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June 18, 2023

Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6): A Must-Have Update for Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Common Controls

Download Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6)

Do you want to enhance the user interface and functionality of your Windows applications? Do you want to use the latest features and improvements of the common controls library? Do you want to ensure compatibility and stability of your applications with different versions of Windows? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to download Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6), the most recent update for the Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Common Controls.

download windows common controls 6.0 (sp6)

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In this article, we will explain what are Windows Common Controls, why you need them, how to download them, how to check their version, how to target your application for a specific version, and how to troubleshoot some common issues with them. By the end of this article, you will be able to use Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6) with confidence and ease.

What are Windows Common Controls?

Windows Common Controls are a set of user interface elements that provide standard functionality and appearance for Windows applications. They include buttons, check boxes, radio buttons, list boxes, combo boxes, scroll bars, progress bars, sliders, tabs, toolbars, status bars, tree views, list views, date pickers, tooltips, animations, rebar controls, header controls, trackbar controls, up-down controls, month calendar controls, flat scroll bar controls, image list controls, IP address controls, pager controls, hot key controls.

These controls are implemented by ComCtl32.dll, which is a dynamic link library that is included in all 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows. Each successive version of ComCtl32.dll supports the features and API of earlier versions and adds new features. However, the version that is active on your system may be different from the version that was shipped with your operating system because various versions of ComCtl32.dll were distributed with Internet Explorer.

Therefore, it is important to know which version of ComCtl32.dll you have on your system and which version your application is using. This will help you avoid compatibility issues and take advantage of the latest features and improvements.

Why do you need Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6)?

Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6) is the latest update for the Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Common Controls. It updates two common controls: mscomctl.ocx and comctl32.ocx. These controls provide advanced functionality such as drag-and-drop support, custom draw support, image list support, group view support, and more.

Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6) addresses the issues described in the KB articles noted in the related resources section of the download page. It also adds support for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016. It also fixes some security vulnerabilities that could allow remote code execution or denial of service attacks. Some of the benefits and features of Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6) are: - Improved performance and stability of the controls - Enhanced user interface and functionality of the controls - Compatibility with newer versions of Windows and Internet Explorer - Security updates and bug fixes If you are using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 or any other application that uses the common controls, you should download and install Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6) to ensure the optimal performance and security of your application. How to download Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6)?

Downloading and installing Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6) is easy and straightforward. Just follow these steps:

Go to the download page of Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6) on the Microsoft website.

Click on the Download button and save the file to your preferred location.

Double-click on the downloaded file (vbrun60sp6.exe) to start the installation process.

Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.

Restart your computer if prompted.

Congratulations! You have successfully downloaded and installed Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6) on your system.

How to check the version of Windows Common Controls?

As we mentioned earlier, the version of ComCtl32.dll that is active on your system may be different from the version that was shipped with your operating system because various versions of ComCtl32.dll were distributed with Internet Explorer. Therefore, it is important to check the version of ComCtl32.dll on your system to ensure that you are using the latest version of Windows Common Controls.

There are two methods to check the version of ComCtl32.dll on your system:

Method 1: Using File Explorer

This method involves using File Explorer to locate and view the properties of ComCtl32.dll. Here are the steps:

Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\System32 (for 32-bit systems) or C:\Windows\SysWOW64 (for 64-bit systems).

Find ComCtl32.dll in the folder and right-click on it.

Select Properties from the context menu.

Click on the Details tab in the Properties window.

Look for the File version field and note down the number.

The file version number indicates the version of ComCtl32.dll on your system. For example, if the file version number is 5.82.19041.488, then you have version 5.82 of ComCtl32.dll, which was distributed with Internet Explorer 8.

Method 2: Using Registry Editor

This method involves using Registry Editor to access and view the registry key that stores the version of ComCtl32.dll on your system. Here are the steps:

Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.

Type regedit in the box and click OK.

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SideBySide\Winners\x86_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_*

Select the subkey that has the highest number after the underscore (_). For example, if you have subkeys named x86_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_5.82.19041.488_none_d5c7f9d9e7c4a8c9 and x86_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_6.0.19041.488_none_d5c7f9d9e7c4a8c9, then select the latter one.

In the right pane, look for the (Default) value and note down its data.

The data value indicates the version of ComCtl32.dll on your system. For example, if the data value is C:\Windows\WinSxS\x86_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_6.0.19041 .488_none_d5c7f9d9e7c4a8c9\comctl32.dll, then you have version 6.0 of ComCtl32.dll, which is the latest version of Windows Common Controls. How to target your application for a specific version of Windows Common Controls?

If you are developing an application that uses Windows Common Controls, you may want to target your application for a specific version of ComCtl32.dll to ensure compatibility and functionality. For example, if you want to use the features and improvements of version 6.0 of ComCtl32.dll, you need to make sure that your application is using that version and not an older one.

There are two ways to target your application for a specific version of Windows Common Controls:

Way 1: Using a manifest file

A manifest file is an XML file that contains information about the dependencies and requirements of your application. You can use a manifest file to specify which version of ComCtl32.dll your application needs to use. Here are the steps:

Create a manifest file with the same name as your executable file and with the .manifest extension. For example, if your executable file is MyApp.exe, then your manifest file should be MyApp.exe.manifest.

In the manifest file, add the following code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>

</dependentAssembly>

</dependency>

</assembly>

Save the manifest file in the same folder as your executable file.

This code tells Windows that your application depends on version 6.0 of ComCtl32.dll and that it should use that version instead of any other version that may be present on the system.

Way 2: Using an embedded manifest

An embedded manifest is a manifest file that is embedded into your executable file as a resource. You can use an embedded manifest to specify which version of ComCtl32.dll your application needs to use without creating a separate manifest file. Here are the steps:

Create a text file with the same code as in the previous way.

Save the text file as MyApp.rc in the same folder as your executable file.

Compile the text file into a resource file using the Resource Compiler (rc.exe) tool. For example, run the following command: rc.exe /r MyApp.rc

Link the resource file into your executable file using the Linker (link.exe) tool. For example, run the following command: link.exe /manifest MyApp.res MyApp.obj

This code embeds the manifest information into your executable file as a resource with the ID RT_MANIFEST and the name 1.

How to troubleshoot common issues with Windows Common Controls?

Windows Common Controls are generally reliable and easy to use, but sometimes you may encounter some issues with them that may affect your application's performance or functionality. Here are some common issues and their solutions:

Issue 1: Missing or outdated common controls

If you try to run an application that uses Windows Common Controls and you get an error message saying that mscomctl.ocx or comctl32.ocx is missing or not registered, or that it is incompatible with your system, then you need to download and install Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6) as described in the previous section.

Issue 2: Visual styles not applied to common controls

If you want to use visual styles to enhance the appearance of your common controls, such as flat buttons, themed tabs, or gradient-filled progress bars, then you need to enable visual styles for your application. To do this, you need to add the following code to your application's initialization routine:

#include

#pragma comment(lib, "comctl32.lib") void InitApplication() ICC_PROGRESS_CLASS

This code initializes the common controls library, loads the comctl32.dll module, and calls the SetWindowTheme function to apply the Explorer visual style to your common control with the ID IDC_MYCONTROL. You can replace the ID with the ID of your control, or use a loop to apply the visual style to all your controls.

Issue 3: Inconsistent behavior or appearance of common controls

If you notice that your common controls behave or appear differently on different systems or versions of Windows, then you may need to adjust some settings or properties of your controls to ensure consistency and compatibility. Here are some tips and tricks to do that:

Use the FlatStyle property to specify how your buttons, check boxes, and radio buttons should look. You can choose from Flat, Popup, Standard, or System styles.

Use the BorderStyle property to specify how your text boxes, list boxes, combo boxes, and other controls should look. You can choose from FixedSingle, Fixed3D, None, or System styles.

Use the Appearance property to specify how your tabs, toolbars, status bars, and other controls should look. You can choose from Normal, Button, or Flat styles.

Use the View property to specify how your list views and tree views should display their items. You can choose from Details, Icons, List, SmallIcons, or Tile views.

Use the FullRowSelect, GridLines, HotTracking, ShowGroups, and ShowItemToolTips properties to customize the behavior and appearance of your list views and tree views.

Use the AutoArrange, CheckBoxes, LabelEdit, LabelWrap, MultiSelect, and SortOrder properties to customize the functionality and interaction of your list views and tree views.

Use the ShowUpDown, ShowCheckBox, and ShowNoneButton properties to customize the appearance and functionality of your date pickers and month calendar controls.

