Microsoft Barcode Control 16.0 is not available as a standalone download; it is a built-in component of specific Microsoft Office versions, primarily intended for How to Access the Control
If your version of Office includes this feature, you can activate it through the Developer tab Enable the Developer Tab Customize Ribbon and check the Insert the Control group, click and select the More Controls icon (looks like a screwdriver and wrench). Microsoft Barcode Control 16.0 in the list and click Place on Sheet
: Click and drag on your worksheet or form to draw the barcode object. Add or register an ActiveX control - Microsoft Support
Microsoft Barcode Control 16.0 is an ActiveX control used to generate barcodes in Office applications like Excel and Access. It is typically not available as a standalone download; instead, it is bundled with specific versions of Microsoft Access Microsoft Office Runtime How to Get the Barcode Control Install Microsoft Access Microsoft Barcode Control 16.0 Activex Download
: The control is part of the standard installation of Microsoft Access 2016, 2019, and Microsoft 365. If you have Access installed, the control ( MSBCODE9.OCX ) should already be on your system. Access Runtime
: If you don't own the full version of Access, you can often obtain the necessary libraries by downloading the free Microsoft Access Runtime Microsoft Download Center Check Availability : To see if you already have it, go to the tab in Excel, click More Controls (the wrench icon), and look for Microsoft Barcode Control 16.0 Important Compatibility Notes ActiveX Security : Microsoft has disabled ActiveX controls by default
in Microsoft 365 and Office 2024 for security reasons. You may need to manually enable ActiveX settings in the Trust Center. Bit Version Microsoft Barcode Control 16
: The ActiveX control must match your Office "bitness." If you use 64-bit Office, you must use a 64-bit version of the control, which can be difficult to find for older legacy controls. Better Alternatives : Many developers now prefer using Barcode Fonts
(like Code 39 or Code 128) because they are more stable across different versions of Office and do not require ActiveX. Microsoft Support Barcode Fonts as a more reliable alternative to the ActiveX control?
Enable or disable ActiveX settings in Office files - Microsoft Support Legal Ways to Obtain Microsoft Barcode Control 16
If you have a legitimate need for this specific control (e.g., maintaining a legacy VB6 or Access 2010 application), here are your only legal options:
If you cannot find the control in the list, there are two common reasons:
In the world of legacy enterprise software, few components have caused as much confusion as the Microsoft Barcode Control 16.0 ActiveX. For decades, developers using Microsoft Access, Visual Basic 6.0, Excel VBA, and older Windows Forms applications have relied on this control to generate Code 39, Code 128, and UPC barcodes without writing complex algorithms from scratch.
However, if you have landed on this article searching for a direct Microsoft Barcode Control 16.0 ActiveX download, you have likely encountered a frustrating reality: Microsoft no longer offers this control as a standalone, public download.
This article will explain exactly what the control is, why it is so difficult to find, how to legally obtain it, step-by-step installation instructions, common errors, and—most importantly—modern alternatives for barcode generation.