Microsoft Forms 20 Object Library Vb6 May 2026

While there isn't a single "academic paper" for the Microsoft Forms 2.0 Object Library (FM20.DLL), it is a well-documented ActiveX library commonly used in VB6 and VBA for its Unicode support and specific controls like the DataObject for clipboard manipulation. Core Documentation & References

Microsoft Forms Visual Basic Reference: This Reference PDF provides a comprehensive overview of the object model, including bidirectional text properties (right-to-left support) used in Office 2000 and later. microsoft forms 20 object library vb6

Official Object Model: You can find the latest online documentation for the Microsoft Forms Object Model on Microsoft Learn. This covers all collections (Controls, Pages, Tabs), methods, and events. Implementation in VB6 While there isn't a single "academic paper" for

To use this library in a VB6 project, you typically follow these steps: Error 4: Deployment Issues (Missing FM20

Thread: vb6 unicode control by Microsoft Forms 2.0 Object Library

Error 4: Deployment Issues (Missing FM20.dll on end-user machines)

Cause: The Microsoft Forms 2.0 library is not a redistributable part of VB6 runtime. Solution:

  • If your users have Microsoft Office installed, the library is already present.
  • If not, you may need to include FM20.dll in your installer and register it. However, check Microsoft’s licensing: distributing FM20.dll without an Office license may violate terms. Consider using native VB6 controls for public-facing apps without Office dependencies.

Limitations

  • UserForm objects cannot be used as MDI children
  • No native data binding (unlike VB6 controls)
  • Some properties behave differently than standard VB6 controls
  • Event signatures may differ from VB6 controls

Step-by-Step:

  1. Open your VB6 project.
  2. Go to the menu: Project → Components (or press Ctrl+T).
  3. In the Components dialog, scroll down to:
    • Microsoft Forms 2.0 Object Library
    • (Version may show as 2.0 or 2.1 depending on your system)
  4. Check the checkbox next to it, then click OK.
  5. The toolbox will now show new icons: MultiPage, TabStrip, Image, etc.

Note: If you do not see "Microsoft Forms 2.0 Object Library," your system may lack FM20.DLL. This file is usually present in C:\Windows\System32\ on Windows XP/7/10 (32-bit) or C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ on 64-bit Windows. Register it using regsvr32 fm20.dll if necessary.