IE7 beta 2 is an 11.9MB download, which a user can initiate from the Internet Explorer 7 downloads page. Early tests of beta 2 in a production environment showed no glitches of any kind. The browser is fast and stable, and it offers better usability than IE6 did.

Microsoft's Schare notes that anyone who installed a previous version of IE7 should uninstall it prior to installing beta 2 on the same machine. User data, such as settings like search providers, favorites, RSS feeds, and opt-in to the phishing filter will be carried over between the two versions. Microsoft has also posted preinstallation user checklists aimed at consumers, developers and IT pros. For more information about IE7 beta 2, see Microsoft's release notes for IE7 beta 2.