220-1102 Software Troubleshooting Practice Question
A technician reinstalled a legacy line-of-business application on a Windows 10 Pro workstation, but the application still fails to start with an error stating that a specific ActiveX control (.ocx file) is missing or not registered. The technician has confirmed that the .ocx file exists in the C:\Windows\SysWOW64 folder. Which command should the technician run from an elevated command prompt to register this component?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse the SysWOW64 folder as the 64-bit system directory (it is actually the 32-bit directory on 64-bit Windows) and incorrectly choose to run regsvr32 from the System32 folder, or they may think that simply having the file present is sufficient without registration.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
regsvr32 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\filename.ocx
The correct command is `regsvr32 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\filename.ocx` because it registers the ActiveX control (.ocx) as a COM component in the Windows registry. Since the application is a legacy 32-bit line-of-business application running on a 64-bit Windows 10 system, the .ocx file is stored in SysWOW64 (the 32-bit system directory), and regsvr32 must be executed from an elevated command prompt to have the necessary permissions to write to the registry.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
regsvr32 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\filename.ocx
Why this is correct
regsvr32 is the standard command-line utility for registering ActiveX controls/OCX/DLLs in the Windows Registry. The 32-bit version in SysWOW64 is used because the legacy application is likely 32-bit, requiring the correct component to avoid registry redirection. Proper syntax includes the full path. This command will create necessary registry entries for the control.
- ✗
regsvr32 /u C:\Windows\SysWOW64\filename.ocx
Why it's wrong here
The /u switch instructs regsvr32 to remove the component's registry entries, not add them. Using it would actually unregister the control, leaving the application unable to instantiate the control next time. The correct registration command omits the /u flag, so this is the opposite of what the technician needs.
- ✗
regedit C:\Windows\SysWOW64\filename.ocx
Why it's wrong here
regedit is a GUI tool that lets you manually view/edit the registry; it cannot process an OCX file and generate the required class IDs, threading model, and other COM metadata. Passing a file path to regedit would just open the editor, likely displaying an error or opening nothing useful. OCX registration requires calling the control's DllRegisterServer export via regsvr32.
- ✗
sfc /scannow
Why it's wrong here
sfc /scannow validates and repairs protected system files against the Windows component store, restoring corrupted versions to the correct known state. It does not perform any COM/ActiveX registration, so it would not create registry entries for an OCX. The legacy application's control remains unregistered, and this command is irrelevant to the missing registration issue.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Troubleshoot: Registry Errors
Key term
Registry
The Windows Registry is a central hierarchical database that stores configuration settings and options for the operating system, hardware, software, and user preferences.
Key term
Folder
A folder is a logical container used to organize and group digital files, resources, or cloud-based assets within a system or platform.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1102
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A user reports that a legacy line-of-business application on a Windows 10 workstation displays 'Runtime error 429: ActiveX component can't create object' upon launch. The technician has already reinstalled the application and confirmed it works on other workstations. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?
hard- ✓ A.Register the required OCX or DLL files using regsvr32.
- B.Perform a clean boot to eliminate software conflicts.
- C.Increase the application's virtual memory allocation.
- D.Reinstall the Visual C++ Redistributable packages.
Why A: Error 429 'ActiveX component can't create object' indicates that a required ActiveX control (typically an OCX or DLL file) is either missing or not properly registered in the Windows Registry. Since the application works on other workstations, the issue is isolated to this machine's component registration. Running regsvr32.exe to manually register the specific OCX or DLL files resolves the problem by adding the necessary registry entries for the ActiveX component.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1102 exam.