[RESOLVED] Service Pack Installion for VB6

[SamOscarBrown]

As DM pointed out, I should be using some of the many Service Packs made available over the last 15 years for Visual Basic 6. Well, I don't believe I ever did. So, after encouragement from DataMiser on another thread, I found SP6 (VB6.0-KV290887-X86.exe) at Microsoft. I downloaded it, created a directory into which to 'load' it. I created a file in that directory called vbrun60sp6.exe. So, I double-clicked IT, and a File Progress box appeared (for about 3 seconds), and then disappeared. I do not see that it did anything. When I look at the Help on VB6, I do not see any references to and Service Pack being installed, and the Version # (on that help about) remains 8176.

Kinda need some advice here. I have tried this on both XP and Win7 computers. (I have my 1997-1998 Visual Studio 6.0 original disks).

[Nightwalker83]

Will, if it does not appear in the uninstall section of the control panel in Windows one thing you can do to check whether or not it installed is to check the components list for "Microsoft Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6)", etc. They get installed with the new service pack (SP*) refers to which service pack they came from.

[SamOscarBrown]

AH AH !! (I think) I have 'always' (as far as I can remember (getting on in years, ya know)) had MS Win Common Controls 6.0. Never had noticed the (SP6) after it. It IS there on both my XP and Win7 systems, SO, I assume I DO have SP6 installed, BUT, when I installed it on the Win7 machine, directly from my original disk, I never installed anything after that, yet the SP6 appears after the .......Controls 6.0". I thought SP6 came out after 1998, but it appears when I install directly from my original disks.
So, am I 'good', even though the Help doesn;t indicated Service Pack 'anything'? (I've had no real issues with ADO (except my ineptness) for the past many years).

EDIT: PS- no Service Pack entry appears in the Control Panel.

[DataMiser]

SP6 did come out well after 1998, It was released around the time of Vista or shortly after.

Common controls are also used in other MS products so if you have a newer version of Office and/or applied the updates it could come from there.


Not sure what file you downloaded. It should be VS6SP6B.Exe
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/downl...n.aspx?id=5721

Edit: Yep looks like you grabbed the rollup file http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/downl....aspx?id=29326
I would not install that one, I would install the actual SP6 though

[dilettante]

I don't know what you're doing but that isn't SP6 and you didn't install SP6. Hmm. Ok:

What you have there is a sort of "let's make something we can foist on people making uninformed support calls" package for dumping several of the VB6 controls libraries unceremoniously onto a system. It was used to get improperly installed LOB applications running in Mort-based shops.

The "security rollup" is another thing entirely, and not something you really want to install. We had a lot of discussion of that catastrophe here. You can't uninstall it to fix the mess it makes, you have to reinstall Windows.


Here is what you need: Service Pack 6 for Visual Basic 6.0, Visual C++ 6.0 with Visual Source Safe 6.0d

Notice the "d" suffix? This is because Microsoft actually does issue updates but they can't name them SP7, SP8, etc. because officially VB6 "is no longer supported." The changes should be very minor though and the important one was 6a which fixed some serious errors in plain 6.

[dilettante]

SP6 did come out well after 1998, It was released around the time of Vista or shortly after.

Vista didn't come out until late 2006.

VB6 SP6 came out in late 2003, SP6a in early 2004, SP6b in 2004, and so on.

[SamOscarBrown]

Here is what you need: Service Pack 6 for Visual Basic 6.0, Visual C++ 6.0 with Visual Source Safe 6.0d

Well...how about that!!! FINALLY (after all these years).....I installed in on XP....absolutely no issues (of course I haven't worked with it yet)--it installed correctly. Little hesitant (tonight) to do the same to my Win7 (as this is the system I use 99% of the time). But, I will try in a few days once I have everything backed up (just to be sure).

Thanks to ALL for your help/guidance....

[DataMiser]

Vista didn't come out until late 2006.

VB6 SP6 came out in late 2003, SP6a in early 2004, SP6b in 2004, and so on.

I wasn't really aware that it had been that long but time flies once you get to my age

I see that the cab file on my system for the SP6b is dated 3/11/2004.

I know I first installed the SP6 after I installed Vista so that is why I was thinking it must have been released around that time. I never really ran into any issue with SP5. I know there were a few but did not effect the programs I was writing at the time.

My Vista ISO files are dated 1/15/2007

[dilettante]

Well I just wish we had a useful MS KB article explaining the differences between 6, 6a, etc.

All I know for sure is that "plain" 6 apparently had enough serious bugs that it scared a lot of old-time VB6 programmers off for years and they refused to even try 6a when it came out. You can still see people recycling the "stay on SP5" meme, probably because they've read obsolete diatribes on the subject of SP6 in old forum threads, usenet posts, blogs, etc.


Vista rolled out in stages. Consumer releases of Vista were early 2007, but OEMs and large "commercial license" customers got it as early as November 2006.

[DataMiser]

Well maybe it was not such a bad thing then that I stayed on 5 for many years. I can't remember the exact issue that caused me to move to SP6b but it was related to the newer OS. SP5 was fine under XP for everything I did.