Error 429 ActiveX Component Can’t Create Object

Users frequently encounter the MS Office error 429 code when using programs dependent on Visual Basic. This issue arises due to a glitch in the Component Object Model (COM) during the creation of the requested Automation object. Consequently, Visual Basic cannot access the Automation object as intended.

Although this error is not common to all types of computers as it only appears to a certain selection, it has been in existence for quite some time, having looped over to different iterations of MS OS versions distributed over the years. Based on the reported cases, the runtime error 429 on Windows 10/11 appears when the contrived user is using a specific app on their system running on the Windows platform. When this error happens, the affected application crashes and shuts down.

Other users have also reported the error when they attempt to run programs that depend on VB like the ones offered by Bloomberg, as well as Bintex. The runtime error 429 has been a concern across many Windows platforms including Windows 10/11. The most affected MS applications include Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint to mention a few. When the error occurs, the posted message reads:

“Run-time error ‘429’: ActiveX component can’t create the object”.

Unfortunately, the message posted alongside the error doesn’t help explain the cause of the issue. However, it has been acknowledged that the issue often occurs when the application in play tries to reach a file that is non-existent, corrupt, or missing. This missing or corrupt file is vital to the functionality of the app, hence failing to launch or continue operating due to its absence.

How to Fix Error 429 ActiveX Component Can’t Create Object

The good news is that we have a couple of Windows runtime error 429 fixes below. These solutions can help resolve the issue at hand. We advise applying these fixes according to their order of listing as they are listed based on their complexity level.

Here is how to fix Windows 10/11 runtime error 429:

Reinstall the Affected App

If the error occurs only when you are using or launching a particular application, there is a chance that the issue lies within the program. The settings of the application are likely to have been altered. That is why you’re falling prey to the issue. To resolve any issues related to this particular app, it is best to return it to its original state. You can do so by re-registering the affected application via the onboard automation server.

To do so, follow these instructions:

1. Log in to your system with an Administrator account to gain admin privileges.
2. Locate the executable file related to the affected application. You can locate it by navigating to the directory in which the affected app was installed. Copy the path to the file on an empty Notepad file.
3. Launch the Run dialog by simultaneously pressing the Win Logo + R keys.
4. Paste the path of the .exe file related to the affected application that triggers the runtime error 429 and add /regserver at the end.
5. Hit Enter, then wait for the app to finish re-registering.

Once completed, try to launch it and see if the issue has been solved. If not, proceed to the next fix.

Check and Re-register the File Indicated by the Error Message

At times, users can identify the affected .OCX or .DLL file from the runtime error 429. If the file is not indicated in the error message, then this fix won’t be possible. In that case, skip to the third fix. If indicated, re-registering the particular file can help solve the issue. Here is what you must do:

1. Close all active applications.
2. Make sure you know the full name of the specified file in the runtime error 429 message. Keep the name of the file or just type and copy it to the clipboard for assurance.
3. Right-click on the Start Menu to open the Win X menu. Locate Command Prompt (Admin) to open an elevated Command Prompt. This will give you administrative privileges.
   • On older versions of Windows, you must search for cmd from the Start menu and hit Enter. Right-click on the most relevant result and select Run as administrator.
4. In the elevated Command Prompt, type in regsvr32 FILENAME.ocx or regsvr32 FILENAME.dll (replacing the capitalized “FILENAME” with the one indicated in the error message that you were asked to copy in the second step of this procedure).
5. Hit Enter and wait for the file to complete re-registering with the system’s registry.

When done, reboot your PC for the changes to take effect, and then try to launch the particular app that triggered error 429 to check if the issue persists.

Execute an SFC Scan

In most cases, corrupted system files are the leading culprits that prevent an application from functioning properly. When system files go missing, applications can’t function as intended and may crash leading to issues such as runtime error 429. In such instances, the best fix is to run an SFC scan.

The System File Checker tool is an inbuilt Windows OS utility. It is designed to perform an in-depth analysis of the system’s files in search for corruption, damage, or any other discrepancies within. Any detected corrupt, damaged, or in their unnatural state system files are replaced by original copies. This is a great solution as it can help you solve some of the underlying issues that you were not aware of.

To perform an SFC scan, follow the steps below:

1. Access elevated Command Prompt as shown in Fix #2, step 3.
2. Once opened, type in the command shown below and hit Enter.
   sfc /scannow

Wait as the utility scans your system for any damaged, missing, or corrupted files. Once the process reaches 100%, a message will appear in the Command Prompt field stating the results of the scan. If the message indicates that issues were found, you can check for more details related to the problem. You can do so by inserting the following commands and hitting Enter:

findstr /c:”[SR]” %windir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log >”%userprofile%\Desktop\sfcdetails.txt

Next, initiate the repairing process by inserting the command below. After which, hit Enter:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Let the process run until it finishes. Reboot the system, then in the next startup, check if the issue has been resolved by repeating the steps that triggered it.

If any of these fixes didn’t come right, you’re likely dealing with a deep issue that needs a robust PC repair tool. We advise running such a tool to fix and get rid of the causes that lead to the runtime error 429.