VB6 ActiveX exe - what is the correct registration sequence?

Question

I recently updated my Visual Basic 6 application, which is an ActiveX exe running on Windows XP. I have several testers for this application who have received a copy of exe and are trying to run it. However, they get an "Unexpected error;quitting" when they try to do this.

The key difference between testing them and my testing is that on the computers I tested on, I have administrator rights and I can register the application using appname.exe /regserver
command line

Reading the details in MS Support about file registration is unclear:

Visual Basic ActiveX EXE files are registered the first time the EXE starts. However, you cannot use the EXE as a COM server until it is registered.

Does this mean that after users first launched exe, so that the application is correctly registered, and the error I receive is a sign of something other than an incorrectly registered application? Or does this mean that the application will not work properly until the file is explicitly registered with appname.exe /regserver
command line

nb - during production distribution, the software will be sent to client PCs using Systems Management Server, which is not an option for this testing.

Answer 1

This specific error indicates that the application was not launched, and the user launches it for the first time, without sufficient registration rights. You can prevent this error in two ways, install as admin and run the application, or explicitly register all type and class information related to ActiveX exe in your installer.