If when you try to install or open a program on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer you get a prompt with the error message MSCOMCTL.OCX or one of its dependencies not registered, then this post is intended to help you with the most adequate solutions you can try to fix the error on your device.
What is a MSCOMCTL.OCX file?
The MSCOMCTL.OCX file is an ActiveX Control module that contains common controls used by Visual Basic and Windows, such as ImageCombo, ImageList, ListView, ProgressBar, Slider, StatusBar, TabStrip, ToolBar, and TreeView controls. Some older software might still need this file in order to work.
When you encounter this issue, you’ll receive the following full error message;
Component ‘MSCOMCTL.OCX’ or one of its dependencies not registered: a file is missing or invalid
Why is MSCOMCTL.OCX missing?
If a program prompts you with the MSCOMCTL.OCX file is missing or invalid error on your Windows 11/10 device when you try to install or launch the software on your computer, it simply means the app cannot find the required OCX file in the appropriate system directory or the OCX file isn’t correctly registered on the computer.
MSCOMCTL.OCX or one of its dependencies not registered
If you are faced with this issue on your Windows 11/10 PC, you can try our recommended solutions below in no particular order and see if that helps to resolve the MSCOMCTL.OCX or one of its dependencies not registered error that has occurred on your system.
- Run Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter
- Re-register .OCX file
- Replace/Restore the .OCX file
- Run Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter
Let’s take a look at the description of the process involved concerning each of the listed solutions.
1] Run Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter
The Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter is designed to help PC users automatically repair issues when you’re blocked from installing or removing programs. It also fixes corrupted registry keys.
This solution requires you to run the Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter from Microsoft and see if the MSCOMCTL.OCX or one of its dependencies not registered error that has occurred on your system is resolved. Otherwise try the next solution.
2] Re-register .OCX file
When this error occurs, it means that the required file for the software isn’t registered or is missing, and the application in question won’t be able to run on your system. Registering a file with the Windows 11/10 operating system means that the OS stores the entry of the file in its database and knows it is present in that specific directory. This file can be used by any application that requires it and calls it.
This solution requires you to re-register the .OCX file in question. Here’s how:
- Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
- In the Run dialog box, type cmd and then press CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER to open Command Prompt in admin/elevated mode.
- In the command prompt window, depending on your system architecture, type the command below and hit Enter:
For 64-bit system
regsvr32 "C:WindowsSysWOW64MSCOMCTL.OCX"
For 32-bit system
regsvr32 "C:WindowsSystem32MSCOMCTL.OCX"
Note: If C: is not your system (Windows installation) drive letter, change it accordingly.
3] Replace/Restore the .OCX file
You can restore the file from Recycle Bin in the case of accidental deletion of the .OCX file. You can also restore this file by logging into another working Windows computer that has been recently updated, navigate to the appropriate folder as it relates to your system architecture as shown above in Solution 2] and locate, copy the file to a USB drive, then plug the drive to the PC you’re having the issue on, navigate to the exact folder, then paste the file in that location.
You can restore the MSCOMCTL.OCX file to the appropriate folder with a healthy copy of the file (if available) from Winbindex – a new web service that allows users to see the information about Windows OS files download them from Microsoft servers.
4] Run Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter
If the app that is triggering the error in view is already installed on your system but you get the error when you try to open the app, you can run the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter and see if that helps.
To run Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter on your Windows 11 device, do the following:
- Press Windows key + I to open Settings app.
- Navigate to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
- Under the Other section, find Windows Store Apps.
- Click Run button.
- Follow on-screen instructions and apply any recommended fixes.
To run the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter on your Windows 10 PC, do the following:
- Press Windows key + I to open Settings app.
- Go to Update and Security.
- Click the Troubleshooter tab.
- Scroll down and click on Windows Store Apps.
- Click the Run the troubleshooter button.
- Follow on-screen instructions and apply any recommended fixes.
If this didn’t help. you can uninstall the problematic app (preferably, use third-party software uninstaller), reboot PC, and then download and reinstall the latest version of the app on your Windows 11/10 PC.
Any of these solutions should work for you!