How to Enable ActiveX in Google Chrome
By Nicholas Johnson
ActiveX protocols are a set of reusable software pieces which are only available through the use of Internet Explorer. However, the IE Tab Extension for Google Chrome allows the use of a special "IE Tab," an emulation of Internet Explorer within the Chrome application. The IE Tab displays a second address bar and processes ActiveX protocols normally. Enabling ActiveX protocols allows Chrome users access to a variety of interactive dynamic websites like game and business web applications.
Step 1
Open Chrome and navigate the browser to the IE Tab extension page.
Step 2
Locate and click the "Add to Chrome" button at the top-right of the screen.
Step 3
Click "Continue" when the download dialog box opens at the bottom of the screen.
Step 4
Click "Install" when the dialog box opens after the download is finished. An IE Tab icon will appear next to the address bar and inform you when it is finished installing.
Step 5
Click the IE Tab icon to open a new tab with an Internet Explorer address bar. The tab interfaces with Internet Explorer, allowing Chrome to use ActiveX extensions.
Step 6
Navigate to a website with ActiveX protocols. Click the acceptance dialog box which appears underneath the address bar. The ActiveX protocol will automatically install and reload the page when finished.
Tips
- This extension requires Internet Explorer to be installed on the same system, so it will not work in Mac OS X.
- If ActiveX controls remain unusable with the IE Tab extension, look for a Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) version of the ActiveX protocol. Since ActiveX protocols are an Internet Explorer-exclusive feature, browsers like Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox use NPAPI protocols instead. Although ActiveX and NPAPI are similar, some websites may not support both formats.
Writer Bio
Nicholas Johnson is a Web programmer who has been moonlighting as a freelance writer since 2008, primarily in the realm of technical research documents and school curricula. He has also worked as an English teacher at an elementary school in South Korea. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science in Web architecture from the University of Advancing Technology.