ActiveX controls are special components (programs, applications) that are used to create websites optimized for Internet Explorer. In fact, these are peculiar programs that run directly in the browser.
Why do these items only work with Internet Explorer?
Internet Explorer Internet Explorer is a standard browser for Internet surfing that comes "in the package" with the Windows operating system. The peculiarity of his work is that he uses the same files as the OS itself, which means that IE and OS Windows are closely related to each other. All this allows you to speed up the work of the surf tool and create minimal load on the system.
ActiveX needs the same files that IE uses to work properly in order for component codes to be processed directly by the system. Yes, it's hard to imagine, especially for novice users, but that's how this system works.
Advantages and disadvantages of technology
Advantages
- the ability to create programs in different languages;
- software does not require installation, since all applications run directly in the browser;
- a wide variety of components using this frame.
Flaws
Since the elements involve the operating system to process their code, this component is not always considered safe.
As a result, this technology is very often used to create malicious code, and this should be kept in mind.
How to install?
If the Internet resource contains ActiveX controls, a prompt will appear in the IE window (Site ... requires installation of ActiveX controls. Click here to install ...) :
Detailed installation instructions
In order to install ActiveX controls, you need to perform a number of operations in Internet Explorer:
Internet Explorer, despite all the negative reviews about it, is a pretty good tool for surfing the Internet. However, be aware that it requires configuration and installation of additional components, including ActiveX.
Many users come across the concept of Active X but don't know what it means. Let us finally try to clarify what this strange word means.
What is ActiveX
Asset X is a framework that helps you define the elements of the utilities that you can use. Typically, these components are written in different programming languages. It was created specifically for the distribution of software through the global network.
This platform was introduced in 1996 by Microsoft. It is still widely used in the Windows system, although it is not tied to it.
With this platform applications are being created, which can work through a browser, through a client-server application. This platform is most often used by attackers, forcing an inexperienced user to download a non-recommended or virus-infected application to their computer using controls.
Asset X consists of many components - buttons, windows, lists, etc., as well as uses such languages, like Delphi, C++, .NetFramework and others that have Component Object model support.
Advantages and disadvantages
Main disadvantage technology is that the means for its use owns browser onlyexplorer. And also there is no possibility of implementing this technology in the public networks of the World Wide Web.
However there are advantages. ActiveX is increasingly being developed on intranets. Active X provides a lot of control tools for solving many problems, building full-featured charts, data tables.
What is the difference between Java and Active X
In principle, above we examined the main differences between the platform and java applets. The fact is that the solution of many tasks using Java would require enormous efforts from the application developer, while with the help of Active X technology everything is solved much faster.
Another difference of this technology is that the role of ActiveX on the Java virtual machine will be performed by any Java utility. It will be both open independently and at the same time serve as one of the components for the platform.
Dangers of use
This platform does not no restrictions on the actions of the controls. Instead, each element should contain developer's signature, which undertakes not to include viruses and similar files in the distributed utility. Therefore, if a user downloaded an unsigned component to his computer that destroyed his system, all the blame lies entirely on his shoulders.
How to install ActiveX (for Internet Explorer)
You need to open the Internet Explorer browser, and there go to any site using this technology. Then the user will be asked about the need to install platform elements. If you click on the inscription at the top of the page, then the context menu will prompt - Install ActiveX Control. Clicking the button will install the component.
It is officially impossible to download ActiveX for Windows 7, 8, 10, since they are built into Internet Explorer.
How to enable or disable Active X in Internet Explorer
Now go to the "Service" tab and open "". 
Then go to the "Security" tab and click on the " Another». 
Scroll through the page in the window that appears until you see the menu " ElementsActive X". Then click on the circles as shown in the picture below. 
ActiveX filtering
Platform filtering helps to detect the installation of suspicious applications in time and prevent the browser from using them. To enable it, you need to go to the "Service" tab, select the "Security" item, and click the " FiltrationActive X». 
If a checkbox appears next to the item, then you did everything right. If you want to disable it, then also click on this item and the checkbox will disappear.
In addition, you can remove the filter for certain sites. To do this, open the desired site, click on the filter icon. And turn off the filter. 
Security Settings
In addition to the filter, you can adjust security settings and determine for yourself which program the computer will download and which you will prohibit. To do this, go to the browser properties and security tab.
Using the slider in the menu " Security level for this zone» you can set the appropriate level.
Technology in other browsers
AT Opera this technology is not supported. But there is a special plugin OperaActiveXplugin, with which you can install this platform in the Opera browser.
Also in the google store specifically for the browser Google Chrome there is an IETab application that needs to be downloaded and run. Then the ActiveX technology will work in this browser as well.
To install the platform on Mozilla Firefox, it is also recommended to download the IETab application. Since all these browsers do not have Active X built-in platforms, except for IE.
You can check whether the support is really working on a special page - if the calendar is displayed, then everything is working.
How to Fix ActiveX Errors
If the site constantly gives an error that the Active X component was not loaded, then you must first try to reload it using buttonsctrl+
F5
. If it doesn't help, then add it to safe. How this is done was shown above. Or go to the service - Internet Options - click on the "other" button and find "Active X Controls" then scroll through them and mark them, which are shown in the figure below: 
If the error “Internet Explorer blocked an attempt to install ActiveX” pops up, then try downgrade security browser or do the following, which are shown in the figure below. 
Open the properties of the IE browser, go to security and click "Other", find the item "Active X controls" and check the box "Z Launching ActiveX controls and plug-ins».
Today, if not everyone, then certainly the vast majority of users of modern computer systems know, or at least have heard, about the concept of ActiveX. What it is and why such technologies are used, we will try to figure it out. Let's look at the most basic aspects, without particularly going into technical issues.
ActiveX: what is it? The simplest concepts
In order not to load an unprepared user with unnecessary technical terms, we will consider ActiveX technologies in a way that everyone understands. In fact, ActiveX controls are small programs, from which a programmer or site creator, as from blocks, can make many interesting designs.
Initially, it was believed that such elements (also called add-ons) were used solely to add many additional features to certain World Wide Web resources and were supported only by the native Windows browser called Internet Explorer (using programs in different languages in one browser, regardless of the development environment).
In part, this is true. However, now a lot of other controls can also be attributed to ActiveX technologies. What's this? The simplest example can be considered an add-on in the form of a Flash player from Macromedia Corporation, which stood at the origins of its creation.
Today it is the most common Adobe ActiveX Player plugin, or rather Adobe Flash Player, which can be integrated into almost all browsers known today. In addition to Adobe, which took over from Macromedia, there are many more developers of similar plug-ins, but their products, in comparison with this unique player, cannot be compared, and therefore are simply unclaimed.
However, it is very difficult to call such elements programs in the usual sense, because it is simply impossible to launch them in the classical way (double-click). Their built-in codes are executed exactly in the environments of Internet browsers.
The main area of use of ActiveX controls (Windows 7, 8, etc.)
To make it clearer, consider a few basic aspects of the use of such technologies. For example, they allow, as mentioned earlier, to integrate audio or video players into the site. In other words, you can listen to music or watch a clip directly on the site.
Note that, as a rule, the program itself with the shell is not shown on the resource. Instead, either the sound is redirected to the audio system of the computer system, or a special window is opened to view the video. It turns out that the element itself (add-on) works as if hidden from the eyes of the user or site visitor.
The same goes for online games. Here, one of the key roles is played by the Framework platform (4th or any other version). Here it must be said that the .NET Framework is a unique development of Microsoft Corporation. However, Adobe ActiveX technologies in this case, as it were, complement the main platform and are responsible for opening or playing multimedia elements. Such a bundle allows you to use various elements that were originally written in different Delphi, Visual Basic, etc.).
In addition, the presence of the same element "Framework 4" (or higher - 4.5) is a prerequisite for the operation of many constructive or control elements of sites, even offline.
Difference between Java applets and ActiveX controls
Many people mistakenly refer to Java applets as ActiveX controls. Yes, indeed, they are very similar, but there is one main difference.
The fact is that the constructions created using the Java language work on any platform and in any operating system, while ActiveX has a narrow focus exclusively on Microsoft software products.
Carefully! Viruses!
Unfortunately, there are a lot of viruses on the web that masquerade as elements such as Adobe Flash ActiveX. In this regard (because when used, each element is downloaded directly to the browser, and therefore to the computer), it is recommended to consider some security measures.
The fact is that most users never really read messages about the offer to download and use this or that element and simply agree by clicking the "OK" button. This is fraught with consequences.
Separately, it should be said that in most cases even regular antiviruses or Internet defenders are not always able to recognize such threats. So the installation of the same plug-ins in the form of Flash ActiveX should be made from official sources, roughly speaking, from the developer's site, which guarantees complete safety in using this or that add-on.
