Outlook 2002 and ActiveX

Low-priority query, but if anyone can shed light, I'd be grateful.

I was using the help feature in Outlook 2002 and it offered me an option to use one of the built-in training tutorials on a particular feature. When I selected it, I got a warning that Swflash.ocx. was not installed, that this file is needed for normal operation and I should insert my product CD to restore this critical file. However, when I searched for Swflash.ocx, I found it was in the I386 directory (and in the SP2 files) - closing the warning then caused the tutorial to run. I retried this a couple of times and got the same warning each time, with the tutorial running once I closed the warning message. When I actually click on the tutorial link, there seems to be another window opening very quickly and immediately vanishing from view, to be replaced by the warning message. All too fast to see, though.

I'm going to make an uneducated guess that this is something to do with the security threat presented by ActiveX controls and some of Bill's consequent patches.

Anyone know how I can stop the "missing file" warning, as it isn't?

It probably isn't relevent, but:

Machine details:

Dell C840 laptop, 1.8 MHz, 1GB ram (recently upgraded from 512 MB) 40 GB HDD. XP Pro SP2 with latest updates, ZAP firewall v6.1.737.000, Norton 2004 antivirus v10.0.1.13, sync to iPAQ 1945 using ActiveSync v3.8. I run Ewido v3.5, SpywareGuard v2.2.0, and SpywareBlaster v3.4, I also use SpyBot S&D v1.4 and Ad-Aware SE - full scans for viruses and spyware weekly. I have used Wintasks and SpyBot utilities to selectively limit the startup list (maximise resources and minimise startup, which takes about 3 min). Broadband internet via BT and an Intel AnyPoint DSL software modem. Lots of software loaded (MS Office, MS Project, Lotus SmartSuite, Paintshop Pro, Adobe Acrobat, etc, etc.). I use Firefox 1.5 rather than IE6, except when I have no choice.

I have run SpeedUpMyPC and Registry Mechanic to keep load times down and registry clean.

 

Hi Wiseloki
It seems like this Swflash.ocx may need to be registered in the Windows database. Log on as administrator or equivalent, then

copy Swflash.ocx to %SystemRoot%\System32. ( %SystemRoot% may be C:\WINNT or C:\WINDOWS ).

Start->Run:regsrv32.exe %SystemRoot%\System32\Swflash.ocx
It should now be part of the Windows database.

 

Tried this. File copied OK, but when I tried to run: regsrv.exe_windows\system32\swflash.ocx (where "_" is a space) I was told that Windows couldn't find regsrv.exe.

Did I miss something?

 

Did you use regsrv32.exe or regsrv.exe?

 

Sorry, error in the response. I actually used exactly the string you gave me, i.e.

regsrv32.exe_Windows\System32\Swflash.ocx ("_" = <space>)

I tried this again before I posted, just to make sure. Same warning, Windows couldn't find regsrv32.exe.

 

Hello again WiseLoki
I just read your reply. Bummer. If you don't have Regsvr32.exe then no program can register any ActiveX DLLs. As a last resort, do a "Search" for regsvr32.exe on you C: drive. Maybe Regsvr32.exe is actually misplaced or even missing. If it's missing you need to either try a "repair" or else download the file from Microsoft.

 

Now here's interesting - I did a search as you suggested (I didn't realise that it was an application, I thought it might be a command) and regsvr32.exe is in my C:\I386 folder. So it's in there but XP won't run it. Any ideas?

 

That's good news wiseloki. Just copy the regsvr32.exe to your C:\windows\system32 folder and then it should run just fine. Then you'll be able to register the swflash.ocx and any other ActiveX file that may come along. ie: RUN-> regsrv32 C:\windows\system32\swflash.ocx