A Windows control's ProgID is a name that identifies the control on Windows. A ProgID appears in the form "Vendor.Component.Version," for example, "Word.Document.6." While CLSIDs, consisting of a long string of numbers and letters, are guaranteed unique, ProgIDs are not; only use a ProgID in programming situations where you can't use a CLSID. ProgID identifiers don't appear in a control's graphical user interface, but may be listed in its documentation. However, Windows maintains a list of installed ProgIDs in the Windows registry; find the ProgID of a control with its name using the Windows Registry Editor.
Step 1
Open the registry editor by clicking "Start," typing "regedit" into the search box in the start menu and pressing "Enter." On older versions of Windows, click "Start," click "Run," type "regedit" into the Run box and press "Enter."
Video of the Day
Step 2
Click "Yes" in the User Account Control prompt window, if one appears.
Step 3
Open the Find dialog by clicking "Edit" and "Find."
Step 4
Type the name of the control into the "Find What" box and click "Find Next."
Step 5
Continue the search by pressing the "F3" key until a "ProgID" folder appears open in the left pane of the Registry Editor window. The ProgID appears in the Data column in the right pane of the Registry Editor window.
Video of the Day