Enable or disable ActiveX in Internet Explorer
Now a few words about how to correctly configure the use of such add-ons in the Internet Explorer browser.
First you need to call the menu from the Control Panel or the service section in the browser itself, and then go to the security settings. At the bottom there is a button for the "Other" security level. By clicking on it, we get to the ActiveX settings menu.
In order, God forbid, not to pick up some kind of infection from the Internet, you need to disable the download of unsigned and the use of elements marked as unsafe. Ideally, you should enable the element loading mode at the Suggest level.
General security settings
Do not forget about another means of protection. This is a firewall, also called a firewall. As expected, it also has its own default security settings, however, for example, fans of online games can add some executable plugins to the so-called exclusion list. Again, only under the condition of full and absolute confidence in their safety, as well as the absence of viruses on the sites from which they are downloaded.
And disabling the firewall, as some developers recommend doing for the correct operation of a particular online application or game, is not recommended at all. Otherwise, many people complain that there is a conflict between the application and the firewall. And turn it off, and the consequences cannot be avoided. In this case, no proactive antivirus protection will help.
Using ActiveX technologies in other browsers
Gone are the days when such add-ons were designed only for Internet Explorer. Judge for yourself, because today Adobe ActiveX technology in the form of a Flash player is used in almost all browsers and even, so to speak, is an integral part of them.
Without this, it is impossible to imagine the full use of the capabilities of any Internet resource, whether it be music, video, three-dimensional graphics, games, online programs, etc.
However, if you look at it, by and large, of all ActiveX elements and downloadable plug-ins known today, the use of only the Flash player seems to be the most appropriate, since almost all other add-ons and elements, to put it mildly, are either simply unnecessary or raise quite big doubts about them. security. After all, if you give permission to install a dubious element in the browser, you can only achieve that a hole in the security system will immediately appear, and it will be used by worms, malicious codes or spyware.
And the saddest thing is that in most browsers there are not even ActiveX control settings, and the Windows settings used have absolutely nothing to do with third-party browsers. In other words, they do not apply to browsers.
Conclusion
So we briefly reviewed the topic “ActiveX: what is it?”. I would like to hope that the above material at least slightly explained the principle of operation and use of such add-ons. Apparently, now it is not difficult to guess how careful you need to be with these technologies, otherwise, the hour is not even, and the consequences for the entire computer system can be the most deplorable. In the case of Internet Explorer, it is better to use security modes above average (or even maximum), but in browsers from other developers, you will have to think a hundred times before agreeing to install and use the elements offered by the site. The point is not only a potential threat, but also the fact that the installation of completely unnecessary plug-ins and controls, as a rule, affects the performance of the browser itself, and not for the better.
Most modern users are already aware of such a concept as ActiveX. What are technology data and what are they used for? Today we will try to understand this issue. Let's consider the main aspects, without going too much into technical subtleties.
What is ActiveX? The simplest concepts
In order not to burden unprepared users with unnecessary terms, we will consider the ActiveX technology so that everyone understands what it is. ActiveX controls are actually small programs that a website builder or programmer can put together in a huge number of interesting designs.
These elements, also known as add-ons, were originally intended to be used only to add additional functionality to certain resources on the Internet and were only supported by the Internet Explorer browser. To some extent, that is exactly what happened. However, today there are many other controls that also belong to the ActiveX technology. What are they? So, the simplest example can be considered an add-on in the form of a Flash player from Macromedia, which stood at the origins of its creation.
Today, this add-on is the most common plug-in called Adobe ActiveX Player, or to be more precise, Adobe Flash Player. This plugin is able to integrate into all popular modern browsers. In addition to Adobe, which took over this baton from Macromedia, there are many developers of similar plug-ins. However, compared to a unique player, their products cannot be compared, and for this reason, today they are unclaimed. Such elements can hardly be called programs in the usual sense. It is not possible to launch them by double clicking the mouse. The built-in codes of these programs are executed in the environment of Internet browsers.
Scope of Active X Controls
To clarify, consider the main aspects of the use of such technologies. So, for example, with the help of Active X elements, you can integrate video and audio players into the site. In other words, you can watch videos or listen to music right on the site. It is worth noting that the program itself with the shell, as a rule, is not displayed on the resource.
Instead, either a special window is used to view the clip, or sound is redirected through the computer's audio system. Thus, it turns out that the add-on itself functions in the background, hidden from the eyes of a simple site visitor. The same applies to online games. Framework (version 4 or any other) plays a key role in this matter.
