Registering ActiveX with Package Wizard

[Guest]

I'm just starting to test out distributing my database with the package
wizard. I used a couple of activex controls (like calendar & forms 2.0). When
running the app on a generic computer, Access Runtime complains about not
having the correct license to run the ActiveX control.

Is this a registry problem or a lisencing problem?

I also saw some threads about 3rd part installers. But doesn't the Package
Wizard have the ability to add registry keys? With common controls like I'm
using, shouldn't there be a guide somewhere for how to add these registry
keys to register the two ActiveX controls I'm using? Or am I just naive?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Paul Overway]

Yes. PDW has the ability to add registry keys. However, if you're
distributing a component requiring many registry entries, it really is a
PITA...especially when it would be much easier if PDW installed/registered
the component properly to begin with (as it should). But there are more
problems with PDW than this, and if you're serious about distributing an
Access application you should definitely use a different installer unless
you will be installing the app yourself...and you might have problems with
that!

The Forms 2.0 reference is probably what is causing the license issue. The
problems you are seeing in respect to ActiveX and licensing are most likely
related to the fact the PDW doesn't register the component. If you added
the keys manually, you probably missed something. But really, you shouldn't
be referencing Forms 2.0....it isn't a component that you are given
distribution rights for and in my experience is very buggy anyway...anything
you need to do using Forms 2.0 can be done using an Access form.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the help. This raises two other questions:

1. I played around with the Forms 2.0 objects at one point, but I don't
think I kept any. How can I find out where they're being used? (The
References box won't let me remove the reference; says it's 'in use').

2. The following is true:
I'm only distributing this app to about 20 people in my office
I will be doing the install myself
The calendar ctrl will probably be the only ActiveX thing I use in the end
I would still like to use PDW if possible.

Isn't that just one registry entry to add to the list?

 

[Paul Overway]

See comments in-line...

--
Paul Overway
Logico Solutions
http://www.logico-solutions.com

Thanks for the help. This raises two other questions:

1. I played around with the Forms 2.0 objects at one point, but I don't
think I kept any. How can I find out where they're being used? (The
References box won't let me remove the reference; says it's 'in use').

This suggests that you have inserted a control on a form that uses the
library. You'll need to review your form controls and ensure that all
controls are the normal Access ones instead of one from Forms 2.0.

2. The following is true:
I'm only distributing this app to about 20 people in my office
I will be doing the install myself
The calendar ctrl will probably be the only ActiveX thing I use in the
end
I would still like to use PDW if possible.

Isn't that just one registry entry to add to the list?

No. Typically for any given ActiveX component there are several registry
entries required for the component to be registered properly. For some,
there might be nearly 100, but typically 20 or less. Nevertheless, this is
a big PITA to maintain in PDW...especially if the component is updated
periodically with new capabilities requiring additional registry entries,
which is not unusual at all. And the other problem with doing it in PDW is
you need to know where the component was installed in order to write the reg
key correctly....which may not be an issue for some components that get
installed to a fixed location, but often times this is not a good thing to
do (i.e., you might overwrite and break an existing component on the target
PC).