What is ActiveX?

What is ActiveX?
It is not familiar to most PC users. ActiveX is an open integration platform. With ActiveX, it is easy to insert multi-media effects, interactive objects and complex programs onto the webpages. Some files which are not in the form of HTML, such as Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word, can be opened directly. Some sophisticated processes can be programmed in the webpages. The computer users' internet surfing experience can be improved greatly. Different from many other programs, ActiveX plug-ins are downloaded and installed by IE automatically when a certain webpage is visited. However, all this must be permitted by computer user first. While the commonly used software needs the computer user to download and install manually. ActiveX plug-in technology which is based on the Windows platform is internationally commonly used. In addition to some network plug-ins, many other programs, such as Flash animation player plug-in, Microsoft MediaPlayer plug-in, CNNIC Internet Keyword plug-ins, are programmed with this technology. With the help of ActiveX, the internet can bring you more colorful internet experience.

What is malicious ActiveX?
Some programs named Adware or Spyware monitors what you do online and sends the recorded data to the malicious plug-in creator. As a result, some advertisements are shown without your permission. Your credit card and bank card numbers and passwords are easy to be stolen. This kind of malicious ActiveX usually installs automatically without your recognition, tempts you to install it without clear prompt, or asks you to install it constantly. After installation, it is difficult to uninstall it in normal procedure or it cannot be uninstalled completely. Your computer are prone to run slowly or the Internet browser will become abnormal. The information in your computer will become public privacy. The worst result is money-losing and privacy-public.

How to remove malicious ActiveX?
There are two methods that can help you remove malicious ActiveX.

The first one is manual removal:
1. Restart your computer, press F8 and select Safe Mode.
2. Delete the temporary Internet files, cookies, history, and system temporary files on the internet browser.
3. Click 'Start' menu--> Click 'Control Panel'--> 'Add/Remove Programs', find the malicious software in the list. If it is shown in the list, uninstall it. At the same time, find the installation directory of the malicious software and delete all the files completely.
4. Click 'Start' menu--> Click 'Run'-->type 'regedit' in the prompt dialog, and then the registry editor pops up. You can find whether there are items that contain malicious software. if there are, delete them instantly. After all of these, restart your computer and log onto the normal mode.

The second method is that some professional programs are capable of blocking bad ActiveX and cleaning malicious software effectively. The 'Bad ActiveX Blocker' feature of XcomTools is able to block bad ActiveX as long as they intend to invade your computer. The 'Uninstall Manager ' feature can help you uninstall some programs that are difficult to be uninstalled. Many other features are provided to improve your computer overall performance.