Inventory before installing
- Preserve every VBP/VBG, BAS, CLS, FRM/FRX, resource and installer/build file.
- Record VB6 edition, service pack and project compatibility settings.
- Extract references and components from project files and compare them with the working machine.
- Preserve OCX/DLL/type-library versions, registrations and third-party installers or licenses.
- Inventory DAO/ADO/ODBC providers, SDKs, report tools and device dependencies.
- Recover source-control history or alternate source trees without silently merging them.
Prove reproducibility
| Project loads with missing reference | Resolve exact type-library identity/version before editing source. |
|---|---|
| Form loses a control | Stop: opening/saving without its design-time component can damage the form. |
| Build differs | Compare conditional compilation, binary compatibility, resources and compiler options. |
| Build works only on old PC | Document the machine as evidence and migrate one dependency at a time. |
Create a clean build from versioned inputs, record commands and hash the output. Preserve the original environment image even after a new build succeeds.
Use the IDE on modern Windows for host-specific operation, source analysis, deployment recovery and the VB6 pillar.