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Q279764: PRB: Multiple System Files Errors w/ VB 6.0 App on Windows 2000

Article: Q279764
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): 6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbwizard kbAppSetup kbDeployment kbVBp600 kbDSupport kbVS600sp4fix kbVS600sp5fix
Last Modified: 25-JUL-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, version 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, version 6.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you install a Microsoft Visual Basic version 6.0 application that was
created with the Package and Deployment Wizard onto a computer that is running
Microsoft Windows 2000, you may receive the following error message:

  Setup cannot continue because some system files are out of date on your
  system. Click OK if you would like setup to update these files for you now.
  You will need to restart Windows before you can run setup again. Click cancel
  to exit setup without updating system files.

After Windows 2000 restarts and you begin the installation again, you receive the
error message again.

CAUSE
=====

The Package and Deployment Wizard uses a restart to update in-use system files.
In Windows 2000, system files are protected and are not updated on the restart.
Each subsequent attempt to install the application results in the same error
message, and the application cannot complete its installation.

The normal procedure to update Windows 2000 system files is to install the latest
service pack. However, in certain situations, the development computer may
contain specific system files that have a later version number than those found
on Windows 2000. For example, if the setup package was created on a Windows
Millennium Edition (Me)-based system or a Windows 2000-based system with a
service pack that is later than the target, the PDW may package a higher version
than is on the target Windows 2000 system. When this happens, the application
setup detects that it needs to install the new system files, and it prompts you
to restart the computer. Because Windows 2000 does not allow application
installations to replace system files, the application setup detects the old
system files again when it restarts.

The file that causes this problem is Oleaut32.dll.

RESOLUTION
==========

There are two ways to resolve this problem:

- Use a Windows 2000 Service Pack to update the version of Oleaut32.dll on the
  target computer to one that is equal to or later than the version of the
  Oleaut32.dll file in the package.

- Include a version of Oleaut32.dll in the package that is equal to or earlier
  than the version that shipped with Windows 2000. One way to accomplish this
  is to install Visual Studio 6.0 Service Pack 4 (SP4) or later. Visual Studio
  6.0 SP4 installs three files (Olepro32.dll, Oleaut32.dll, and Stdole2.tlb) in
  the Redist folder. The file versions that SP4 installs are earlier than the
  versions that shipped with Windows 2000. The Package and Deployment Wizard
  then distributes the Oleaut32.dll from the Redist folder instead of the
  System folder.

REFERENCES
==========

For additional information on other causes for this behavior, click the article
number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q191096 PRB: Multiple 'System Files Are Out of Date' Errors

For additional information about Visual Studio service packs, click the article
numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q194022 INFO: Visual Studio 6.0 Service Packs, What, Where, Why

  Q194295 HOWTO: Tell That a Visual Studio Service Pack Is Installed

You can download the latest Visual Studio service pack from the following
Microsoft Web site:

  Visual Studio Product Updates
  (http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/downloads/updates.asp)

Additional query words:

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Keywords          : kbwizard kbAppSetup kbDeployment kbVBp600 kbDSupport kbVS600sp4fix kbVS600sp5fix 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB600Search kbVBA600 kbVB600
Version           : :6.0
Issue type        : kbprb

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