Why are ActiveX controls disabled in Office 2024?

Microsoft changed the default setting in Microsoft 365 and Office 2024. Their support article states: 'ActiveX controls are disabled by default in Microsoft 365 and Office 2024.' LiteView2's registration-free mode does not use traditional ActiveX registration — it loads the OCX via SxS manifest activation, which sidesteps the default block.

What is registration-free ActiveX?

Registration-free (reg-free) ActiveX is a Windows feature that lets a COM component be loaded from a manifest file alongside the application, without writing COM class registrations to the Windows registry. No regsvr32, no admin elevation, no HKCR registry entries. The component file travels with the application.

Does LiteView2 reg-free mode work on locked-down corporate PCs?

Yes. Because no registry writes are required, LiteView2 reg-free mode works on machines where the user account has no administrator rights and where IT policy blocks COM registration. The only files needed are the OCX files next to the .accdb — files, not registry entries.

Does LiteView2 have any telemetry or phone-home?

No. LiteView2 has no telemetry, no analytics, no internet dependency at runtime, and no auto-update mechanism. It runs fully offline. This makes it suitable for air-gapped corporate networks, government environments, and SCADA/HMI systems.

No Admin Rights Needed

Deploy ActiveX in Office Without Admin Rights

Works in VBA (Excel, Access, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Visio, Project), VB6, VB.NET, C#, C++, Delphi, Python, PowerShell, AutoIt — and any COM host.

LiteView2 supports registration-free (reg-free) deployment. Copy the OCX files next to your .accdb or .xlsm, paste one bootstrap module, and your browser runs on any machine — no regsvr32, no administrator elevation, no IT ticket. Deploy by copying files.

Download free 30-day trial Step-by-step Reg-Free setup →

30-day commercial trial · No telemetry · No internet required at runtime · Works fully offline

The new pain: Office 2024 and Microsoft 365 disable ActiveX by default

"ActiveX controls are disabled by default in Microsoft 365 and Office 2024." — Microsoft Support

Traditional registered ActiveX controls now require explicit IT configuration to enable. LiteView2's registration-free mode uses a different loading mechanism that does not go through the standard ActiveX registry path — making it unaffected by this policy change.

What "registration-free" actually means

In standard COM deployment, a control is installed by writing class IDs and COM server paths into the Windows registry (HKCR). This requires administrator rights and affects every user on the machine.

Registration-free deployment uses Windows Side-by-Side (SxS) activation context: the OCX file and its manifest travel alongside your application file. Windows loads the OCX directly from that location — no registry entries are written, and no administrator rights are required. When you copy the files to another PC, the same mechanism works there immediately.

Set up Reg-Free Mode in 5 steps

Copy the OCX files next to your database

From the trial zip, copy LiteView2_x64.ocx and LiteView2_x86.ocx into the same folder as your .accdb or .xlsm. Keep both — LiteView2 loads the correct one for your Office bitness automatically.

Add a Frame control to your form

In Design View, add a standard Frame (rectangle) control. Set its Special Effect to Flat, remove its label, name it Frame1. This is where the browser will appear.

Paste the bootstrap module — once per project

In the VBA editor (Alt+F11), insert a new Standard Module named modLV2Pool. Paste the GetPool() code from the quickstart guide. This is done once per database — you never touch it again.

' modLV2Pool.bas — paste once, forget it exists
#If Win64 Then
    Private Declare PtrSafe Function LiteView2_ActivateManifest _
        Lib "LiteView2_x64.ocx" (ByVal path As LongPtr) As Long
    Private Declare PtrSafe Function LiteView2_CreateBrowserPool _
        Lib "LiteView2_x64.ocx" () As Object
#Else
    Private Declare Function LiteView2_ActivateManifest _
        Lib "LiteView2_x86.ocx" (ByVal path As Long) As Long
    Private Declare Function LiteView2_CreateBrowserPool _
        Lib "LiteView2_x86.ocx" () As Object
#End If

Private m_Pool As Object

Public Function GetPool() As Object
    If m_Pool Is Nothing Then
        Dim p As String : p = CurrentProject.Path
        SetDllDirectory StrPtr(p)
        #If Win64 Then : LiteView2_ActivateManifest StrPtr(p & "\LiteView2_x64.ocx")
        #Else : LiteView2_ActivateManifest StrPtr(p & "\LiteView2_x86.ocx")
        #End If
        Set m_Pool = LiteView2_CreateBrowserPool()
    End If
    Set GetPool = m_Pool
End Function

Add form code with SetReadyCallback

Private pool As Object
Private idx As Long

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Set pool = GetPool()
    idx = pool.CreateInControl("about:blank", Me.Frame1)
    pool.SetReadyCallback idx, Me, "OnBrowserReady"
End Sub

Public Sub OnBrowserReady()
    pool.SetLocalContentRoot idx, CurrentProject.Path & "\html"
    pool.Navigate idx, "https://lv2.local/dashboard.html"
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
    On Error Resume Next
    If Not pool Is Nothing And idx <> 0 Then
        pool.ClearReadyCallback idx
        pool.DestroyBrowserSync idx, 2000
        idx = 0
    End If
End Sub

Deploy to any PC by copying files

Copy the .accdb plus both OCX files to any target machine. Open the database — it works immediately. No installation step, no admin rights, no IT ticket on any machine.

Registered vs Reg-Free — choose your path

Registered Mode Run regsvr32 LiteView2_x64.ocx once per machine (admin required).
Drop control from Toolbox onto form.
Events fire via WithEvents.
Best for: own PC, controlled machines.

Reg-Free Mode (no admin) Copy OCX files next to .accdb.
Paste modLV2Pool module once.
Browsers created in VBA code at runtime.
Best for: corporate PCs, shared databases, zero IT involvement.

Frequently asked questions

Can I install ActiveX without administrator rights?

With LiteView2's reg-free mode, yes. No registry writes are made. The OCX loads via SxS activation from its location next to your database file. Standard user permissions are sufficient.

Does reg-free mode work on terminal servers and shared environments?

Yes. Because no system-wide registry changes are needed, the same .accdb + OCX files work for multiple users on a terminal server simultaneously. Each user's Access session loads the OCX independently from the file path.

Does LiteView2 work on air-gapped (offline) networks?

Yes. LiteView2 has no telemetry, no auto-update, and no internet dependency at runtime. WebView2 Runtime (pre-installed on Windows 10/11) is the only dependency — and it is already present on any modern Windows PC. Fully offline-capable.

What if the target PC does not have WebView2 Runtime?

WebView2 Runtime is pre-installed on Windows 10 version 1809+ and Windows 11, and is bundled with Microsoft 365. For older systems, a one-time install prompt appears. The runtime installer does not require admin rights on most configurations. You can also bundle the standalone WebView2 runtime installer with your deployment package.

Do I need to change the reg-free approach if I switch Office bitness?

No. The modLV2Pool bootstrap module uses #If Win64 Then to auto-select the correct OCX file (x64 or x86) based on the bitness of the running Office process. Both files travel together with your database — the right one is loaded automatically.

No admin rights. No IT ticket. No installation.

Copy two files, paste one module, and a full Chromium browser runs inside your Access or Excel form. Free 30-day trial.

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30-day commercial trial · No telemetry · No internet required at runtime · Fully offline-capable