See how to work with ActiveX controls in your files, changing their settings, and how to enable or disable them by using the Message Bar and the Trust Center. You can also learn more about ActiveX controls and how they improve your files.

Excel offers a set of controls called Form controls, designed specifically for adding user interface elements to your dashboards and reports. After you place a Form control on a worksheet, you can then configure it to perform a specific task. You can find Excel’s Form controls on the Developer tab, which is initially hidden in.

IT Pros can learn more about planning ActiveX settings in the Plan security settings for ActiveX controls for Office 2010 TechNet article.

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Enable ActiveX controls when the Message Bar appears

When you open a file that has ActiveX controls, the yellow Message Bar appears with a shield icon and the Enable Content button. If you know the controls are from a reliable source, use the following instructions:

  • On the Message Bar, click Enable Content.
    The file opens and is a trusted document.

The following image is an example of the Message Bar when ActiveX controls are in the file.

Enable ActiveX controls in the Backstage view

Another method to enable ActiveX controls in a file is via the Microsoft Office Backstage view, the view that appears after you click the File tab, when the yellow Message Bar appears.

Project Controls Excel
  1. Click the File tab.
  2. In the Security Warning area, click Enable Content.
  3. Under Enable All Content, click Always enable this document's active content.
    The file becomes a trusted document.

The following image is an example of Always enable this document's active content and Advanced Options.

The following image is a larger example of the Enable Content options.

Note: The one exception is an ActiveX control with the kill-bit set. In this state, the ActiveX control does not run. A kill bit is security feature that instructs an ActiveX control to never use a piece of ActiveX software, for instance by closing a security vulnerability, by or preventing code from running.

Enable ActiveX controls for one time when the Security Warning appears

Use the following instructions to enable controls for the duration of time that the file is open. When you close the file, and then reopen it, the warning appears again.

  1. Click the File tab.
  2. In the Security Warning area, click Enable Content.
  3. Select Advanced Options.
  4. In the Microsoft Office Security Options dialog box, select Enable content for this session for each ActiveX control.

The following image is an example of the Security Warning area when ActiveX controls can be enabled for the duration of time that the file is open.

Notes:

Change ActiveX-control settings in Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Visio

Use the following instructions to enable or disable ActiveX controls in the Trust Center.

  1. Click File > Options.
  2. Click Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > ActiveX Settings.
  3. Click the options you want, and then click OK.

The following is an example of the ActiveX Settings area of the Trust Center.

Important: If you change an ActiveX setting in Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, or Visio, the settings are changed in all those programs.

ActiveX-control settings explained

The following explanations apply to ActiveX controls in files that are not in a trusted location or trusted documents.

Important: If you trust a file and do not want to receive security warnings about content containing ActiveX controls, or other active content, put the file in a trusted location.

What is an ActiveX control and what are the risks?

ActiveX controls are small building blocks that create applications that work over the Internet through Web browsers. Examples include customized applications for collecting data, viewing certain kinds of files, and displaying animation. Common uses of ActiveX controls are command buttons, list boxes, and dialog boxes. Office programs also let you use ActiveX controls to improve some documents.

Risk and potential damage

ActiveX controls can have unrestricted access to your computer and therefore can access your local file system and change your operating system registry settings. If a hacker uses an ActiveX control to take over your computer, the damage can be significant.

It goes without saying that Microsoft Project is THE program to use if you need to manage large projects. But what if you need to track and manage smaller projects? Can you do that in Excel? Sure, but life will be easier if you start with a template.
With that in mind, PowerPoint expert Glenna Shaw created a free project plan template that you can use to track projects in Excel. In addition to being a Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for PowerPoint, Glenna is a Project Management Professional (PMP). For more information about the template, see PowerPoint 2010 and Excel 2010: Perfect partners for tracking projects.
To get started, go to the project plan template on Glenna’s SkyDrive. The template is designed for use in the Excel desktop application, so you can ignore the message about unsupported features in the browser. In the message, just click Open in Excel and follow the prompts to save a copy of the template to your own computer.
Once you open the template in Excel, you can use it to:
— Anneliese