How to Insert Date Picker in Excel 365 (When the ActiveX Control Is Not Working)

Many Excel users search for a date picker in Excel 365 and land on the same advice: enable the Developer tab, open More Controls and pick “Microsoft Date and Time Picker Control 6.0.” On most modern setups, this no longer works. The control is missing from the list, or it throws errors such as “MSCOMCT2.OCX is not correctly registered” or run-time error 339. This guide explains why it breaks, shows the legacy method for the few setups where it still works, and gives you a reliable date picker for Excel 365 that works on both 32-bit and 64-bit Office.

Why the Date Picker ActiveX Control Is Not Working in Excel 365

The “Microsoft Date and Time Picker Control 6.0” comes from a file called MSCOMCT2.OCX. It is a 32-bit ActiveX control, and 64-bit Office cannot load 32-bit controls. Microsoft has never released a 64-bit version of it, and no download or regsvr32 command can make it work in 64-bit Excel. Since most Excel 365 installations today are 64-bit, the control simply does not appear or fails to load.

Typical symptoms include:

• “MSCOMCT2.OCX is not correctly registered” error message.
• Run-time error 339 when a workbook containing the control is opened.
• “DllRegisterServer failed” with code 0x8002801c (often because Command Prompt was not run as administrator).
• Microsoft Date and Time Picker Control 6.0 missing from the More Controls list.

There is a second problem: sharing. Even on 32-bit Office, every new computer needs the file copied and registered. If one colleague opens your workbook on 64-bit Office, it breaks again.

What Is a Date Picker in Excel?

A date picker is a small calendar that lets the user choose a date instead of typing it. Excel has no built-in calendar popup for worksheet cells, so you need a control, a VBA form or an add-in to get one. A date picker is useful for these reasons:

• You choose a date from a calendar rather than typing it on the keyboard.
• It reduces mistakes by guiding users to valid dates.
• It removes confusion about the date format (for example, dd/mm/yyyy versus mm/dd/yyyy).
• It makes forms, timesheets, trackers and reports faster to fill in.

Ways to Add a Date Picker in Excel 365

Because the ActiveX control is unreliable, here are the options that are available today:

• Keyboard shortcut and data validation: Press Ctrl+; to enter today’s date, and use Data Validation to limit which dates a cell accepts. There is no calendar popup, but it works everywhere.
• VBA UserForm calendar: Works in 64-bit Excel if the code is 64-bit safe, but you must write or import code, and macros must stay enabled.
• MSCOMCT2.OCX Date and Time Picker: Works only on 32-bit Office and needs registration on every PC.
• Date Picker Excel Add-in: Works on both 32-bit and 64-bit Excel, needs no OCX file and no macros. This is the easiest option for most users.

Recommended: Use the Date Picker Excel Add-in

If the ActiveX date picker is not working in your Excel 365, the simplest fix is to stop depending on MSCOMCT2.OCX altogether. The Excel Date Picker Add-in (Excel Date Picker Pro) is a Windows COM add-in that adds a Date Picker tab to the Excel ribbon. You click the button, choose your dates in a popup, and the add-in writes them into the cells you selected.

Key Features of the Date Picker Add-in

• From and To dates: Pick both ends of a date range from a calendar.
• Interval options: Insert every day, weekdays only, or every week, month, quarter or year.
• Date formats: Presets such as dd-mmm-yyyy, mm/dd/yyyy and yyyy-mm-dd, plus a custom format box.
• Optional time: Set a start time, end time and step (15, 30 or 60 minutes) in 12-hour or 24-hour format, which is handy for timesheets and shift lists.
• Flexible layout: Fill down a column, across a row, or across the selected range.
• Live preview: See the first few values and the total count before anything is written to the sheet.
• Real Excel dates: Values are written as true dates, not text, so sorting, filtering and formulas keep working.
• Overwrite warning: If the target cells already contain data, you are asked to confirm first.
• No macros, no OCX: Your files can stay as normal .xlsx workbooks.

