ODE97: Setup Wizard Warning When Including ActiveX Controls

• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Office 97 Developer Edition Tools

SYMPTOMS

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

When you use the Microsoft Office 97, Developer Edition Tools to create a custom application that includes an ActiveX control and its supporting .dll file(s), and you click to select the Run-Time check box on the Database Shortcut Properties tab, you may receive the following warning message when the Setup program starts to create your disk images:

   File 'C:\Windows\system\ComCat.dll' is also required by a Microsoft
   Access-provided component. Some properties you have set may be modified.

   If you have not included this file in your Setup program, it may be one
   of the files needed by an ActiveX control you have added.

CAUSE

The ODE Setup Wizard will display this message whenever an ActiveX control's supporting file, Comcat.dll is added to the Setup program, and you specify that the Run-time option be included as well. This behavior occurs because the Comcat.dll file is used with the .dep file and the Run- time option.

MORE INFORMATION

When you include the Run-time option, Comcat.dll is automatically included behind the scenes but is not added to the Add Files List. When you add an ActiveX control (.ocx) file on the Add File page of the ODE Setup Wizard, the Setup Wizard searches for the dependency (.dep) file for this control. If it finds the .dep file, the Setup Wizard will automatically add the supporting file(s) specified in the .dep file to the List Of Files list on the Add Files page. Comcat.dll will be included in this list for most of the ActiveX controls included in the ODE. So if you are including the Run-time option and an ActiveX Control whose .dep file includes Comcat.dll, Comcat.dll is really being included twice. This is why you receive the warning message described in the "Symptoms" section.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. Start the ODE Setup wizard.

2. On the Introduction screen click "Create a new set of setup options for my application's custom Setup program."

3. Click Next to move to the next screen which states:

   Add the files that you want your custom Setup program to copy and then set properties for each file:

4. Click Add.

5. Locate the Northwind.mdb database, and then click Add.

6. Click to select the "Set as Application's Main File" check box.

7. Click Add again, and add the file Comdlg32.ocx, to the List Of Files list. Comcat.dll is added automatically.

   NOTE: By default, both files are stored in your Windows/System folder.

8. Click Next to move to the next screen which states:

           Add the shortcuts that you want your custom Setup program to
           create and then set the properties for each shortcut.
   
   

9. Click Add.

10. In the Description box, type a description for your shortcut.

11. On the Database Shortcut Properties tab, click to select the Run-time check box.

12. Click Next until you get to the screen which states:

    Where do you want the Setup Wizard to copy the files for your custom Setup program.

13. Click to select the "Network or CD Setup" check box, and then click Finish.

    Note that when the ODE Setup Wizard starts creating the disk images, you receive the message mentioned in the "Symptoms" section.

REFERENCES

For more information about .ocx files and their supporting .dll files, search the Microsoft ODE Setup Wizard Help Index for "supporting files for ActiveX controls."

Keywords          : IntpCstm kberrmsg kbsetup
Version           : 97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Hardware          : x86
Issue type        : kbprb