INFO: Visual Basic 5.0 and 6.0 Compatibility Issues (217017)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows 6.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows 6.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows 6.0
This article was previously published under Q217017

SUMMARY

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry


This article summarizes the compatibility issues between Visual Basic version 5.0 and 6.0.

MORE INFORMATION

Following are the known compatibility issues between Visual Basic 5.0 and 6.0:
  • Running the Visual Basic 5.0 Setup Wizard on a system with both Visual Basic 5.0 and Visual Basic 6.0 installed.

    While you can develop a Visual Basic 5.0 application in a system with both Visual Basic 5.0 and 6.0 installed, you should only create a deployment package for your Visual Basic 5.0 application on a clean system with only Visual Basic 5.0 installed.

    When Visual Basic 6.0 is installed on the same system as Visual Basic 5.0, all the controls installed by Visual Basic 5.0 are updated. The updated controls may cause a problem when you run the Visual Basic 5.0 Setup Wizard to create a deployment package for your Visual Basic 5.0 application due to different dependencies.

    To create a deployment package for a Visual Basic 5.0 application, run the Visual Basic 5.0 Setup Wizard on a system containing only Visual Basic 5.0 so that the appropriate controls are included in your deployment package.For additional information about other potential conflicts, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    190253 INFO: VB6 Designers Do Not Work in VB5

    190080 PRB: VBCE 5.0 on Same Machine as VB6 Causes Application Error

    192934 PRB: Error "The Jet VBA File...Failed to Initialize When Called"

  • The following error message displays when you attempt to use the Microsoft Windows Common Controls 5.0 (Comctl32.ocx) in a Visual Basic 5.0 project. The system once had Visual Basic 6.0 installed:
    Could Not Be Loaded - Adding component to project
    This error message occurs when you install a newer version of an ActiveX control, uninstall it, and then install an older version of the same ActiveX control. The registry key for the newer version of the ActiveX control remains in the registry and Visual Basic 5.0 is now trying to use that registry key.

    WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

    To resolve this issue:

    • Delete the TypeLib Registry Key for the ActiveX Control and then re-register the control using RegSvr32.exe.
    For additional information about how to delete a registry key and re-register an ActiveX control, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    217180 HOWTO: Delete and Re-register the TypeLib GUID for an ActiveX Control

  • When attempting to create a Visual Basic Application Wizard project in the Visual Basic 6.0 Learning Edition you receive the following message:
    You do not have the proper license to load the VB 98 Application Wizard. You must have the Learning, Professional, or Enterprise edition of Visual Basic installed.
    This is caused by having the Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition installed on the same system. For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    220816 BUG: Application Wizard License Not Found

(c) Microsoft Corporation 1999, All Rights Reserved. Contributions by Arsenio Locsin, Microsoft Corporation.

REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

190211 PRB: Problems With Visual Basic 5.0 and 6.0 on Same System

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:5/12/2003
Keywords:kbAppSetup kbinfo kbwizard KB217017
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.