I have loaded the project in question before—within the last couple weeks—without problem.

But now when I try to open the .prj in the VB6 IDE, I get “Premission Denied.” (You’d think the
pricks at Microsoft could make message boxes like this and File Not Found tell you [u]what</u> file
was not found—since the OS was just looking for it—and to [u]what</u> you were just denied access
to—since the OS just finished trying to access it...)

I wind up with several .log files. The entries are: in one, and in the splash screen. (I presume this problem is secondary to not being able to create the
ImageList, in the first file.)

I have run the .EXE contained in vb6cli.exe: VBC6.exe.
I have run RegSvr32 "C:\WINNT\system32\MSCOMCTL.OCX" (Reported successful registration.)
I have looked at the permissions (comparing with MSCOMCT2.OCX, which I can reference
without a problem), and all seems to be copascetic.

I get this error also when I have an open application, right click on the toolbox, select
Comp[u]o</u>nents..., and try to add Microsoft Windows Common Controls 6.0 (SP6) (which is
MSComCtl.ocx), yet I can add Microsoft Windows Common Controls-2 6.0 (SP6) &
Microsoft Windows Common Controls-3 6.0 (SP5)

I’m starting to feel that no one else has encountered this...

I have these kind of problems all the time... welcome to dll hell. The solution usually comes only after a big headache.

first of all, can you add that control to a brand new project?

"There are two ways to write error-free programs. Only the third one works."
Unknown

I cannot. Any attempt to add this library of controls to the ToolBox raises the same error.

The irritating thing is that this is preventing me from opening projects which I have maintained (updated, bug-fixed, etc.) on this machine, using this account, not a month ago.

The error message that you get "Permission denied" is quite strange, but I have a couple of ideas

Are you running as Administrator? If not, can you try it?
Do you have a anti-virus, anti-spyware running in your computer that can prevent that component to be loaded?
Did you install any software lately, that can have "overwritten" your mscomctl.ocx?
Did you try to unregister that component, and see if there is another one registered by mistake in your computer?
Can you open the component using OleView?


"There are two ways to write error-free programs. Only the third one works."
Unknown

I have an administrator account on the same machine. I used , and pointed the IDE to the program, and I was not denied access. So I presume that would also be the case if I logged on as that user.
There is anti virus software. It certainly is possible that with routine upgrades this library I used to be able to use is now inaccessible. (Of course, I have no idea how to verify that...)
I have not tried unregistering to see if there is another one registered. I’m not clear on how unregistering it would reveal that?
With what software does OleView come? If you can suggest where to find it, i’ll try it.

Apparently I am not using the third way to write error-free code... :-]

I found OleView through search and ran it. It warned me that some features might not function because I was not logged in as an administrator (I clicked OK).

I found ont of the controls in the library in question, and was able to view detais about it.

So I opened VB6 not as an administrator, and opened the offending project. No problems. Everything is now working fine...

Who knows...

all's well then :)
This is whu is called "dll's hell", maybe you know why you arrived there ;) and most of the time you'll never know how you came out

It was a permission problem, that is some way it recovered.

Cheers,
Marco

"There are two ways to write error-free programs. Only the third one works."
Unknown

Just UnInstall/Re-Install vB 6 ...It will solve your problem

You clearly don't work in a large enterprise. Getting something like that done here is asceticism embodied. Frankly, I’d rather lie on a bed of nails...