Question

The Win32 API call RegisterTypeLib() is used to create the registry keys necessary to register a type library.

Unfortunatly, on Windows XP, it tries to write those registry key entries to

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib 

rather than

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\TypeLib 

Meaning that a standard user will not be able to run an ActiveX.

In May 2008 Microsoft released a hotfix for Vista to correct this issue – but the problem remains on Windows XP.

What’s a standard-user friendly developer to do?

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Answer 1

Use the API call that is designed for it:

RegisterTypeLibraryForUser()

Answer 2

If you can’t fix it, hack it:

//begin hack HKEY key; RegOpenKeyW(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, @'Software\Classes', out key); RegOverridePredefKey(HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, key);  //do original work RegisterTypeLibrary(...)  //stop hacking RegOverridePredefKey(HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, null); RegCloseKey(key);  

Answer 1

You can use the RegOverridePredefKey() API to map the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT regtree to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes:

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms724901.aspx