tnsnames.ora location

The Oracle Networking product's search for configuration files is not standard across platforms and may change from version to version.

Windows NT/2000 running Oracle 9i
    First: The directory where the application is launched.  For example, if sqlplus resides in
            ORACLE_HOME\bin\sqlplus but was launched from the c:\temp directory, then
            c:\temp is searched for a tnsnames.ora file.
    Second: The value of the TNS_ADMIN environment variable.
    Third: ORACLE_HOME\network\admin

Sun Solaris running Oracle 8i or 9i
    First: The oracle user's home directory is searched for a hidden '.tnsnames.ora'
    Second: The value of the TNS_ADMIN environment variable.
    Third: /var/opt/oracle
    Fourth: $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin

Note: The PATH environment variable may introduce differences into the behavior of the search.  Clients logged on to a Novell network may also inadvertently pull configuration files from an alternate location.

Determining an operating system's search path for the Oracle configuration files is very easy.  On Windows NT, a freeware utility called 'filemon' may be used which displayed all files accessed during the execution of an application (like sqlplus).  On UNIX, a truss-like utility should be used that can generate output of files an application tried to access.  In both cases, remove the tnsnames.ora file, run the appropriate OS monitor utility, and search for all occurrences of the word 'tnsnames'.

lappins,

Thanks, Are you looking at Note:114085.1 :)

If the user on windows xp, does not have access to windows registry, is there a way to find ORACLE_HOME location. This would enable the user to search for ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/tnsnames.ora

slightwv,

Only the clients are installed for users, NOT databases. Hence the variable %ORACLE_HOME% is not set.
Howevere the PATH contains ORACLE_HOME/bin.

I am trying to see if I can locate the ORACLE_HOME without debugging %PATH%

Looking in C:\Windows\System32\oradim.log may give clues.

I take it that they can view Windows Services tool either. The version of SQL*Plus that they run will be in the bin directory of the Oracle home.

So it if was at c:/oracle/db1/bin  then tnsnames should be in c:/oracle/db1/network/admin

lappins,

oradim.log could not be found. Do you knowthe location of installation log ? May be the installation log would have entry for ORACLE_HOME environment

Sorry,
oradim.log would only be on a Pc with a database on it.
Either go with the parent directory of the sqlplus.exe as the ORACLE_HOME, or do a search of all files on your local hard drive.