Approved Installation Sites for ActiveX Controls
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Vista
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\ActiveX Installer Service Description
This policy setting determines which ActiveX installation sites standard users in your organization can use to install ActiveX controls on their computers. When this setting is enabled, the administrator can create a list of approved Activex Install sites specified by host URL. If you enable this setting, the administrator can create a list of approved ActiveX Install sites specified by host URL. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, ActiveX controls prompt the user for administrative credentials before installation. Note: Wild card characters cannot be used when specifying the host URLs.
Registry
HKLM
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AxInstaller Value name: ApprovedList
Enabled: ApprovedList = 1
Disabled: ApprovedList = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ActiveXControls/ApprovedInstallationSites Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Approved Installation Sites for ActiveX Controls
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Vista
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AxInstaller]
"ApprovedList"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AxInstaller\ApprovedActiveXInstallSites]
; List values: enter one value per line in the builder UI.More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Approved Installation Sites for ActiveX Controls
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AxInstaller'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ApprovedList' -Value 1 -Type DWord
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AxInstaller\ApprovedActiveXInstallSites'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
# List values: enter one value per line in the builder UI.Intune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ActiveXControls/ApprovedInstallationSites
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<!-- ApprovedActiveXInstallSiteslist: enter one value per line before copying this XML payload. -->Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Approved Installation Sites for ActiveX Controls
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
# HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AxInstaller\ApprovedActiveXInstallSites: List values: enter one value per line in the builder UI.
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AxInstaller' -Name 'ApprovedList' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Approved Installation Sites for ActiveX Controls
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AxInstaller'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ApprovedList' -Value 1 -Type DWord
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AxInstaller\ApprovedActiveXInstallSites'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
# List values: enter one value per line in the builder UI.SCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Approved Installation Sites for ActiveX Controls
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Approved Installation Sites for ActiveX Controls
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
# HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AxInstaller\ApprovedActiveXInstallSites: List values: enter one value per line in the builder UI.
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AxInstaller' -Name 'ApprovedList' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Approved Installation Sites for ActiveX Controls
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AxInstaller'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ApprovedList' -Value 1 -Type DWord
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AxInstaller\ApprovedActiveXInstallSites'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
# List values: enter one value per line in the builder UI.Building a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.