ralph
4/25/2012 1:41:00 PM
On Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:59:44 -0700 (PDT), "tadamsmar@yahoo.com"
<tadamsmar@yahoo.com> wrote:
>We have some apps that are compile via VB5.
>
>The executables are run on a number of in-house computers. It's used
>on computers that have the VB5 development environment installed on
>them. So, the app is not installed using a package, instead the
>development environment provides the required run-time environment on
>each machine.
>
>These are networked computers and updates are pushed down to them from
>a central authority. The system that pushes down the updates is
>called BIgFix.
>
>Two of the executables started failing last week on two computers and
>we suspect a pushed OS update caused the failure.
>
>The message from one of the executables was: "Run-time error 50003".
>The mesage from the other was "Unexpected Error". They fail at
>startup.
>
>I examined System32 directory but could not find a suspicious update
>of any DDL or OCX that I though could have caused the update. I am
>not sure I checked correctly, but they all tended to have old modify
>dates.
>
>Here's an odd clue. If I re-compile the exe on one of the problem
>computers where the failures are occuring, then this exe works. But
>if I re-compile on the development machine, then the exe fails on the
>problem computers.
>
>Both the problem computers have Office installed. In general, the
>development computer and these problem computers don't have the same
>layered products installed.
>
>The OS on the computers is XP 2002 SP 3
Long answer...
Sounds like you have already checked-out this error online and have
discovered that the reason for getting this error is because of an
incompatable version of an ActiveX control or dll. So you went looking
for missing or different versions of components. However, note that is
not simply whether the correct component is present or not, but
whether the correct version is present and *registered*.
The usual fix for this is to simply re-install the application. Sounds
like you also noticed this online as well, since you mention at the
beginning that these applications have no install package. So let me
interject that this is the prime reason that ALL VB applications
should have an install package NO matter what the target is. However,
that horse has already escaped the barn. <bg>
First, run a registery cleaner - make sure the Registery is not
corrupted on the problem machines.
For most components, Applications compiled against an earlier version
will work with latter versions. However, applications compiled against
a newer component will not work with an earlier one. Therefore, the
most probable cause, assuming the register is OK, is that "older"
version somehow got installed on the problem machines.
You could try and determine which component and replace it. However,
the simplest solution is to upgrade the problem boxes with the latest
components.
Difficult to say what those components are without more information.
But check my short answer in another post. <g>
-ralph