points to note while registering and unregistering COM components

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Few points to note while registering and unregistering COM components:

  1. This registry hive (HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT) is a virtual registry hive, which allows for both per-user and per-machine object registration. Per-user COM objects configurations are stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes, while per-machine configurations are stored in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes. Typically, per-user configurations take precedence.
  2. Beginning with Windows Vista® and Windows Server® 2008, if the integrity level of a process is higher than Medium, the COM runtime ignores per-user COM configuration and accesses only per-machine COM configuration. Applications that are run-elevated (whether manifested as Require Administrator or user-selected by right-clicking and selecting Run as Administrator), as well as applications run from an account that is a member of the Administrators group where User Account Control (UAC) is disabled, will not be able to access any COM objects configured per-user.
  3. Applications that will require administrator rights should register any dependent COM objects during installation to the per-machine COM configuration store (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes). If an application is run with administrator rights and User Account Control is disabled, the COM runtime ignores the per-user COM configuration and accesses only the per-machine COM configuration. Applications that require administrator rights should register dependent COM objects during installation to the per-machine COM configuration store (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes).

 

References:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb756926.aspx

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms724475(v=vs.85).aspx