Visual Basic 6.0 Package and Deployment Wizard does not distribute MDAC 2.6

When your Visual Basic project references the Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects library, if you use the Package and Deployment Wizard (PDW) to build the installation package, the Package and Deployment Wizard includes the Mdac_typ.exe file to install Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) on the target computer. The Mdac_typ.exe is located in the following folder: However, every time you update MDAC, you do not guarantee that the Mdac_typ.exe file is also updated.

To distribute the correct Mdac_typ.exe file with your application, you must replace the version of Mdac_typ.exe in the \Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\VB98\Wizards\PDWizard\Redist folder with the correct version of that file.

You can use several methods to update MDAC on the development system. For example, you can use Visual Basic service packs or Microsoft SQL Server updates to update your version of MDAC. You can also download the latest version of the MDAC from the Web. However, none of these methods guarantee that the Mdac_typ.exe file is also updated.

When you install a Visual Basic service pack, the service pack may or may not update MDAC and the Mdac_typ.exe file. The following table outlines the behavior of the last three Visual Basic 6.0 service packs:


If you use any method other than a Visual Basic service pack to update MDAC, the Mdac_typ.exe file is not updated automatically. You must manually copy the Mdac_typ.exe file in the above-mentioned folder for the version of MDAC that is installed.

To determine the version number of a file, follow these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Explorer.
2. Browse to the following folder:
   \Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\VB98\Wizards\PDWizard\Redist
3. Right-click Mdac_typ.exe, and then click Properties.
4. Click the Version tab. The file version appears at the top of this tab.

The following table lists the file versions for the Mdac_typ.exe file and its associated MDAC version.

For additional information about how to distribute and install MDAC with a Visual Basic application, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: