Should I install ActiveX controls?
The information in this Help topic applies to Windows Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8.
Maybe. You should be cautious about installing ActiveX controls, sometimes called add-ons, on your computer, even if they have a valid digital signature. While ActiveX controls can enhance web browsing, they might also pose a security risk, and it's best to avoid using them if the webpage will work without them. However, some websites or tasks might require them, and if the content or task is important to you, you will have to decide whether to install the ActiveX control.
Before installing an ActiveX control, consider the following:
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Are you surprised that this website is trying to download an ActiveX control? Has this website required you to use an ActiveX control in the past? If this action is unexpected, you should be very cautious. Make sure you know what the control is for and what it will do to your computer before you save or run the file.
Don't install an ActiveX control unless you absolutely trust the website that is giving you the control and the publisher to created the control. When you install the ActiveX control, Internet Explorer displays a dialog box that identifies the publisher, and asks if you want to run the file. Click Don't run if you do not trust the publisher.
The website providing the file should tell you what this ActiveX control is for and provide any special details you need to know before you install it. If this information is not available, you should not install the control.
Note
You might not be able to install ActiveX controls if the system administrator has disabled the ability to install them or if you are using a standard user account.
