IE Mode incorrect User Agent string on initial request to site beginning with Version 96.0.1054.29

Question

IE Mode incorrect User Agent string on initial request to site beginning with Version 96.0.1054.29

Steve McKinney 6

We have a legacy web application that requires IE, and which our customers have been running successfully using IE Mode under Edge. Over the weekend we started receiving reports from customers who were previously able to run our application under IE Mode that they were now receiving a message from the application that their browser was not compatible. After some experimentation we found it was possible to get past the browser compatibility message and then log in by refreshing the page, but this needs to be done each time the application is opened. It appears that this new behavior began after customers were updated to version 96.0.1054.29 of Edge, released via the stable cannel on November 19th.

The application probes the user agent string to check for IE. Since the update to version 96.0.1054.29 of Edge, it appears that the user agent string provided on the initial request for the default page of the application is incorrect and is not the same as the user agent string provided on subsequent requests. Here's an example:

User Agent string for initial request:
Mozilla/5.0+(Windows+NT+10.0;+Win64;+x64)+AppleWebKit/537.36+(KHTML,+like+Gecko)+Chrome/96.0.4664.45+Safari/537.36+Edg/96.0.1054.29

User Agent string for subsequent requests:
Mozilla/5.0+(Windows+NT+10.0;+WOW64;+Trident/7.0;+rv:11.0)+like+Gecko

The result is that the application's browser compatibility check for IE fails initially, then succeeds after a page refresh.

The unfortunate customer experience is that, as of this weekend, they receive a message stating that their browser is not compatible with our application. They can work around this by refreshing a page refresh, but of course they won't know to do this without first calling support for assistance, and they have to remember to do it every time they open our application. Clearly this is undesirable.

Anonymous

2021-11-23T09:00:40.233+00:00
Hi @Steve McKinney

For better understanding the issue, I want to confirm something with you:

Do you mean the page doesn't load in IE mode at first, but load in IE mode after refreshing? Or the page load in IE mode at first but the user agent is wrong, and after refreshing the user agent becomes right? Please check if the IE mode "e" logo shows at the address bar. You can also provide screenshots of the issue.

Do you meet a similar issue like what in this doc about configuring neutral sites?

How do the customers configure IE mode policies?

If possible, could you please provide a minimal code sample or steps which can reproduce the issue? So that we can have a test and see how to help.
Steve McKinney 6 Reputation points

2021-11-23T15:47:45.5+00:00
Thanks for the response. In answer to your questions:

The page does load in IE mode at first (the IE mode 'e' logo is present in the address bar) but the user agent string seen at the server (as seen in the IIS log file) is incorrect, then is correct after a refresh. I will have captured and will attach some screenshots.

The section in the document you linked about configuring neutral sites does not seem to be relevant to the situation.

Customers install our web application on their own in-house servers, or on a cloud hosted server (we do not host). Larger customers with IT departments configure their own IE mode policies, for smaller customers our support staff assist with this.

We have an outward-facing demonstration website you could try hitting to see the problem. I'm hesitant to provide the url in a public forum; is there any way I can get it to your privately?

Allow me to emphasize again that our application was working fine until this weekend, with the latest stable channel IE update. I am not at this point aware of any user of our application that has received the update and is not experiencing the problem.
Steve McKinney 6 Reputation points

2021-11-23T15:56:57.64+00:00

Initial Request:
Steve McKinney 6 Reputation points

2021-11-23T15:58:53.07+00:00

After Page Refresh:
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Stacey 0 Reputation points

2025-01-18T05:33:21.0266667+00:00

Thank you for explaining this...though that is ghetto af.

2 answers

Your answer

Anonymous

2021-11-23T09:00:40.233+00:00

Hi @Steve McKinney

For better understanding the issue, I want to confirm something with you:

Do you mean the page doesn't load in IE mode at first, but load in IE mode after refreshing? Or the page load in IE mode at first but the user agent is wrong, and after refreshing the user agent becomes right? Please check if the IE mode "e" logo shows at the address bar. You can also provide screenshots of the issue.

Do you meet a similar issue like what in this doc about configuring neutral sites?

How do the customers configure IE mode policies?

If possible, could you please provide a minimal code sample or steps which can reproduce the issue? So that we can have a test and see how to help.
Steve McKinney 6 Reputation points

2021-11-23T15:47:45.5+00:00

Thanks for the response. In answer to your questions:

The page does load in IE mode at first (the IE mode 'e' logo is present in the address bar) but the user agent string seen at the server (as seen in the IIS log file) is incorrect, then is correct after a refresh. I will have captured and will attach some screenshots.

The section in the document you linked about configuring neutral sites does not seem to be relevant to the situation.

Customers install our web application on their own in-house servers, or on a cloud hosted server (we do not host). Larger customers with IT departments configure their own IE mode policies, for smaller customers our support staff assist with this.

We have an outward-facing demonstration website you could try hitting to see the problem. I'm hesitant to provide the url in a public forum; is there any way I can get it to your privately?

Allow me to emphasize again that our application was working fine until this weekend, with the latest stable channel IE update. I am not at this point aware of any user of our application that has received the update and is not experiencing the problem.
Steve McKinney 6 Reputation points

2021-11-23T15:56:57.64+00:00

Initial Request:
Steve McKinney 6 Reputation points

2021-11-23T15:58:53.07+00:00

After Page Refresh:
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
Stacey 0 Reputation points

2025-01-18T05:33:21.0266667+00:00

Thank you for explaining this...though that is ghetto af.

Answer 1

Anonymous

Hi @Steve McKinney

Thanks for the detailed information and pointing out the issue.

I made a test by setting a sample site in IE Mode and I can reproduce the issue when I first load the site in Edge 96. After a refresh, IE Mode behaves normal.

I suggest that you can provide feedback about this issue to Edge team by pressing Alt+Shift+I in Edge. The Edge team will check the feedback and improve the products continuously. Thanks for your understanding.

If the answer is the right solution, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".
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Regards,
Yu Zhou

Craig Chatterton 1 Reputation point

2021-11-29T17:18:50.523+00:00

Is there another way to report this issue other than pressing Alt+Shift+I in Edge? I ask because my organization (gov) has blocked that method of reporting to Microsoft.

As of 96.0.1054.34 this bug is still evident in Edge. It's affecting our application as well, causing problems. The nature of the problems do not allow us to "refresh" to fix it so we're at the mercy of this bug until it's fixed.
Anonymous

2021-11-30T08:12:21.223+00:00

Hi @Craig Chatterton

Can you open the Windows Feedback Hub by pressing Windows key + F? If you can, you can also provide feedback there.
Besides, you can also post feedback of the issue in this community.
Craig Chatterton 1 Reputation point

2021-11-30T15:15:50.377+00:00

Windows Key + F is blocked too.

I went to the community and created this discussion. Thanks for the tip!

Answer 2

Craig Chatterton 1

It looks like Edge v96.0.1054.53 has finally resolved this issue.

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IE Mode incorrect User Agent string on initial request to site beginning with Version 96.0.1054.29

2 answers

Your answer