer9RespectDocType = 9000,

    [Description(
        "Webpages are displayed in IE8 Standards mode, regardless of the declared !DOCTYPE directive. Failing to declare a !DOCTYPE directive causes the page to load in Quirks."
    )] InternetExplorer8OverrideDocType = 8888,

    [Description(
        "Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE8 mode. Default value for Internet Explorer 8\r\n" +
        "Important  In Internet Explorer 10, Webpages containing standards - based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE10 Standards mode."
    )] InternetExplorer8RespectDocType = 8000,

    [Description(
        "Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE7 Standards mode. Default value for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control."
    )] InternetExplorer7RespectDocType = 7000
}

Answer 13

It is best to force the highest mode possible. That can be accomplished by adding:

<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">

and it is always good to include the polyfill library in order to support IE:

<script src="https://polyfill.io/v3/polyfill.min.js?features=es6"></script>

before any script.

Answer 14

A better solution in form of WebView2 is available now. The WebView2 control uses Microsoft Edge which is based on Chromium as the rendering engine to display the web content in native apps. This control can be used in Winforms as well as in WPF applications.

To use this in Winforms, just install the Microsoft.Web.WebView2 NugetPackage. After that, the WebView2 will be available to for your application!

More details here.