How to use vb6 DLL function in C# .NET using 4.6.1 framework

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i am trying to use ActiveX VB6 dll in c# .net application to Test COM, but it giving me run time error that class is not registered.

i have tried registering in both 32bit and 64 bit application and also tried targeting the same

What I have tried:

I have created VB6 Project of ActiveX dll type added two function

VB

 Public Function Name(aName As String)
MsgBox ("Your Name is " & aName)
End Function

Public Function TestName(aName As String) As String
TestName = " Hello  " & aName
End Function

Created DLL from same Project.

Then created Wrapper using below command .

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v10.0A\bin\NETFX 4.6.1 Tools>TlbImp.exe C:\Test\TestActiveX\Project1.dll /out: C:\Test\TestActiveX\out\Project1.dll

If i am performing only above operation then i am not getting Project1.dll under COM section but then i am registering dll using below code

C:\WINDOWS\system32>regsvr32 C:\Test\TestActiveX\Project1.dll

then only i am getting dll under COM section inside VisuaL studio Add Reference Dialog

i tried adding reference from C:\Test\TestActiveX\out\Project1.dll folder also but every time i am getting runtime error as below.

System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException: 'Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {ID} failed due to the following error: 80040154 Class not registered (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80040154 (REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG)).'

C#

public string ReturnFromCOM()
    {
        TestClass testClass = new TestClass();
        return testClass.TestName(" Hello ");
    }

i am not able to get it done, don't know what is missing in this steps. My Windows OS : 64 bit Windows 10 Framework 4.6.1 as well as 4.8.1 but created console application with Framework 4.6.1

i tried even changing project target to x64/x86/anyCPU but it's not working at all.

Posted 27-Dec-19 1:05am

Viken Patel

Updated 27-Dec-19 5:15am

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Comments

F-ES Sitecore 27-Dec-19 8:58am

You don't need tlbimp. Simply build the dll, register it with regsvr32 then add the reference via the COM tab in Add Reference. COM doesn't work like .net, it is registry-based rather than file-based so you don't reference the dll directly, it is location agnostic but has to stay wherever you have registered it.

2 solutions

Solution 1

Try running VS as Administrator (if you haven't done that already), otherwise take a look at the answers here: VB6 DLL Imported in C# .net project - Class not registered - Stack Overflow[^]

Posted 27-Dec-19 1:31am

RickZeeland

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Viken Patel 27-Dec-19 7:58am

tried this application also codeproject.com/Articles/154144/Using-Unmanaged-VB6-Code-in-NET , getting same error , also tried changing target x86/x64/Any CPU for this application also but same result.

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Dave Kreskowiak · Accepted Answer · 2019-12-27T05:15:00

First, you don't need TlbImp at all.

Your VB6 .DLL needs to be registered before you can use it. To do that, you launch a CMD prompt and navigate to where your VB6 .DLL is. You then run REGSVR32 filename.dll to register your .DLL. Close the CMD window.

Once that's done, in your C# project, in Solution Explorer, right-click References, then pick Add Reference. Switch the COM tab and you can find your .DLL in the list. Check the box next to it and click OK.

Once the reference is added, you can use the classes and functions in the .DLL in your C# code.

To explore the .DLL, you can open the Object Browser window with Ctrl-W, J.

If adding the reference doesn't work or comes back with an error, chances are your VB6 .DLL needs some dependency installed in order for it to work. We can't tell you what that is. We know absolutely nothing about your .DLL.