TN - IT - 26051801 "Unavailable" or "Not Embedded"(ActiveX Web Browser Widget)

Last updated: May 18th, 2026

Description

"Unavailable" or "Not Embedded"(ActiveX Web Browser Widget)

Author: Mataia Lewis
Published: May 18th, 2026

Details:

Document Version: 001
Applies to Version(s): 2023 R2 & Higher

Description

Overview

The ActiveX Web Browser Widget in AVEVA InTouch HMI embeds a live web page directly within a WindowViewer or Web Client display. When the widget area shows "Unavailable" or "Not Embedded" instead of web content, one of three root causes is typically responsible:

Missing or unregistered control — The Microsoft WebBrowser ActiveX control has not been registered in the InTouch wizard/ActiveX catalog.

OCL 22.1 Dbghelp.dll conflict — Ops Control Logger 22.1 installs a Dbghelp.dll that conflicts with the InTouch runtime ActiveX loader.

Incorrect IE emulation mode — WindowViewer defaults to an old Internet Explorer compatibility mode, causing modern web content to fail silently (blank pane or red ×).

ℹ Note

Work through Section 6 (Quick Diagnostic Checklist) first to identify which fix applies before making any changes.

Solution Details

1. Error Description

At runtime, the widget area shows one of the following messages in place of the expected web content:

Unavailable

— or —

Not Embedded

In Web Client running over HTTPS, a secondary Mixed Content banner may also appear when the widget URL uses HTTP:

Mixed Content: The page at 'https://localhost/intouchweb' was loaded over HTTPS,

but requested an insecure frame 'http://**********'.

This request has been blocked: the content must be served over HTTPS.

⚠ Important

The Mixed Content error is a protocol mismatch, not an ActiveX registration failure. If Web Client is running over HTTPS, only HTTPS target URLs can be loaded — see Section 5 for the full protocol matrix.

2. Root Cause Analysis

3.1 Microsoft WebBrowser Control Not Registered

InTouch manages third-party ActiveX controls through its own wizard/ActiveX catalog. If the Microsoft WebBrowser control was never added to this catalog — or was removed during a Windows or Internet Explorer update — InTouch cannot instantiate it at runtime and renders "Unavailable".

3.2 OCL 22.1 Dbghelp.dll Conflict

Ops Control Logger (OCL) version 22.1 installs a copy of Dbghelp.dll into the shared ArchestrA folder:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\ArchestrA\Dbghelp.dll

This file takes precedence over the Windows system version. The InTouch runtime's ActiveX host process fails silently when loading the Web Browser control, resulting in a "Not Embedded" state.

3.3 Incorrect IE Emulation Mode (Blank Pane / Red ×)

WindowViewer hosts the WebBrowser control inside an Internet Explorer compatibility shell. Without an explicit browser-emulation registry key, the host defaults to IE 7 document mode. Modern web content requiring IE 11 (or later) fails to render, producing a blank pane or red × that can be mistaken for the "not embedded" error.

3. Resolution

Fix 1 — Install the Microsoft WebBrowser ActiveX Control

Perform this step first on any system exhibiting the error, regardless of other installed software.

Open WindowMaker.

On the menu bar, click Special > Configure > Wizard/ActiveX Installation.

In the installation dialog, locate Microsoft Web Browser in the control list.

Select it and click Install.

Restart WindowViewer and confirm the widget now displays web content.

ℹ Note

The URL property does not require double quotes but must be a fully qualified, valid URL. If no protocol prefix is specified, the widget defaults to HTTPS.

Fix 2 — Rename the Conflicting Dbghelp.dll (OCL 22.1 Only)

Apply this fix only when Ops Control Logger 22.1 is installed on the same machine as InTouch and Fix 1 alone did not resolve the error.

⚠ Important

Renaming this file affects OCL's debugging capabilities. Confirm the change is acceptable within your site's change-management process before proceeding. Always create a backup or system restore point first.

Stop WindowViewer and all ArchestrA-related services.

Open Windows Explorer and navigate to:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\ArchestrA\

Right-click Dbghelp.dll and rename it to Dbghelp.dll.old.

Restart WindowViewer and all ArchestrA services.

Open the affected window in WindowViewer and confirm the widget loads correctly.

Fix 3 — Set the IE 11 Browser-Emulation Registry Key

Apply this fix when the widget is installed and registered correctly but still shows a blank pane or red × instead of web content.

⚠ Important

Editing the Windows registry incorrectly can cause system instability. Back up the registry or create a system restore point before making any changes.

Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.

Navigate to the key below (create it if it does not exist):

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION

Create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named view.exe. Set the value to 0x00002AF9 (11001 decimal — IE 11 edge mode).

Close Registry Editor and restart WindowViewer.

Verify the widget now renders web content correctly.

4. Web Client HTTPS / HTTP Protocol Limitations

The following rules apply to Web Client and are enforced by design — they cannot be overridden through InTouch configuration.

Web Client Protocol	Widget URL Protocol	Result
HTTPS	HTTPS	✔ Loads correctly
HTTPS	HTTP	✘ Blocked — Mixed Content error
HTTP	HTTPS	✔ Loads correctly
HTTP	HTTP	✔ Loads correctly

ℹ Note

If the target website enforces a cross-origin (CORS) policy that blocks iframe embedding (e.g., X-Frame-Options: DENY), the widget cannot display that content regardless of protocol. In this case the widget automatically provides a link to open the page in a separate browser tab.

5. Quick Diagnostic Checklist

Use the table below to identify which fix to apply. Work through the checks in order.

#	Check	If Yes → Apply
1	Is "Microsoft Web Browser" absent from the Wizard/ActiveX catalog in WindowMaker (Special > Configure > Wizard/ActiveX Installation)?	Fix 1
2	Is Ops Control Logger (OCL) version 22.1 installed on this machine and Fix 1 did not resolve the error?	Fix 2
3	Is the widget installed but showing a blank pane or red × rather than the "Unavailable" text?	Fix 3
4	Is Web Client running over HTTPS with the target URL using HTTP?	Use an HTTPS URL
5	Does the target site set X-Frame-Options: DENY or a restrictive Content-Security-Policy?	Open in separate tab