"Unspecified Automation Error" after applying MS12-060

MS12-060 is a security update that was released Tuesday, August 14, 2012. This update replaced MS12-027. Some may be seeing "Unspecified Automation Error" when running your Microsoft Office VBA code after installing MS12-060.

Update: We have redeployed the MS12-060 update that contains the fix for this issue automatically built in.  The update is now available from the Microsoft download center.

These KB articles have been updated with mention of the workarounds, a fix it package and a link to download the new update.  You do not need to install the original update in order to install the new update:

2007
https://support.microsoft.com/KB/2687441

2010
https://support.microsoft.com/KB/2597986

Office Sustained Engineering Blog has been updated with a resolution.
https://blogs.technet.com/b/office_sustained_engineering/archive/2012/08/24/ms12-060-not-initiating-with-certain-controls.aspx

For more information on MS12-060, review the complete security bulletin:

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS12-060 - Critical
Vulnerability in Windows Common Controls Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2720573)
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/MS12-060

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Can you please check to see if the registration works as expected after opening the CMD window as Administrator?   These are the steps which are documented (updated today) in the KB articles as well. For instance: Office 2010: support.microsoft.com/.../2597986

  • Anonymous
    August 17, 2012
    Assuming I implement this fix, and everythings works again for me and then deploy a database, workbook to users that haven't installed these updates to begin with, will my database, workbook throw error to them or will everything be ok?  Basically, is this only a quick fix for me or does it actually remedy the problem completely?

  • Anonymous
    August 17, 2012
    Your code failed for me resulting in a RegSvr32 Error: 'The module "mscomctl.ocx" was loaded but the call to DllRegisterServer failed with error code 0x8002801c.'  Now what, I've unregistered a required ocx, but now can't get it to re-register!!!

  • Anonymous
    August 17, 2012
    Simply re-registering the file has not been a successful resolution for me.  I've had to completely remove this update for our application to open, and simply replacing this file with the previous version hasn't been enough.  A full system restore, followed by blocking the update in Windows Update has been the only working solution for many of my customers.

  • Anonymous
    August 17, 2012
    If you look at the Microsoft Answers thread at answers.microsoft.com/.../6dadedda-7bfa-4569-91d8-a31ebcf6a08a you will see that many of us have had to first register then unregister an older version of mscomctl.ocx before re-registering the new version.  Simply unregistering and registering the new version didn't work

  • Anonymous
    August 21, 2012
    Thanks for the working solution!

  • Anonymous
    August 21, 2012
    Thanks a lot!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Anonymous
    September 14, 2012
    Can you please instruct me on how to uninstall the update and revert back to the previous setup after having followed your instructions? Thank you.