How to Fix COMCTL32.OCX File missing or Invalid for Windows10

Comctl32.ocx  is a runtime file for Visual Basic 6.0. This means that the comctl.ocx file is not included in the Windows system files.  The file is mostly required when you are running old programs that were developed using VB 6.0. Therefore, whenever you experience the ‘comctl32.ocx file missing or invalid’, it means that the program you are running requires Visual Basic 6.0 runtime libraries. This step by step tutorial will guide you on how to install the comctl2.ocx file correctly.

Prerequisites

To follow along with this tutorial, you need the following

1. A computer
2. A working internet connection

Step 1

You need to download the Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Common Controls. The common control package contains the comctl32.ocx. You now need to head to the Microsoft website to download Visual Basic 6.0 common control. Click this link to head to the download page directly. Click on the ‘Download’ button as shown below to initiate the download.

Step 2

After the download is finished, Do NOT run the download. You need to click on ‘No’ if you are prompted to update the VB 6.0.

Step 3

Open the downloaded file using a file archiver tool such as Winrar. You should see the ‘comctl32.ocx’file as shown below. You need to extract the contents of the downloaded file.

Step 4

You need to know your computer system type i.e., 32-bit or 64-bit. If you are unsure about your system type, you can find out quickly. You need to open the file explorer and find ‘My computer’. Right-click on my computer and select properties. This will open up the system properties tab that contains all your computer’s specifications. You can find the system type as shown below:

Step 5

You need to copy the OCX file to the path below:

Windows 64-bit system copy the comctl32.ocx to  C:\Windows\SysWOW64

Windows 32-bit system copy the comctl32.ocx to C:\Windows\System32

The image below demonstrates the 64-bit system type:

Step 6

You have successfully copied the new comctl32.ocx file to the correct folder. Now you need to register the OCX file. You need to press ‘Winodws Key + X’ then select the ‘Command Prompt (Admin)’ option a shown below:

Step 7

You need to copy and paste the code below onto your command line:

Windows 32-bit system : regsvr32 comdlg32.ocx

Windows 64-bit system : C:\Windows\SysWOW64\regsvr32 

                                              C:\Windows\SysWOW64\comdlg32.ocx

Conclusion

You now know how to fix the error message caused by missing or invalid comctl32.ocx file. Was this post helpful? Please let us know in the comment section below.