Use the TicFrequency, TicksStyle, and TicAlignment properties to customize the appearance and functionality of your trackbar controls.

Use the BuddyControl, BuddyAlign, and BuddyAutoResize properties to associate an up-down control with another control such as a text box or a list box.

Use the ShowToday, ShowTodayCircle, and ShowWeekNumbers properties to customize the appearance and functionality of your month calendar controls.

Use the TitleBackColor, TitleForeColor, and TitleFont properties to customize the appearance of your rebar controls.

Use the BkColor, BkImage, and BkImageStyle properties to customize the background of your rebar controls.

Use the GripSize, GripStyle, and GripVisible properties to customize the grip of your rebar controls.

Use the BandCount, BandIndex, and BandStyle properties to customize the bands of your rebar controls.

Use the ImageList, ImageIndex, and ImageKey properties to associate images with your rebar controls, list views, tree views, tabs, toolbars, and other controls.

Use the Alignment, AutoSize, and BorderStyle properties to customize the appearance and functionality of your header controls.

Use the Orientation, ButtonSize, and ButtonState properties to customize the appearance and functionality of your pager controls.

Use the LinkColor, LinkBehavior, and LinkVisited properties to customize the appearance and functionality of your link controls.

Use the AnimateWindow, CommonAVI, and Open methods to control the animation of your animation controls.

Use the ShowBalloonTip, BalloonTipText, and BalloonTipIcon methods to display balloon tips for your tooltip controls.

Use the AddIPAddress, DeleteIPAddress, and GetAddress methods to manipulate the IP address of your IP address controls.

Use the AddHotKey, DeleteHotKey, and GetHotKey methods to manipulate the hot key of your hot key controls.

If you follow these tips and tricks, you will be able to use Windows Common Controls with consistency and compatibility across different systems and versions of Windows.

Conclusion

In this article, we have learned what are Windows Common Controls, why we need them, how to download them, how to check their version, how to target our application for a specific version, and how to troubleshoot some common issues with them. We have also seen some examples of code and screenshots to illustrate the usage and appearance of Windows Common Controls.

We hope that this article has helped you understand and use Windows Common Controls better. Windows Common Controls are a powerful and versatile tool that can enhance the user interface and functionality of your Windows applications. By using Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6), you can take advantage of the latest features and improvements of the common controls library. You can also ensure compatibility and stability of your applications with different versions of Windows and Internet Explorer.

If you have any questions or feedback about this article, please feel free to contact us. We would love to hear from you. Thank you for reading!

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about Windows Common Controls:

Q: What is the difference between ComCtl32.dll and mscomctl.ocx?

A: ComCtl32.dll is a dynamic link library that implements the common controls library. It is included in all 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows. Mscomctl.ocx is an ActiveX control that wraps some of the common controls in an OLE container. It is distributed with Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 and other applications that use it.

Q: How can I update ComCtl32.dll on my system?

A: You can update ComCtl32.dll on your system by installing the latest version of Internet Explorer or by downloading and installing Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6) from Microsoft website.

Q: How can I register or unregister mscomctl.ocx on my system?

A: You can register or unregister mscomctl.ocx on your system by using the Regsvr32.exe tool. For example, to register mscomctl.ocx, run the following command:

regsvr32.exe mscomctl.ocx

To unregister mscomctl.ocx, run the following command:

regsvr32.exe /u mscomctl.ocx

You may need to run these commands as an administrator.

Q: How can I use Windows Common Controls in Visual Studio?

A: You can use Windows Common Controls in Visual Studio by adding them to your toolbox. To do this, right-click on the toolbox, select Choose Items, select COM Components tab, check Microsoft Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6), and click OK. You will see the common controls in your toolbox under General category. You can drag and drop them onto your form or window and set their properties and events as you wish.

Q: How can I use Windows Common Controls in other programming languages?

A: You can use Windows Common Controls in other programming languages by using the Windows API or the ActiveX interface. You will need to include the header file commctrl.h and link to the library file comctl32.lib to use the Windows API. You will need to create an instance of the ActiveX control and call its methods and properties to use the ActiveX interface. You can find more information and examples on how to use Windows Common Controls in different programming languages on the Internet. dcd2dc6462

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