It should be noted that .NET Framework is a unique development by Microsoft. In this case, Adobe Active X complements the main platform and is also responsible for playing and opening media elements. This bundle allows you to use elements that were originally written in different programming languages (C++, Visual Basic, Delphi, etc.). The presence of the Framework 4 element is a prerequisite for the operation of many control and structural elements of websites, including offline.
ActiveX Controls and Java Applets: Differences
Many mistakenly believe that Java applets are also ActiveX controls. They are indeed similar to each other, but there is one significant difference. The point is that the constructs developed with the help of Java function on different platforms and operating systems. And ActiveX has a rather narrow focus only on Microsoft software products.
Viruses
Today, unfortunately, quite often there are viruses on the net that disguise themselves as Adobe Flash ActiveX elements. Each element, when used, is downloaded directly to the browser, and therefore to the computer. For this reason, certain security measures must be taken into account. The thing is that many users do not even read messages with offers to download and use certain components. They simply agree to the performance of all actions by clicking on the "OK" button.
This can lead to disastrous consequences. It should be noted that in most cases such threats are not always able to be recognized even by Internet defenders and regular anti-virus programs. For this reason, you can install the same Flash ActiveX plugins only from official sources. Roughly speaking, you can install such components only from the website of the official developer. Only in this case it is possible to guarantee safety when using this or that component.
Enable or disable ActiveX in Internet Explorer
Let's talk about how you can properly configure the use of these add-ons in the Internet Explorer browser. First of all, you need to call the Internet Options menu from the Control Panel. After that, you need to go to the security settings. At the bottom there is a button for the "Other" security level. After clicking on it, you will immediately be taken to the Active X settings menu. In order not to pick up any infection from the Internet, you must disable the download of unsigned and insecure elements. Ideally, of course, it is better to use the mode at the “Suggest” level when loading.
Security Settings
It is worth remembering about another means of protection. This is a firewall, otherwise also called a firewall. Here, as expected, there are default security settings. However, fans of playing online can add some executable plug-ins to the list of exceptions. This can only be done if you are completely sure of their safety. But disabling the firewall is not recommended, although some developers advise doing this to ensure the correct operation of a particular application. And many argue that there can be conflicts between the firewall and the application. But it is worth disabling protection, and the consequences cannot be avoided. No proactive anti-virus program will help you with this.
ActiveX technology in other browsers
Gone are the days when add-ons were calculated only for use in the Internet Explorer browser. Think for yourself, Adobe Active X technology is used in almost all Internet browsers today. She literally became part of them. Without this element, today it is already impossible to imagine the full use of the capabilities of any Internet resource. However, if you look into this issue, then by and large today, of all the known elements and downloadable plug-ins, the use of the Flash player seems to be the most appropriate.
All other elements and additions are essentially simply unnecessary, or raise doubts about the safety of their use. If you give permission to install a dubious element in the browser, then you can make the security system vulnerable. Security holes can use malware, trojans, viruses, worms, and spyware. The saddest thing is that many browsers lack settings for ActiveX control. The Windows settings used have nothing to do with third-party browsers. In other words, they don't apply to browsers.
Conclusion
In this review, we briefly reviewed what ActiveX is. We can only hope that this material will allow you to understand the principle of using these add-ons. By now, it should be clear to you that you need to be careful when using these technologies. Otherwise, the consequences for the entire computer system can be quite dire. In the event that you use Internet Explorer as a browser, give preference to security modes above average or maximum. In other browsers, before agreeing to the installation and use of the elements offered by the site, you need to think carefully ten times. The point here is not only the potential threat of computer infection. Installing unnecessary controls and plugins is usually not good for the performance of the browser.
Many people use their computers for the Internet, if you want to also, then you first need to download ActiveX for Windows 10, otherwise there may be problems with some content.
Peculiarities
ActiveX is a part of Adobe Flash Player, moreover, this component is installed only together with Flash Player, so you can't download ActiveX separately. But by installing Flash Player, you can refuse ActiveX, as a result, problems may arise. This component is responsible for:- A full-fledged job;
- Reproduction of certain types of information in browsers;
ActiveX works invisibly, so it doesn't matter what language it is in - Russian or English. The important thing is that ActiveX is available for both Windows 10 32 bit and 64 bit versions of the OS. The utility also works on the tablet version.
To use the Internet safely, we recommend setting