HOWTO: Using Licensed ActiveX Controls in Internet Explorer

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft ActiveX SDK, version 1.0 on the following platform: x86
• Microsoft Internet Explorer, versions 3.x, 4.0, 4.01 on the following platform: x86
• Microsoft Internet ActiveX Controls, version 1.0 on the following platform: x86
• Internet Client SDK, version 4.0, 4.01

SUMMARY

A licensed ActiveX control does not load properly in an Internet Explorer HTML page if the computer is not licensed to use the control. For example, if you use Visual C++ to build the control, the HTML page loads with the control on the computer where it was built, but it does not load on a different computer.

MORE INFORMATION

To use licensed controls in an HTML page on a non-licensed computer, you must generate a license package file (LPK). The LPK file contains the runtime licenses for licensed controls in the HTML page. Lpk_tool.exe, which comes with the Internet Client SDK, generates this file. You can download the Internet Client SDK through the Microsoft Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/workshop/prog/InetSDK).

To embed a licensed control on an HTML page, follow these steps:

1. Run Lpk_tool.exe on a computer that is licensed to use the control.

2. Highlight each licensed ActiveX control that you want to use on the HTML page and click Add.

3. Click Save & Exit, and then type a name for the LPK file.

4. In the HTML page, insert an <OBJECT> tag for the License Manager object before any other <OBJECT> tags. The License Manager is an ActiveX control that is installed with Internet Explorer. You set the "LPKPath" property of the License Manager object to the path and name of the LPK file. You can only have one LPK file per HTML page. For example:

         <OBJECT CLASSID = "clsid:5220cb21-c88d-11cf-b347-00aa00a28331">
            <PARAM NAME="LPKPath" VALUE="relative URL to .LPK file">
         </OBJECT>
   
   

5. Insert the <OBJECT> tag for your licensed control afterwards. For example, an HTML page that displays the Microsoft Masked Edit control looks like this:

         <OBJECT CLASSID="clsid:5220cb21-c88d-11cf-b347-00aa00a28331">
         <PARAM NAME="LPKPath" VALUE="maskedit.lpk">
         </OBJECT>
   

         <OBJECT CLASSID="clsid:C932BA85-4374-101B-A56C-00AA003668DC"
         WIDTH=100 HEIGHT=25>
         </OBJECT>
   

1. You must verify that you have a redistribution license for the control.

2. You must verify that the license permits use on the Internet.

3. If you supply a CodeBase parameter, you must verify that its use is allowed by your license agreement. In the case of some controls, you must refer to the developers site for software download.

NOTE: ActiveX controls that come with Visual C++ and Visual Basic are also licensed controls. Follow the steps above to use them on an HTML page.

REFERENCES

Internet Client SDK, Component Development/ActiveX Controls/Licensing ActiveX Controls