MSCOMCTL.OCX dependency error attempting to install FLAC frontend

Question

I receive the following error when trying to install the FLAC frontend on Windows 7 (64 Bit):

Component 'MSCOMCTL.OCX' or one of its dependencies not correctly registered: a file is missing or invalid.

Should this file exist in Windows 7 and how do I replace / repair it? This is a fresh install of 7 so I'm pretty miffed if it's somehow corrupted already.

Answer 1

To add onto the last step of k.c.s's solution, that link no longer works. However if you Google 'MSCOMCTL.OCX download' it should come up with Ocxdump.com or something similar where you can download the file (make sure you download a .zip file!) You can just extract and then copy that file into your C:\Windows\SysWOW64 folder and then use k.c.s's command prompt instructions to register it. Happy trouble shooting!

Answer 2

This is a long story so I will not try to recreate it here.

Summary:

• MSCOMCTL.OCX is a set of 32-bit controls that were provided with the Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 programming environment
• FLAC frontend is written in Visual Basic 6.0 (it seems, I do not use FLAC)
• To use 32-bit controls like MSCOMCTL.OCX on a 64-bit version of Windows 7 they have to be installed and registered in: C:\Windows\SysWOW64 to run in the "WOW [Windows on Windows] emulation environment
• On my install of 64-bit Windows 7 I found MSCOMCTL.OCX already present in the C:\Windows\SysWOW64 directory, I am not sure if its there by default or if I installed something that placed it there for me.
• If you go to your C:\Windows\SysWOW64 directory and see MSCOMCTL.OCX already in there then try this:

Browse to your command prompt shortcut via Start-->All Programs-->Accessories-->Command Prompt. Right click on that Command Prompt icon and choose to Run as administrator.  Click Yes to tell UAC you really want to run it.

When the black window opens with your command prompt, type this in:

cd<push spacebar>C:\Windows\SysWOW64 <push Enter key>

The prompt should change to:  C:\Windows\SysWOW64

Then type:

regsvr32<push spacebar>mscomctl.ocx <push Enter key>

If you get a Window that pops up and says, "DllRegisterServer in mscomctl.ocx succeeded" then click OK and try the frontend install again.

---

If you do NOT see MSCOMCTL.OCX already in C:\Windows\SysWOW64 then you need to get it there and register it and then install frontend.  That is the longer part of the story that I would suggest you look here http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=52353&st=0 for more info because many others have had your issue.

Read through these posts that talk about what people did to get the mscomctl.ocx file and how they made it work on 64-bit Windows (Vista in most examples there but should be similar to 7).

You could also look for a different frontend to FLAC that is not written in Visual Basic 6.0 and that works with Windows 7 x64.

Answer 3

That link no longer works and on a 32-bit system there will be no SysWOW64 folder so that idea would only work some of the time on some systems.

If you are seeing a message like this:

Component 'MSCOMCTL.OCX' or one of its dependencies not correctly registered: a file is missing or invalid.

And then following some instructions to register the OCX file and then you see a message like this:

That means the file MSCOMCTL.OCX is not on your system or not where it should be.

You can download a copy of the file from my OneDrive which is here:

https://onedrive.live.com/?id=A8C24A4BD70DC25C!107&cid=A8C24A4BD70DC25C

Save the file to your desktop or someplace you can find it.

If you are using a 32-bit version of Windows copy and paste the file into this folder (assuming Windows is installed in the Windows folder on your C drive):

c:\Windows\system32

If you are using a 64-bit version of Windows copy and paste the file into this folder (assuming Windows is installed in the Windows folder on your C drive):

c:\Windows\SysWOW64

Note that the SysWOW64 means "Windows on Windows" and that is where Windows keeps 32-bit versions of files on a 64-bit system.  Sometimes the same files will be in both the System23 and SysWOW64 folder.

When the file is in the proper folder click the Start orb/button and open a Command Prompt window as Administrator like this:

Respond in the affirmative if a UAC message appears asking permission or are you sure.

For Windows, upper and lower case letters do not matter when working in the Command Prompt window.

For a 32-bit installation enter the following command:

cd   %windir%\system32

For a 64-bit installation enter the following command:

cd   %windir%\SysWOW64

Then enter the following command:

regsvr32   mscomctl.ocx 

You should see a message like this:

For Windows, upper and lower case letters do not matter when working in the Command Prompt window.

Enter 'exit' to close the Command Prompt window and carry on.

Answer 4

Thanks it worked for me also!

Answer 5

Hi, Thank You K.C.S. It worked I've been getting this error like forever!! Thank You! Thumbs up!