PRB: Can't Register Controls from "MSDEV\REDIST\OCX" Directory

  - Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Edition, versions 4.2, 4.2b, 5.0

SYMPTOMS

When using Regsvr32.exe to register one of the controls from the "MSDEV\REDIST\OCX" directory, you might get an error saying:

   "LoadLibrary("msmask32.ocx") failed. GetLastError returns 0x00000485."

CAUSE

Most of the controls in the "MSDEV\REDIST\OCX" directory were built using MFC 4.0 so they need Mfc40.dll and Msvcrt40.dll. There are two versions of Msvcrt40.dll: one in "MSDEV\REDIST," and another in "MSDEV\REDIST\ANSI." The version from "MSDEV\REDIST" needs Msvcirt.dll. If this file is not found, control registration will fail.

RESOLUTION

• Copy Msvcrt40.dll from "MSDEV\REDIST\ANSI". This version doesn't need Msvcirt.dll.

  -or-

• Copy Msvcrt40.dll and Msvcirt.dll from "MSDEV\REDIST."

MORE INFORMATION

Starting with Visual C++ 4.2, the shared DLL version of the C Runtime was changed from Msvcrt40.dll to Msvcrt.dll. This prevents having to keep a separate C Runtime DLL for each version (i.e. Msvcrt411.dll, Msvcrt42.dll, etc.). However, if an MFC 4.2 application were using an MFC 4.0 control, you would have two copies of the C Runtime loaded in memory (Msvcrt.DLL and Msvcrt40.dll). To save precious memory, Msvcrt40.dll was converted to a "forwarder" DLL. All it does is forward calls to Msvcrt.dll and Msvcirt.dll. Starting with Windows NT 4.0, Msvcrt40.dll, Msvcrt.dll and Msvcirt.dll ship with the operating system.

A registration program will attempt to do a LoadLibrary() of the ActiveX/DLL and call DLLRegister() on it. If LoadLibrary() fails and GetLastError() returns 1157(0x485), this means that a DLL needed by the control cannot be found (Error code 1157 is defined as ERROR_DLL_NOT_FOUND in WINERROR.H).

To find out which DLL it can't load, use "DUMPBIN /IMPORTS <CONTROL.OCX>" from the command line. DUMPBIN.EXE is in "MSDEV\BIN." This will list all the DLLs that the ActiveX Control is trying to load. DLLs will only be found if they are in the current directory, in the Windows System directory, or in a directory in your PATH. One of these DLLs could also be trying to load another DLL and not find it. In the case above, all the DLLs that DUMPBIN showed as being needed by MSMASK32.OCX were in the system directory.

The next logical step would be to do a DUMPBIN on these DLLs. It turns out that DUMPBIN on Msvcrt40.dll told us that it needed Msvcirt.dll. If you have several DLLs in the chain, a quick way to narrow things down is to do a LoadLibrary() on each one. If LoadLibrary() fails on a DLL that is in the current, system or path directory, use DUMPBIN on it to check its list of DLLs. You will eventually find the offending DLL.

REFERENCES

For information about other possible reasons for ActiveX Control Registration failure, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q140346
   TITLE     : Possible Reasons for OLE Control Registration Failure