How to install .OCX Files to Windows

Installing .OCX files is a relatively simple process. On a 64-bit Windows system, you can use both 32-bit and 64-bit OCX files. Place 32-bit OCXs in the '/Windows/SysWOW64' directory and 64-bit OCXs in the '/Windows/System32' directory.

Copy the .ocx file to the appropriate location below.

64-Bit .OCX: *:\windows\System32\
32-Bit .OCX: *:\windows\SysWOW64\

Make a backup before replacing .ocx files. If the .ocx file already exists, attempt installing the .ocx directly to the software instead. If you're unsure if the installed application is 32-bit or 64-bit you can install both versions of the file to each folder.

How to install .OCX Files to Software

Installing .ocx files directly into the software application folder where the corresponding .exe file is located offers several advantages and is generally a safer approach than immediately placing them in the Windows system folders.

Put the .ocx file in the same directory as the application's .exe file. To find this directory, check the shortcut properties and look at the target location, as shown in the image above.

Right click the application shortcut.
Right click and select properties.
Copy the target location.

Navigate to the target location you copied and place the .ocx files into this folder.

The instructions above are for installing .ocx files to application folders. If you are unsure which application is having issues, or if this does not work, another option is to install the .ocx file directly to Windows.

Did you know?

Not all .ocx errors stem from missing files. They can also result from version mismatches, file corruption, or software incompatibility.

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