Man, so many questions, so few answers from MS KBs.

If , for instance, we use a very early version of richtx32.ocx, then that means that it can overwrite a pre-existing LATER version in SysWOW64. Would that not cause problems for other apps?

If on the other hand, I put my earlier version of richtx32.ocx in my app folder, and register it there, it will not overwrite the LATER version in SysWOW64, BUT...It means that the OS will then, always go to my app folder to use it for all other apps (because it has the same name as the later version in SysWOW64), and I am back where I started, AND if my app is uninstalled, the ocx goes with it and the system is left in an unstable state due to the missing ocx. Unless I personally re-register the version residing inside SysWOW64.

If I rename my version of richtx32.ocx to something else, like Myrichtx32.ocx, then I would have to do the same for all of my redist dll's and ocx's. And since those are binary files, there is no easy way to change all of the myriad of dependency names in those files. So that seems dangerous and in the least, incredibly overkill and stupid.

Unless there is someway to tell the installer to keep my early versions of the libraries in my app folder completely isolated from the versions already existing in SysWOW64, allowing them both to function side-by-side...The SysWOW64 version for all other apps, and my early version in my app folder only used for my app.