How to Install and Use the Date Picker Add-in

1. Download the add-in from the Excel Date Picker Add-in page and close all open Excel windows.

2. Right-click the downloaded zip file and choose Extract All. Do not run the installer from inside the zip window.

3. Double-click Install.bat. It installs for your Windows user only, so administrator rights are not required. If Windows SmartScreen appears, choose More info and then Run anyway.

4. Open Excel and look for the Date Picker tab on the ribbon (it appears after the Developer tab).

5. Select the starting cell or range and click Date Picker.

6. Choose the From date, To date, interval, format and layout, check the preview, and click Insert.

Date Picker tab missing? Go to File > Options > Add-ins, set Manage to COM Add-ins, click Go, and tick Excel Date Picker Pro.

Compatibility and Trial

The add-in works on Windows 10 and Windows 11 with desktop Excel 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365, in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. It requires .NET Framework 4.8, which is already included in current Windows 10 and Windows 11. It does not run on Excel for Mac or Excel on the web. A 14-day free trial is available, so you can test every feature before deciding. Full details and the download are on the Excel Date Picker Add-in page.

Legacy Method: Insert the Date Picker ActiveX Control (32-bit Excel Only)

If you use 32-bit Office and already have workbooks built with the Microsoft Date and Time Picker Control 6.0, you can still try the older method. This will not work on 64-bit Excel.

1. Right-click anywhere on the ribbon and select Customize the Ribbon.

2. Under Main Tabs on the right side, tick the Developer box and click OK.

3. On the Developer tab, click Insert, then click the More Controls button under ActiveX Controls.

4. Select Microsoft Date and Time Picker Control 6.0 from the list and click OK. If it is not in the list, the control is not registered, or you are using 64-bit Office.

5. Click on the sheet to place the control, and turn on Design Mode to move, resize or change its properties.

If the control is missing on 32-bit Office, copy MSCOMCT2.OCX to C:\Windows\SysWOW64 and register it using the 32-bit regsvr32 from a Command Prompt run as administrator. Follow our step-by-step guide on how to install and register the MSCOMCT2.OCX file in Excel, and download the file only from a trusted source. On 64-bit Office, registering the file will not help; use the add-in above instead.

About Office 365 and Microsoft 365

Office 365 was first launched in 2011 as a group of subscription plans from Microsoft. It brings Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access together with cloud services such as Microsoft Teams. On April 21, 2020, the product was renamed Microsoft 365, since it includes products and services beyond the core Office family. A few benefits of the subscription are:

• Anytime and anywhere access: Open emails, documents, contacts and calendars on any device or browser.
• Cloud storage: Files and emails are stored in the cloud so you can continue your work on any device.
• Single sign-on: One account gives access to multiple applications and document storage.
• Security: Control who has access to your files, and remove data from a mobile device when required.
• Real-time collaboration: Teams can work together in Word, Excel and PowerPoint, with edits and versions saved automatically.

Note that Excel for the web and Excel for Mac do not support ActiveX controls, so the legacy date picker cannot be used there either.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Excel 365 have a built-in date picker?

No. Excel has no built-in calendar popup for worksheet cells. You can press Ctrl+; for today’s date, build a VBA UserForm, use the OCX control on 32-bit Office, or install a date picker add-in.

Why is the Microsoft Date and Time Picker Control 6.0 missing in Excel 365?

It is a 32-bit control, and 64-bit Excel cannot load it. Microsoft has not released a 64-bit version.

Can I use MSCOMCT2.OCX in 64-bit Excel?

No. Use a 64-bit-compatible alternative such as the Excel Date Picker Add-in.

Do I need macros for the date picker add-in?

No. It is a COM add-in, not a macro workbook, so your files can remain .xlsx.

Conclusion

The old ActiveX date picker is not working in most Excel 365 installations because it is a 32-bit control. You can still use it on 32-bit Office after registering MSCOMCT2.OCX, but it is hard to share and breaks on 64-bit systems. For a reliable solution that works on both 32-bit and 64-bit Excel, install the Date Picker Excel Add-in, pick your dates from a calendar, and insert them into your sheet in one click.

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