Office Update breaks ActiveX controls

It seems that a recent Office update has broken ActiveX controls on worksheets. The symptoms include (but are probably not limited to):

1. the program used to create this object is forms. that program is not installed on your computer
2. Being unable to use or change properties of any active controls on worksheets
3. Error messages saying “Can’t insert object”
4. Error 438 when trying to refer to an activex control as a member of a worksheet in code

To fix it, do this:

1. Close all Office applications.
2. Do a search in Windows Explorer – make sure to include hidden and system files and folders – for *.exd files (note: that’s not *.exe !!) and delete any you find Or run this script by doing copy to text file then rename .txt to .bat. 

 DEL %appdata%\microsoft\forms\MSForms.exd  
 DEL %temp%\excel8.0\MSForms.exd  
 DEL %temp%\word8.0\MSForms.exd  
 DEL %temp%\PPT11.0\MSForms.exd  
 DEL %temp%\vbe\MSForms.exd  
 PAUSE  

3. Restart your Office apps and test the controls again.

Please note that the .exd files will be recreated when you next use a workbook with an embedded active control – this is quite normal and should not cause you a problem!