ActiveX Controls are applications that help websites provide users with high data content like videos and certain games. Other than this, they assist users to access content like toolbars and stock tickers while browsing the web. While very useful, these applications pose a risk to those browsing online, especially when they malfunction, something which is pretty common yet goes unnoticed. When such an event happens, websites might be able to push unwanted content into your systems, collect information from your system, install unwanted software on your system, or damage the system internally. It might also be used by hackers to access your system.
ActiveX Controls for Internet Explorer 11
To keep your system safe while using ActiveX controls, we could activate ActiveX filtering on the system.
ActiveX Filtering
ActiveX filtering could be used on Internet Explorer 11 to prevent websites from installing ActiveX controls to your system. Since these controls are necessary for playing certain games and videos, they would be affected by ActiveX filtering and the user would be unable to play the same. Interestingly, in such a case, the website would prompt to deactivate ActiveX filtering, something which would be the user’s choice.
How to turn ON ActiveX filtering for all websites
1] Open Internet Explorer 11 and click on the gear-like symbol at the top-right corner of the screen.
2] Scroll the cursor to Safety and then check-mark ActiveX filtering from the list by clicking on it.
How to turn OFF ActiveX filtering for individual websites
Note: please turn OFF ActiveX filtering for trusted websites only.
1] Open the website for which you wish to turn OFF the ActiveX filtering.
2] If the ActiveX filtering was enabled for all websites as mentioned in the previous method, it would show a blue circular symbol (like a stop symbol) in the address bar. That is the Filter button.
3] Click on the Filter button and then on Turn off ActiveX filtering.
How to turn OFF ActiveX filtering for all websites
If the ActiveX filtering was activated as shown in the first method, it would show the Filter button on every website and block ActiveX controls from every website. To turn it OFF for all websites again, go to IE11 Settings >> Safety as in the first method and click on ActiveX filtering once again to uncheck it.
Change ActiveX settings
1] To change ActiveX settings, click on the Tools button, which is a gear-like symbol at the top-right corner of the Internet Explorer window and then on Internet options.
2] Go to the Security tab and choose Custom level.
3] Find ActiveX controls and plug-ins in the list which is already set in alphabetical order.
All ActiveX settings would be a subset of this option. Please modify them as per your requirements.
This guide was referred from a reference on Microsoft’s website here.
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