Modern Windows systems (10, 11, and even 24H2) can still run and compile legacy VB6 projects — but only with the right combination of setup, registration, and compatibility tweaks. This project packages everything you need into a single self-extracting installer: no VM required, no registry headaches, no missing OCXs.
Whether you’re fixing a 20-year-old tool, exploring classic codebases, or simply feel at home in the VB6 IDE, this project gives you a ready-to-use experience.
Like many developers with a long history in Windows programming, I still occasionally need to maintain or run legacy Visual Basic 6.0 applications. Whether it’s for preserving old utilities, analyzing historical code, or simply accessing data created in a previous era, the need for a working VB6 IDE still arises.
Unfortunately, setting up VB6 on modern systems — especially Windows 10 and 11 — has become increasingly problematic. While some opt for virtual machines or compatibility layers, I wanted a simple, fast, and direct solution that didn’t require any VMs, no sketchy patches, and no endless DLL troubleshooting.
That’s how this project began.
Getting VB6 to run on Windows 11 (especially 24H2) wasn’t straightforward. Here are some of the common issues I faced:
Toolbar, StatusBar, or ImageList.MSCOMCTL.OCX is either missing or fails to register properly..exe files compiled in VB6 often fails without runtime dependencies.The process was a mix of research, scripting, testing on fresh machines, and documenting every detail. After manually assembling all required components and resolving DLL and OCX registrations, I bundled everything into a WinRAR self-extracting executable.
✅ Tested successfully on:
In all cases, VB6 IDE launched correctly, projects loaded and compiled, and ActiveX controls worked inside the designer — without needing a virtual machine.
Process.Start() IssuesOne interesting part of this project was the creation of delaycmd.exe — a small utility that delays execution of another program by a few seconds. While this may seem trivial, it’s often essential for:
Unlike C#’s Process.Start() or Java’s Runtime.getRuntime().exec(), which may exit before child processes are fully initialized, this utility offers precise control in a native binary with zero dependencies.
The archive includes:
MSCOMCTL.OCX, MSFLXGRD.OCX, MSCHRT20.OCX, etc.)msstkprp.dll for toolbar editing).bat and .reg filesVB6 originally supported Microsoft Agent — a discontinued animation/speech system. If your old project used MS Agent, it will fail on modern Windows, as the original agents are deprecated and unsupported.
Instead, you can use Double Agent — a drop-in replacement compatible with AgentCtl.Agent components.
To enable it:
This is not bundled in the main installer to reduce size and because only a small number of legacy projects depend on it.
Some old utilities and small tools have been extracted and modernized as part of this effort. These are placed in a separate folder:
➡️ vb6-projects
This includes:
None of these examples are included in the main setup (Visual-Basic-6-for-Win10-11.exe) to keep it clean and focused. You can browse and build them separately if needed.
Although tested on several systems, I can’t guarantee it will work on all hardware and configurations. Use it at your own discretion — especially in production environments. This is not a Microsoft-supported solution, but a community-driven effort to preserve legacy tools.
Visual Basic 6.0 may be old, but its speed, simplicity, and RAD capabilities still make it relevant for certain use cases. With this setup, I hope to help others keep their tools alive, preserve old projects, or simply explore a fascinating part of programming history — without resorting to virtual machines or unsafe hacks.
Feel free to contribute, open issues, or share your experience with this setup.
✍️ Author: Miloš Perunović