Emsa DLL Register Tool 1.0.48

Emsa DLL Register Tool is a small Windows utility for inspecting DLL, OCX and EXE files and for registering or unregistering ActiveX components.

Despite the free label on this page, the installer we serve is the demo of a paid product, and its developer's website no longer responds.

For most people, the registration tool already built into Windows does the core job for nothing.

What Emsa DLL Register Tool Actually Does

It shows file details such as company name, copyright, description and version for any DLL, OCX or EXE file. It can also register or unregister ActiveX files, and compare two ActiveX files that share the same filename.

With its shell extensions switched on, you can right-click a DLL or OCX file to register it, or right-click a folder and pick ActiveX Report. That writes an output.txt file listing the ActiveX files in the folder and opens it for you.

The Licence and Version Catch

The licence inside the download describes demo and unregistered versions with limited features, unlocked by a paid licence code from Emsai Industrial. The Readme also reserves full support for paid users.

This page has long listed version 1.0.48 from 2004, but the files inside the current download are dated 2016 and 2017. Treat the version label as approximate.

Who Can Still Use It

The Readme says it runs on Windows 10 if you set RegTool.exe to run as administrator, and that it needs the Visual Basic 6 runtime, which most Windows PCs already have.

It suits someone looking after old business software built on ActiveX controls who wants the side-by-side file comparison and folder reports. Everyone else can stick with the free options below.

What to Use Instead

Windows has its own tool for this job, regsvr32. In a Command Prompt opened as administrator, type regsvr32 followed by the full path to the file, or add /u to unregister it.

On 64-bit Windows, a 32-bit DLL has to be registered with the copy in C:\Windows\SysWOW64 rather than the one in System32. Getting that wrong is the most common reason registration fails.

If you prefer buttons to typing, DllRegSvr is a simple free front end for the same regsvr32 command.

If you are here because a video or audio codec stopped working, registering DLL files by hand is rarely the fix. Codec Tweak Tool re-registers the base DirectShow filters and clears out broken codec entries in a couple of clicks.

To see which playback filters are registered right now, DSF/MFT Viewer lists the decoders, filters and splitters on your PC.

For a clean, current set of decoders, K-Lite Codec Pack Standard installs LAV Filters and registers everything correctly for you.

Still stuck? The Codec Troubleshooter walks through common playback faults, and our Codec Finder tells you what a problem file actually contains.

Quick questions

More tools for fixing playback and system problems live in our Fix and Repair Tools category.

Download Emsa DLL Register Tool 1.0.48 if you still need it, or tell us what you used it for if you have history with it.