Block Flash activation in Office documents
Verified with Microsoft Security Baseline (MSS / SecGuide) 25H2 — updated on July 10, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\MS Security Guide Description
This policy setting controls whether the Adobe Flash control can be activated by Office documents. Note that activation blocking applies only within Office processes. If you enable this policy setting, you can choose from three options to control whether and how Flash is blocked from activation: 1. "Block all activation" prevents the Flash control from being loaded, whether directly referenced by the document or indirectly by another embedded object. 2. "Block embedding/linking, allow other activation" prevents the Flash control from being loaded when directly referenced by the document, but does not prevent activation through another object. 3. "Allow all activation" restores Office's default behavior, allowing the Flash control to be activated. Because this setting is not a true Group Policy setting and "tattoos" the registry, enabling the "Allow all activation" option is the only way to restore default behavior after either of the "Block" options has been applied. We do not recommend configuring this setting to "Disabled," nor to "Not Configured" after it has been enabled.
Registry
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM Compatibility 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: Block Flash activation in Office documents
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM Compatibility]
"Comment"="Block all Flash activation"More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Block Flash activation in Office documents
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM Compatibility'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'Comment' -Value 'Block all Flash activation' -Type StringIntune XML
No direct Policy CSP / OMA-URI mapping for this policy. Use the Intune Remediation tab, or ingest the ADMX in Intune.Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Block Flash activation in Office documents
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM Compatibility' -Name 'Comment' -Expected 'Block all Flash activation' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Block Flash activation in Office documents
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM Compatibility'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'Comment' -Value 'Block all Flash activation' -Type StringSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Block Flash activation in Office documents
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
# 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: Block Flash activation in Office documents
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM Compatibility' -Name 'Comment' -Expected 'Block all Flash activation' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Block Flash activation in Office documents
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM Compatibility'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'Comment' -Value 'Block all Flash activation' -Type StringBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.