Download Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 For Windows 10 ((better)) Jun 2026

The "download" search is fraught with peril. Many third-party websites offer copies of VB6, but these files may be bundled with malware, adware, or other unwanted software.

Create a 0-byte file named MSJAVA.DLL in your C:\Windows folder to prevent the installer from trying to install an ancient version of Java.

Navigate to the installation directory, typically located at: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\VB98\ Right-click on VB6.EXE and choose . Go to the Compatibility tab. Download Microsoft visual basic 6.0 for windows 10

When prompted for installation type, be SURE to click installation. Navigate to the "Data Access" section and select the "ADO, RDS, and OLE DB Providers" option. However, when expanding this section, be sure to UN-CHECK the "ADO and RDS" option. These components cause major problems if installed from the VB6 IDE installation. You may also consider unchecking all "Data Access" components, as modern versions are already installed with Windows.

If you maintain an active Visual Studio Enterprise subscription (formerly MSDN), Microsoft provides access to legacy software archives, including VB6 installer files. The "download" search is fraught with peril

The original Visual Studio 6.0 installer attempts to install an ancient, obsolete version of the Microsoft Virtual Machine for Java (MSJAVA.DLL). On Windows 10, this setup step will cause an infinite loop freeze. You can trick the installer into skipping this phase completely: Open Windows . Leave the document completely blank. Click File > Save As . Change "Save as type" to All Files ( . ) .

Best for communities like Reddit (r/programming or r/vb6) or tech support forums. Navigate to the "Data Access" section and select

The integrated development environment (IDE) support officially ended on April 8, 2008. However, because thousands of legacy applications still rely on it, developers have found reliable workarounds to install and run the original VB6 IDE on modern 64-bit operating systems like Windows 10 and Windows 11. Microsoft Learn

The core VB6 runtime libraries (which allow compiled .exe files to run) are shipping and supported natively inside Windows 10. They are automatically updated and maintained by the OS.

The Visual Basic 6.0 IDE was never a free product. It was only available to developers with a paid MSDN subscription. Any website offering a free download of the full VB6 IDE is almost certainly providing an illegal copy, which may also pose a security risk.

The official Microsoft website no longer provides a direct download link for Visual Basic 6.0, as it's an outdated product. However, you can still obtain a copy from various sources: