N
Nick Hebb
Like the previous poster, I too am having problems with an add-in
loading for customers.
Background
=========
My product is a COM Add-in for Excel written in VB6. The program is
installed and runs from a folder in the Program Files directory (this
becomes relevant later). The add-in sets a HKLM registry entry for the
LoadBehavior to 3 (load next start).
Problem 1
========
A user installed the 30-day trial version of my software and waited
until the 30-day trial was over before buying a license. By
coincidence, over the same weekend that the 30-day trial expired, the
Microsoft Update ran. When the user opened Excel (2003 - running on a
XP box) the following Monday, my add-in did not load. This is not the
programmed behavior for trial expiration. In fact, the add-in didn't
even show up in the COM Add-ins dialog box. Nonetheless, I assumed
there was a bug in the trial settings, so I created a few more builds
for him, tweaking some of the settings.
We went back and forth and never could get the add-in to load. So, I
sent him a new, re-named version with all the software protection
stripped out. This time the add-in loaded when the user ran Excel ...
but only the first time after installing the program. Afterward, the
toolbar didn't load, but the add-in was visible in the COM Add-In
dialog.
Problem 2
========
Another user did some un-described system maintenance on his PC and the
add-in disappeared. He tried re-installing the software, but it still
wouldn't load. He said he tried this several times, along with trying
to manually load the add-in using the COM Add-in dialog box. Finally he
copied the DLL to the user C:\...\Application Data\Microsoft\AddIns
directory and the add-in loaded.
This just plain seemed weird to me. Why would a registered DLL work
after being moved from the location in was registered in? Does MS
recommend than COM Add-In DLL's be stored there?
Any thoughts on where to start troubleshooting?
Thanks,
Nick Hebb
BreezeTree Software, LLC
http://www.breezetree.com
loading for customers.
Background
=========
My product is a COM Add-in for Excel written in VB6. The program is
installed and runs from a folder in the Program Files directory (this
becomes relevant later). The add-in sets a HKLM registry entry for the
LoadBehavior to 3 (load next start).
Problem 1
========
A user installed the 30-day trial version of my software and waited
until the 30-day trial was over before buying a license. By
coincidence, over the same weekend that the 30-day trial expired, the
Microsoft Update ran. When the user opened Excel (2003 - running on a
XP box) the following Monday, my add-in did not load. This is not the
programmed behavior for trial expiration. In fact, the add-in didn't
even show up in the COM Add-ins dialog box. Nonetheless, I assumed
there was a bug in the trial settings, so I created a few more builds
for him, tweaking some of the settings.
We went back and forth and never could get the add-in to load. So, I
sent him a new, re-named version with all the software protection
stripped out. This time the add-in loaded when the user ran Excel ...
but only the first time after installing the program. Afterward, the
toolbar didn't load, but the add-in was visible in the COM Add-In
dialog.
Problem 2
========
Another user did some un-described system maintenance on his PC and the
add-in disappeared. He tried re-installing the software, but it still
wouldn't load. He said he tried this several times, along with trying
to manually load the add-in using the COM Add-in dialog box. Finally he
copied the DLL to the user C:\...\Application Data\Microsoft\AddIns
directory and the add-in loaded.
This just plain seemed weird to me. Why would a registered DLL work
after being moved from the location in was registered in? Does MS
recommend than COM Add-In DLL's be stored there?
Any thoughts on where to start troubleshooting?
Thanks,
Nick Hebb
BreezeTree Software, LLC
http://www.breezetree.com