Do not allow ActiveX controls to run in Protected Mode when Enhanced Protected Mode is enabled
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer\Internet Control Panel\Advanced Page User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer\Internet Control Panel\Advanced Page Description
This policy setting prevents ActiveX controls from running in Protected Mode when Enhanced Protected Mode is enabled. When a user has an ActiveX control installed that is not compatible with Enhanced Protected Mode and a website attempts to load the control, Internet Explorer notifies the user and gives the option to run the website in regular Protected Mode. This policy setting disables this notification and forces all websites to run in Enhanced Protected Mode. Enhanced Protected Mode provides additional protection against malicious websites by using 64-bit processes on 64-bit versions of Windows. For computers running at least Windows 8, Enhanced Protected Mode also limits the locations Internet Explorer can read from in the registry and the file system. When Enhanced Protected Mode is enabled, and a user encounters a website that attempts to load an ActiveX control that is not compatible with Enhanced Protected Mode, Internet Explorer notifies the user and gives the option to disable Enhanced Protected Mode for that particular website. If you enable this policy setting, Internet Explorer will not give the user the option to disable Enhanced Protected Mode. All Protected Mode websites will run in Enhanced Protected Mode. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Internet Explorer notifies users and provides an option to run websites with incompatible ActiveX controls in regular Protected Mode. This is the default behavior.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main Value name: DisableEPMCompat
Enabled: DisableEPMCompat = 1
Disabled: DisableEPMCompat = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/InternetExplorer/DoNotAllowActiveXControlsInProtectedMode ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/InternetExplorer/DoNotAllowActiveXControlsInProtectedMode 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. ⓘ
Applying both scopes creates an ambiguous configuration (computer takes precedence over user). Only do this intentionally.
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Do not allow ActiveX controls to run in Protected Mode when Enhanced Protected Mode is enabled
; State: Enabled
; Scope: Computer (HKLM)
; Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"DisableEPMCompat"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Do not allow ActiveX controls to run in Protected Mode when Enhanced Protected Mode is enabled
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableEPMCompat' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/InternetExplorer/DoNotAllowActiveXControlsInProtectedMode
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Do not allow ActiveX controls to run in Protected Mode when Enhanced Protected Mode is enabled
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main' -Name 'DisableEPMCompat' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Do not allow ActiveX controls to run in Protected Mode when Enhanced Protected Mode is enabled
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableEPMCompat' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Do not allow ActiveX controls to run in Protected Mode when Enhanced Protected Mode is enabled
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
# 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: Do not allow ActiveX controls to run in Protected Mode when Enhanced Protected Mode is enabled
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main' -Name 'DisableEPMCompat' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Do not allow ActiveX controls to run in Protected Mode when Enhanced Protected Mode is enabled
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableEPMCompat' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.