If you’re using Microsoft Lync (part of Office 365), you’re probably familiar with the sharing options. Lync 2013 gives you an option to share your desktop, specific program and a power point presentation.
It’s a really cool tool, except the fact that it’s still buggy. Very buggy. You would assume that since Microsoft bought Skype, then they would have a decent chat / audio / video / screen sharing software, but that’s not the case here.
Sometimes, with some computers, I noticed that when a user shares his screen with another user, the shared content appears as “white screen”, which means the sharing “stage” is empty.
Let me save you some time here. The solution is pretty simple, and I have no idea why Microsoft isn’t fixing it.
Checking your event viewer, you’ll find this:
Microsoft Lync
CLSID: {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}
CATID: {9B179D6E-9BDB-454b-BE3D-89F9A792BD39}
The ActiveX Compatibility setting disabled loading this object to help protect your security.
So now that we know ActiveX causes the problem (by blocking the shared content), let’s solve it.
1. Open the Registry Editor (Start + R -> regedit -> OK).
2. Backup the registry (just in case): File -> Export.
3. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ActiveX Compatibility and delete the {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000} expandable folder.
4. Mission completed. Run Lync desktop sharing, and you’re good to go.
