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I have an Access class I am taking that I need to use the Microsoft TreeView Control

Ken Wykoff 0 Reputation points
2026-02-02T01:33:56.5933333+00:00

I have an Access class that requires the Microsoft Treeview Control to be installed on my computer, but it says it does not support this ActiveX control. I am wondering why it is listed as an ActiveX component to use in Access. I am using the current version of Office that is part of Microsoft Office 365.

Thanks, <PII: Moderator removed>

Moderator note: Moved from: Windows 11 for Home Apps

Microsoft 365 and Office | Access | For education | Windows
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  1. Anonymous
    2026-02-03T02:16:33.1233333+00:00

    Please understand that our forum is a public platform, and we will modify your question to cover the personal information in the description. Kindly ensure that you hide these personal or organization information next time you post error or some information to protect personal data. 

    Dear @Ken Wykoff,

    Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum!

    Based on your description, I would like to clarify this situation for you to have more insights: the behavior you’re seeing is expected when using the classic Microsoft TreeView Control (MSComCTL.OCX) in modern 64‑bit Office / Microsoft 365 Access. The TreeView control is part of the old VB6 “Microsoft Windows Common Controls” (MSComCTL.OCX) library. This control was designed only for 32‑bit Office, and native 64‑bit Office cannot load 32‑bit ActiveX components.

    Microsoft states this clearly in this official compatibility documentation (the Q&A Assists also mentioned it): Compatibility between the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of OfficeUser's image

    Therefore, this is why, in Microsoft 365 Access (especially the 64‑bit edition), you see the message “ActiveX control not supported.”

    In this case, I really want to help you, so I have tried my best to find any replacements for ActiveX control, but Microsoft does not provide a modern TreeView replacement control. However, I also found that Microsoft does support modern UI design patterns without ActiveX, including:

    1.Navigation Forms (official Microsoft feature):

    Navigation Forms are fully supported in Microsoft 365 Access and provide a structured way to build hierarchical navigation without ActiveX. Reference: Video: Create navigation forms

    2.Form and Subform Hierarchical designs:

    You can build expandable, multi-level UIs using native Access objects:

    • Main form (Category list)
    • Subform (Child items)
    • Additional nested subforms if deeper structure is required

    These are secure, and require no external controls.

    Please see more details about it in here: Create a form that contains a subform (a one-to-many form)

    I hope this information can give you some insights about this situation and please feel free to update to me in comment section. Wish you a good day!

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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  2. AI answer

    2026-02-02T01:34:05.9166667+00:00

    The Microsoft TreeView Control is an ActiveX control that can be used in various applications, including Microsoft Access. However, if you are encountering issues with it not being supported, it may be due to compatibility problems between the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Office. Specifically, existing 32-bit ActiveX controls are not compatible with the 64-bit versions of Office. If you are using the 64-bit version of Office 365, you will need to ensure that you have a 64-bit version of the TreeView Control or contact the vendor for an updated version if you don't have the source code.

    ActiveX is considered a legacy technology, and Microsoft recommends not using it for new development. You might want to explore alternative controls or methods that are supported in the current Office environment.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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