Internet, Networking, & Security Browsers 23 23 people found this article helpful How to Use ActiveX Filtering in Internet Explorer 11 Filtering limits which sites may execute ActiveX scripts on your machine by Scott Orgera Writer Scott Orgera is a former writer who covering tech since 2007. He has 25+ years experience as a programmer and QA leader, and holds several Microsoft certifications. our editorial process Facebook Twitter Scott Orgera Updated on September 11, 2020 Browsers Microsoft Chrome Safari Firefox Tweet Share Email Even though Microsoft Edge is the default browser for Windows 10, Internet Explorer 11 is still available within the OS. If you're having issues with some websites that contain ActiveX, you can use IE 11 to troubleshoot ActiveX problems. Below is how to use ActiveX Filtering in Internet Explorer. These instructions apply to Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7. IE11 Safety Menu ActiveX technology aims to simplify playback of multimedia, including animations and other file types. However, because of security concerns, ActiveX Filtering is available in Internet Explorer to prevent the installation and usage of these ActiveX apps. Use ActiveX Filtering to run on only the sites that you trust. RawPixel / pxhere How to Use ActiveX Filtering To use ActiveX Filtering, open Internet Explorer 11 and apply the following settings. Select Tools (the gear icon, located in the upper-right corner of the browser window). Select Safety in the drop-down menu. When the sub-menu appears, locate the option labeled ActiveX Filtering. If there is a checkmark next to the name, then ActiveX Filtering is enabled. If not, select ActiveX Filtering to enable it. Turn off ActiveX Filtering for Individual Sites You can enable ActiveX filtering in Internet Explorer but disable it for specific websites. Open the site. Select the Blocked button on the address bar. If no Blocked button appears in the address bar, no ActiveX content is available on that page. Select Turn off ActiveX Filtering. Turn off ActiveX Filtering for All Sites You can disable ActiveX filtering in Internet Explorer at any time. Open Internet Explorer and select Tools, the gear icon located in the upper-right corner of the window. Select Safety in the drop-down menu. Select ActiveX Filtering to remove the checkmark, and disable ActiveX Filtering. Adjust ActiveX Settings in Internet Explorer Internet Explorer provides advanced settings that let you customize ActiveX controls. Changing some advanced security could make your computer vulnerable to security threats. Only change advanced ActiveX settings if you are confident about increasing these risks. Select Tools, the gear icon located in the upper-right corner of the browser window. Select Internet Options. Select Security. Select Custom Level. Under ActiveX controls and plug-ins, select Enable (or if available, select Prompt if you want to be notified each time.) to choose one the following: Automatic prompting for ActiveX controls.Display video and animation on a web page that does not use external media player.Download signed ActiveX controls. Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins. Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting. Select OK to apply the changes and then select OK again to close Internet Options.