Scrollbars behaving differently across browsers

Question

Scrollbars behaving differently across browsers

Struggling to find the right words to explain this issue.

Take a look at this fiddle for code examples.

The problem arose when using a jQuery plugin^[1] to customize select elements. I need an absolutely positioned div with a minimum width.

Browsers display the div the same when the list has no scrollbar.

However, issues arise when the list is too long:

IE9 places the scrollbar outside the content area, increasing the minimum width.
Other browsers place the scrollbar inside the content area, maintaining minimum width and adding a horizontal scrollbar if needed.
IE9 in compatibility mode displays the scrollbar similarly to other browsers.

Looking for a way to make the list render uniformly across all browsers. Preferably, seeking a CSS-only solution without hacks or conditional comments.

[1] No affiliation with "abeautifulsite.net" whatsoever.

jquery css cross-browser scrollbar internet-explorer-9

Answer 1

Answer №1

Each web browser displays scroll-bars in a unique way, as you may have noticed. Some are wider and are included in the element's width even when not actively used, while others expand the element's width only when they appear.

If you want to customize your scroll-bars using CSS, you can consider using the jQuery plugin called jScrollPane. It's important to note that by implementing this plugin, you will no longer have access to default scroll-bars. However, on the positive side, you gain precise control over your element widths across different browsers.

To learn more about jScrollPane, visit

Answer 2

Each web browser displays scroll-bars in a unique way, as you may have noticed. Some are wider and are included in the element's width even when not actively used, while others expand the element's width only when they appear.

If you want to customize your scroll-bars using CSS, you can consider using the jQuery plugin called jScrollPane. It's important to note that by implementing this plugin, you will no longer have access to default scroll-bars. However, on the positive side, you gain precise control over your element widths across different browsers.

To learn more about jScrollPane, visit

Answer 3

Answer №2

Upon testing, I noticed that the code snippet appears consistently across browsers like Firefox 3.6 and IE8. Unfortunately, since I don't have access to IE9, I am unable to verify its compatibility on that browser:

#scroll {
    border: 5px solid #000;
    height: 100px;
    left: 0;
    padding: 10px;
    position: absolute;
    top: 0;
    min-width: 100px;
    overflow-y: scroll;
    overflow-x: visible;
}

Answer 4

Upon testing, I noticed that the code snippet appears consistently across browsers like Firefox 3.6 and IE8. Unfortunately, since I don't have access to IE9, I am unable to verify its compatibility on that browser:

#scroll {
    border: 5px solid #000;
    height: 100px;
    left: 0;
    padding: 10px;
    position: absolute;
    top: 0;
    min-width: 100px;
    overflow-y: scroll;
    overflow-x: visible;
}

Scrollbars behaving differently across browsers

Answer №1

Answer №2

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