TestStand ActiveX Error When Opening Sequence Files Due to UAC Elevation Mismatch

Updated May 4, 2026

Reported In

Software

  • TestStand

Issue Details

When launching TestStand sequence files directly, users may encounter an ActiveX error. However, the error does not occur if:

  • TestStand is launched after running TestStand Version Selector as Administrator, or
  • TestStand is run explicitly with Administrator privileges.
  • Example of the error:

Solution

This issue is caused by a User Account Control (UAC) elevation mismatch. When TestStand is launched in a non-elevated context, certain ActiveX components may fail to initialize correctly. Running the Version Selector or Sequence Editor with elevated privileges temporarily resolves the issue because the required permissions are granted at runtime.

To solve this issue, you can force TestStand Sequence Editor to always run with elevated (Administrator) privileges:

  1. Go to: C:\Program Files\National Instruments\TestStand < used version >\Bin
  2. Right‑click TestStand Sequence Editor shortcutSeqEdit.exe
  3. Click Properties
  4. Go to the Compatibility tab
  5. Check: Run this program as an administrator
  6. Click OK

Reference:

Image_2026-04-28_10-26-30.png

 

Additional Information

  • This workaround is especially useful in offline environments where Windows updates or component re-registrations are restricted.
  • If the issue persists after applying this fix, collect an NI MAX System Configuration Report and reach out to NI Technical Support

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