Editing Windows Registry (section)

=== COM self-registration ===
Prior to the introduction of registration-free [[Component Object Model|COM]], developers were encouraged to add initialization code to in-process and out-of-process binaries to perform the registry configuration required for that object to work. For in-process binaries such as .DLL and .OCX files, the modules typically exported a function called DllInstall()<ref>{{cite web|url=https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb759846(v=vs.85).aspx|title=DllInstall Function|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|access-date=2012-03-22|date=2012-03-07}}</ref> that could be called by installation programs or invoked manually with utilities like Regsvr32.exe;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms859484.aspx|title=Regsvr32|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|access-date=2012-03-22}}</ref> out-of-process binaries typically support the commandline arguments /Regserver and /Unregserver that created or deleted the required registry settings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/05c9yccf(v=vs.80).aspx|title=How to: Register Automation Servers|access-date=2012-03-22|publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref>  COM applications that break because of [[DLL Hell]] issues can commonly be repaired with RegSvr32.exe or the /RegServer switch without having to re-invoke installation programs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291893|title=How to re-register PowerPoint 2000, PowerPoint 2003, PowerPoint 2007 and PowerPoint 2010|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|access-date=2012-03-22|date= January 2012}}</ref>