Block Flash activation in Office documents

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.

Supported on: At least Windows 7

Block Flash player in Office


  1. Block all activation
    Registry HiveHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    Registry PathSOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM Compatibility
    Value NameComment
    Value TypeREG_SZ
    ValueBlock all Flash activation
    Registry HiveRegistry Path:Value NameValue TypeValue
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
  2. Block embedding/linking, allow other activation
    Registry HiveHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    Registry PathSOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM Compatibility
    Value NameComment
    Value TypeREG_SZ
    ValueBlock embedded Flash activation only
    Registry HiveRegistry Path:Value NameValue TypeValue
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD1024
  3. Allow all activation
    Registry HiveHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    Registry PathSOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM Compatibility
    Value NameComment
    Value TypeREG_SZ
    ValueAllow all Flash activation
    Registry HiveRegistry Path:Value NameValue TypeValue
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD0
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityActivationFilterOverrideREG_DWORD1
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\COM CompatibilityCompatibility FlagsREG_DWORD0


secguide.admx

Administrative Templates (Computers)