Verified on release 3.4.5.21 "Trade Management for Kazakhstan" (edition 3.4).
You click "Sign and send" on an e-invoice — and 1C responds: "Failed to connect external cryptography component." Or you connect a barcode scanner, and the equipment wizard says the driver (external component) is not found. Or after reinstalling the platform, printing on the fiscal registrar stops working. In all these cases you end up in the same catalog — "External components". This is where the binary modules (add-ins) that link 1C with cryptography, equipment, and external libraries are stored. Let's break it down in plain terms.
1. Purpose
The "External components" catalog stores external software modules (native/COM add-ins) that extend the capabilities of 1C: working with cryptography and digital signatures (for e-invoices and SNT waybills), connecting trade equipment, working with files and barcodes. The component is loaded into the database once by the administrator, and is then automatically "distributed" and connected on user workstations.
This is a service (technical) catalog. It is not involved in accounting: it does not generate accounting entries, does not create e-invoices or SNT waybills by itself, and does not affect VAT. It only enables other mechanisms to work.
2. Where to find it
There is usually no direct "External components" item in the main menu — the catalog is opened from the settings of the subsystems that need the component:
- Master data and administration → Integration setup → Connectable equipment — equipment driver components (scanners, cash registers, fiscal registrars, acquiring).
- Master data and administration → Organizations and funds / Electronic document exchange → EDF, cryptography and digital signature settings — cryptography components for signing e-invoices and SNT waybills.
- Master data and administration → Administration → Maintenance — general list of loaded components.
The most reliable way to open the entire catalog is via a navigation link. Menu "Tools and settings" (the ≡ icon at the top) → "Functions for the technical specialist" → "Open URL", paste:
e1cib/list/Справочник.ВнешниеКомпоненты
This will open the full list of components registered in the database.
2a. How to check your release
"Help" → "About the program" (or the "i" icon in the top right corner). The window that opens shows two lines: the platform version (e.g., 8.3.24.xxxx) and the configuration release — "Trade Management for Kazakhstan, edition 3.4 (3.4.5.21)". This guide is written for release 3.4.5.21; field names match in neighboring releases.
3. How to fill it in
A component is almost never created "by hand" from scratch — it is loaded from an archive supplied by the component developer (for example, a crypto provider distribution or equipment driver). The procedure is as follows:
- In the list, click "Load" (or "Add" → "Load from file").
- Specify the component's ZIP archive. The archive must contain a manifest file
MANIFEST.XMLand the binary files themselves for different OSes and bitness. 1C reads the manifest itself and fills in the fields.
After loading, check the card. Key fields:
| Field | Purpose and what happens on error |
|---|---|
| Name (required) | How the component is named in the list. Does not affect operation, but with an empty/unclear name you won't later find the right component among a dozen loaded ones. |
| Object identifier (required) | The component's program ID (ProgID). 1C uses it to address the module. Taken from the manifest automatically. If edited by hand and it diverges from the manifest, the component will stop connecting, with the error "Component not found." Do not touch it. |
| Purpose / Scope of application | Category: cryptography, digital signature, connectable equipment, general purpose. Determines in which settings the component becomes available for selection. Wrong category — the component won't be visible where it's needed. |
| Version | Module version from the manifest. Important when updating: if you load an archive with a version lower than the one installed, 1C may warn about a downgrade. Helps you know whether the component is up to date. |
| Vendor | Who released the component. For reference. |
| Compatibility (OS / bitness / client type) | Which OSes (Windows, Linux, macOS), bitness (x86/x64), and clients (thick, thin, web) the component is built for. If the workstation's OS is not on the list — when connecting you'll get "Component not supported on this platform." |
| Component storage (file) (required) | The binary module itself, inside the database. This is the "body" of the component. Empty storage = nothing to connect, a loading error. Filled in automatically when the archive is loaded. |
| Use / Deletion mark | Control availability. A component marked for deletion or disabled will not connect. |
After loading, click "Save and close". Then the component needs to be connected where it is used (in the equipment or digital signature settings) — the catalog entry alone does not yet enable the functionality.
4. Worked example
Situation. An accountant cannot sign an e-invoice: when sending to the e-invoice IS, the error "Failed to connect the external cryptography component" appears. The reason — after reinstalling 1C, the database no longer has the current cryptography component.
What we do:
- Open
e1cib/list/Справочник.ВнешниеКомпоненты. We see that the cryptography component is either missing or marked for deletion. - Click "Load", specify the ZIP archive of the crypto component (from the distribution or received from the digital signature vendor).
- 1C reads
MANIFEST.XMLand fills in the card:- Name: "Cryptography component (RSA/GOST)";
- Identifier:
CryptoModuleExtension(from the manifest); - Purpose: "Cryptography";
- Version: 2.0.5;
- Compatibility: Windows x64, thin/thick client.
- Save it. Go to Master data and administration → EDF/cryptography settings, select the loaded component, click "Check". "Check completed successfully" appears.
- Go back to the e-invoice, click "Sign and send" again — the document is sent to the e-invoice IS.
Entries and amounts. There are none: this is a technical catalog. Loading the component has no effect on accounts (1210, 1030, 1330, 3310, 3130, 6010, 7010), VAT (16%), or accounting registers. The only "result" is that the component appears in the database and becomes available for connection. All the money and taxes live in the sales, receipt, and e-invoice documents themselves, not here.
