AccessImagine

AccessImagine is ActiveX control, which helps to insert images into DB – from file, webcam, clipboard or drag-n-drop, crop and display images, store outside database.

MSCOMCTL.ocx problems after August 2012 security patch

Several people reported that they have problems running Access applications after applying latest Microsoft update in August 2012. It appears that MS12-060 security update replaces MSCOMCTL.ocx with new version 6.01.9834, which is not 100% compatible with old versions (again!). The trick is to re-register MSCOMCTL.ocx using regsvr32.exe:

For 64-bit operating systems, type the following:
Regsvr32 "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\MSCOMCTL.OCX"

For 32-bit operating systems, type the following:
Regsvr32 "C:\Windows\System32\MSCOMCTL.OCX"

See KB article 2597986 MS12-060: Description of the security update for Office 2010: August 14, 2012 for more info.

Checkout post comments for more tips!

ImportXML method "Cannot establish connection to the server" error

My friend Peter, Access MVP, was recently puzzled by weird error, produced by simple line:

Application.ImportXML strPathFile, acStructureAndData

Runtime error was 31521 "Cannot establish connection to the server". There was no any network connection involved, strPathFile was as simple as "C:\Temp\Customer.xml". This xml file has been generated by:

Application.ExportXML acExportQuery, strQuery, _
strPathFile, , , , , acEmbedSchema

It turned out that Access Trust Center option "ActiveX Settings" was a source of such error, it was set to "Disable all controls without notification". Once it was changed to "Prompt me before enabling all controls …" – it works!

Thanks for sharing, Peter!

How to redraw Access form on RDC session

I recently moved one of my applications to terminal services hosting. In most case this works just fine, but in this application I use DBPix ActiveX control with pop-up form (red ring) over it, movable by user:

This combination produced very weird visual effects on terminal server session, basically control area was not repainted correctly. I tried to send WM_PAINT message, InvalidateRect function, nothing helped. So I ended up with following solution: after form load and after event of moving popup form I run .Move form method to move form one pixel left and then back.

If IsRunningInTerminal() Then
       Me.Move Me.WindowLeft + 8
       Me.Move Me.WindowLeft – 8
End If

Not very elegant solution, but it works. And if you know better solution – please post comment here.

By the way, Ammara developing new DBpix 3.0 version with some exciting features!

Build your own Object Browser

Sometimes people ask – how to get a list of methods or events of some ActiveX DLL or control, or just any COM library. VB6 (and perhaps earlier versions) was shipped with TLBINF32.DLL - TypeLib Information Object Library, which you can use in Access or any other VBA host. And MSDN article Visual Basic: Inspect COM Components Using the TypeLib Information Object Library helps to understand basics of this library usage, you can also download Help Files for Tlbinf32.dll.

Registration-free COM

If you are building applications with ActiveX controls, then you can have problems distributing it, because of Admin privileges required to install ActiveX controls. There is a new COM activation model called Registration-free COM introduced in Windows XP, which can help you in this case. Read this article to find more about Reg-Free COM.

Update. One more link to read on this topic.