connecting to database using Microsoft ODBC for Oracle

Hi JB0331,
                   the method  I am going to describe, I tested this method with oracle 8.1.7. I dont have the version 8.1.6, thats why i could not test with this version, which u installed .But this method should work with oracle 8.1.6  as well. u told that u installed  Oracle 8.1.6 client in ur pc.this should also install minimum network services - sql*net/net8 client , which is required  to connect to the Oracle database server from a oracle 8.1.6 client. but unfortunately the error message u showed which is -"The Oracle(tm) client and networking components were not found. These components are supplied by Oracle ........",means the network service is not installed.most probably while u r trying to make a data source with Microsoft ODBC  for Oracle u r ending up with this message. Actually u use the Microsoft ODBC to make data source  which will be used to generate data for ur reports .u told that u installed Oracle client ,that means u dont have the Oracle Database server in ur pc.what u have to do is very simple ............

1.u didnt tell where the database is residing,wheather it is in ur pc or in other pc.what ever may be the case ,where the database is residing ,there u should find net8 components r installed.from the start menu go to the "net8 assint"  menu ,u will find a "service names" node ,there create a service name for the database . Actually a service name is already present there which is same as  the global database name or  SID of the oracle database.Suppose the global database name or sid of the database is "orahome" ,so a service name is already present which is named as 'orahome'.

2.Install a fresh copy of  Oracle 8.1.6 client (while installing notice that networking service is being installed).

3.After installing Oracle 8.1.6 client ,u now have the net8 component.from the start menu go to the net 8 easy config or net 8 assistant menu .Again create a service name here(while creating the service name here u have to provide the database service name,which u have already from step -1,that is "orahome").Suppose u created a service name here - "ora".

4.Now u have to open the ODBC data source administrator box.U can open it from the control panel ->ODBC data sources.Here, in the "User DSN" tab ,click the "Add" button.First u have to select a driver for the Data Source.Select Microsoft ODBC for Oracle ,then click "Finish" button.Then u will have few fields to populate ---
Data Source Name : Here provide the datasource name which is required to run ur reports.                            

Description : U  may keep this field blank or give a small description.  

User : Provide the Username and Password ,which will be used to login to the Oracle Database , the value for this field may look like this - scott/tiger                                                                                                                      

Server : Here u have to provide the service name u created in step -3 ,which is "ora".

Then click ok . Now u r ready with ur Datasource to be used with ur reports.I tested this method ,I could successfully retrieve data from the Oracle Database using Datasource created with this method.It works very nicely.Actually it is not necessary to consider designer 6i .U told that u checked the server name in the tnsnames.ora and u provided this servername while creating datasource and again ended up with another error ,this is because u provided the servername which is actually the service name I told u to create in step 1(see above). But u have to provide the service name which is created in step 3(which is for the client not for the database server).So in this method u have to create two service names ,one for the database server itself  and the other is for the client.
What I feel , u have to have a fresh copy of  Oracle 8.1.6 installed.Then all ur problem will go away.Try the method ,hope this will solve ur problem.

Thanks                                                     Mehbub