Solution to Windows Vista Inno Setup Bug
Added 2026-01-05 19:17:21 +0000 UTCInno Setup installers are not functional on Windows Vista, even though they run on Windows XP and Windows 7. They fail to render most elements and do not respond to most input, even on the "close" button. Applications such as Resource Hacker, Ollama (coming soon!) and PCSX2 (also coming soon!) are affected.
Resource Hacker 5.2.8 setup on Windows Vista.Inno Setup uses a manifest to declare its preference for version 6.00 of comctl32.dll (Windows' Common Controls for user interface elements); Windows Vista does not recognize this manifest and falls back to the comctl32.dll located in the system32/syswow64 folders, which is version 5.82, instead of retrieving a 6.00/6.10 version from one of the many copies located in the Windows\WinSxS directory.
The reason for this oversight appears to lie in Inno Setup's invocation of comctl32.dll from its import table for immediate loading, instead of delay-loading the DLL as most applications do. Vista does not seem to properly parse manifests when parsing an import table.
The solution is to locate a version 6.00/6.10 comctl32.dll from WinSxS (as identified in its file properties), and for the correct machine type (usually x86, as indicated by its directory name, because most Inno Setup installers are 32-bit) and to force Inno Setup to use this version of the DLL instead of the default version 5.82.
With Second System, the process is simple.
Copy this 6.00/6.10 version of comct32.dll to the x86 Second System DLL folder (typically %LOCALAPPDATA%\SecondSystem\x86) and rename it to comctl60.dll
Run the .reg file named "innosetup_fix_vista_temp.reg" before running an Inno Setup installer
After running the installer, run the .reg file named "innosetup_fix_vista_temp_remove.reg" to avoid any outstanding issues that may occur in applications that actually expect 5.82
The installers also have AVX codepaths.