5. Types of operation
The catalog has no "operation types" in the document sense. Components differ by scope of application — this is effectively their "types":
- Cryptography / digital signature — signing and encrypting e-invoices, SNT waybills, exchange with the e-invoice IS, SNT IS.
- Connectable equipment — barcode scanners, cash registers, fiscal registrars, customer displays, scales, acquiring.
- Working with files / barcodes / QR — generating and printing barcodes, working with binary data.
- General purpose — other libraries extending functionality (e.g., integration ones).
6. What is generated on loading and connecting
Honestly: this catalog does not create accounting entries, register movements, e-invoices, or SNT waybills. On loading, the following happens:
- the binary module is saved in the database's internal storage (the "Component storage" attribute);
- the component becomes available for selection in equipment and cryptography settings;
- on first use at a workstation, 1C automatically extracts and connects the component to the client computer (in the thin client — via a temporary file directory, in the web client — via the cryptography/equipment extension).
Indirectly, the component enables mechanisms that already generate accounting data: for example, a connected crypto component allows signing and sending an e-invoice to the e-invoice IS, and a cash register component allows issuing a receipt. But the actual movements are made by documents ("Sale," "Cash register receipt," "Electronic invoice"), not by the component catalog.
7. Printed forms
The catalog has no printed forms. This is a technical entity — there is nothing to print here. If you need to "print" a component, it usually refers to something else: printing a receipt is done by the cash register driver (the component only provides the connection), and the e-invoice printed form is generated by the "Electronic invoice" document.
8. Common errors
"Failed to connect the external component" The component is not loaded, is marked for deletion, or is disabled. Check the list via the navigation link; if necessary, reload the archive and connect it in settings.
"MANIFEST.XML manifest file not found in the archive" You specified the wrong ZIP (for example, an archive with source code or a nested archive). You need the actual distribution archive of the component with the manifest at the root. Download the correct file from the component's vendor.
"External component ... is not supported on this platform / client" The workstation's OS or bitness does not match the builds in the component. Check the "Compatibility" field: if it only lists Windows x86, but the user has Linux x64 — you need a different build of the component or to switch to a supported client.
"Component identifier does not match the manifest" Someone edited the "Object identifier" field manually. Delete the entry and load the component from the archive again — the ID will be filled in correctly.
"Use of external components is prohibited by the security profile" The server's cluster security profile is enabled without permission for external components. The administrator must add the component to the allowed list in the cluster administration console.
"Cryptography extension is not installed" (web client) The browser does not have the 1C extension for cryptography/equipment installed. Install the extension via the link offered by 1C and restart the session.
9. FAQ
Does this catalog affect VAT, accounting entries, or e-invoice amounts? No. This is a technical catalog. VAT (16% in Kazakhstan since 2026), accounting accounts, and amounts are generated by sales, receipt, and e-invoice documents. Here there are only modules for cryptography and equipment.
Do I need to enter anything by hand? Almost never. The component is loaded from the vendor's ZIP archive — 1C fills in the identifier, version, and compatibility from the manifest itself.
The component is loaded, but the e-invoice still won't sign. Why? Loading is not enough — the component also needs to be connected in the cryptography/digital signature settings, and you need to click "Check." Also, the crypto provider itself and the digital signature certificate must be installed on the client PC.
Can I update a component without deleting the old one? Yes. Click "Load" and specify a new archive with a higher version — 1C will update the storage and version. If the version is lower than the current one, the program will warn about a downgrade.
Is one component loaded for all users, or separately for each? It is loaded once into the database (centrally). It is automatically distributed to workstations on first use — there is no need to install it manually on each PC.
What to do when switching to Linux/web client? Make sure the "Compatibility" field includes a build for the required OS and client. For the web client, you additionally need the cryptography/equipment extension in the browser.
Can unnecessary components be deleted? Yes, you can mark them for deletion and remove them via the marked-object deletion process. Only delete ones that are definitely not used in equipment and digital signature settings, otherwise the corresponding functionality will stop working.
Where do I get the component archive itself? From the provider of the functionality: a crypto component — from the digital signature operator/vendor or as part of a distribution; an equipment driver — from the device manufacturer's website or in the "Connectable equipment" section.
Does the catalog affect month-end closing and tax reporting? No. It is not involved in calculating personal income tax, pension contributions, social tax, VAT, and does not affect regulated operations. It is infrastructure for working with EDF and equipment.
10. Related objects
- Connectable equipment (Master data and administration → Integration setup) — uses driver components; this is where the component gets "connected" after loading.
- Digital signature and cryptography settings / Electronic document exchange — use cryptography components to sign and send e-invoices (e-invoice IS) and SNT waybills (SNT IS).
- Digital signature key certificates — work together with the crypto component when signing.
- Cluster security profiles (on the server administrator's side) — allow or prohibit the use of external components.
This catalog does not create anything "on the basis of" and does not itself serve as a basis for documents — it is connected in the settings of the subsystems listed above.
How to check your release. "Help" → "About the program": this shows the platform version (8.3.x) and configuration release. This guide is current for "Trade Management for Kazakhstan," release 3.4.5.21 (edition 3.4).