The msowc.cab file contains a number of run-time files collectively called Microsoft Office Web components. The Office Web components include Microsoft Jet 4.0 OLE DB Provider, Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server, Microsoft Office Data Source Control (MSODSC), several other ActiveX controls and their help files, and other related files.
With Office Web Components installed on your computer you can use data access pages. A page that contains an MSODSC also requires Internet Explorer 5 or later. However, you can use a spreadsheet , a PivotTable list, and a chart in a page that does not contain an MSODSC with Internet Explorer 4.01 or later.
Office Web Components is installed with Microsoft Office 2000 Professional, Premium, Developer, and Standard editions. If Office Web Components is not installed on your computer but you have a Microsoft Office 2000 site license that permits intranet distribution, your system administrator can configure Microsoft Internet Explorer to automatically download Office Web Components from your corporate intranet the first time you view and work with a page. This lets users at your site use a page without having Microsoft Office 2000 software installed on their computers.
For information about how to configure Office Web Components, see the Microsoft Office 2000 Resource Kit.