>Can a VFP app (exe) that contains ActiveX controls reside on a network server? Do the ActiveX controls need to be registered on each NT workstation or can the ActiveX controls be registered one time on the NT server?

The ActiveX controls must be registered on each station that references the control; if necessary, you can keep the controls on the server (a bad idea for a number of reasons), but it can be done.

The same applies to the VFP runtime; you could keep the runtime files in a central network location; it creates a unnecessary burden on the LAN and makes resolving the location a problem.

Location resolution is the single biggest problem you face; by default .DLLs and .OCXs will register with a drive letter/path notration; if the drive mapping is permanent, fine, but if not, the control or .DLL may not be able to be located, since the referenced mapped drive may be pointed elsewhere, or not defined at all. You can coerce drive letter/path notation to UNCs, but that involves detailed knowledge of the registry keys associated with the DLL or OCX file.

In addition, changes in a control or .DLL may require that you reregister the file. If the file is simply copied to the com,mon network directory nd each station doesn't know that it needs to reregister before using it, the world can get very flakey very fast.

This doesn't address the issue of load time or the ability to function without the network, either.

>Hi all,
>
>I have developed VFP apps w/ActiveX controls where the database was located on the NT server and the program files including ActiveX controls were distributed on each workstation via a setup program on the server. I had a version check by comparing the version field in the system table on the server with the version field in the system table on the workstation. If the versions did not match, the user was informed to run the update program on the server which would scan their local drive and locate the program directory and update the program files to the latest version. I found this to work very well.
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>However, on my new assignment, the upper management wants the program files and the database to reside on the NT server and not on the individual workstations. If the ActiveX controls need to be registered on each workstation, then the method I described would be the best way to distribute the program. If the ActiveX controls can be registered one time on the NT server, then the way they want the program setup should work??
>
>Any comments, personal experience, help along these lines would be greatly appreciated.

Take a look at my messages over the past few days; I've addressed this issue at length a couple of times.