Can not create odbc connection to oracle

What ODBC administration program are you using, the 32Bit or the 64Bit?

They are in two different directories:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942976

•The 64-bit version of the Odbcad32.exe file is located in the %systemdrive%\Windows\System32 folder.

Can you connect using SQL*Plus?

In "system DSN" tab, when you click on "Add", are you selecting "Oracle in OraDb11g_home1" ?

I am using the 64 bit.  The oracle ODBC provider does not show up in the 32 bit version (makes sense since i only installed the 64 bit version and have no need for the 32 bit version).

The provider does show up in the 64 bit but with the problem noted above.

In "system DSN" tab, when you click on "Add", are you selecting "Oracle in OraDb11g_home1" ?

YES

I have the same installation at home and it works ( I'll check when I get there.) The 64Bit ODBC admin should be the one visible in the Control Panel...

Have you tried installing "64-bit ODAC 11.2 Release 5 (11.2.0.3.20) for Windows x64" from here: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/windows/downloads/index-090165.html
?

Turns out the install for 32 was corrupted and a reinstall and verifying the registry settings from a coworker fixed it.

I've requested that this question be closed as follows:

Accepted answer: 0 points for gdinunzio's comment #a38816227

for the following reason:

The TNSNames.ora file for 32 bit did NOT work for the 64 bit.

>>The TNSNames.ora file for 32 bit did NOT work for the 64 bit.

To clarify this statement:  the tnsnames.ora file doesn't care about bit versions.

ok this isnt working as i had planned

My 32 bit install is working with both SQLPlus and pass thru queries/linked tables in access.  It is using a system DSN

My 64 bit install is working with pass thru queries/linked tables in access,  It is using a user dsn.  No SQLPlus on the ODAC x64 install.

Now the problem is compiling my web services.  It gives me the same error no matter what platform i try to compile for, x86, x64, or Any CPU:

"An attempt was made to load an assembly with an incorrect format: C:\app\gdinunzio\product\11.2.0\client_64\odp.net\bin\4\Oracle.DataAccess.dll"

help...

I dont know if i have made this harder than i needed to.  All i really need to have the ability to develop a .net web service project which goes on a 64bit server and the ability to run queries against the production database both in SQLPlus and in MS Access (using linked tables)

TIA
g

Hi,

If I understand well, you are working only in 64-bits. So you should de-install only the 32-bits client. If you have both, it can be messed up if the oracle home name (that is in the registery key) was the same. I don't think it is a good idea to have both. I'm not even sure that it is supported.

If you need SQL Plus and you don't have it in the ODAC, then deinstall the ODAC and install the full client.

Check that everything is clean: only one client, one registry entry, one System.Data.OracleClient.dll  in C:\Windows\assembly the Version and Processor Architecture, etc.

Regards,
Franck.

Good to know that is works. But having both 32bit and 64bit is not a good idea.
>> I reinstalled the 32bit client, using a custom install (basically need .NET and SQLPlus) and then reinstalled the 64bit ODAC.  
Why not only the 64bit client with ODP.NET and sqlplus ?
Regards,
Franck.

I honestly don't know.  To save time I just configured it like another user has it.  They have both the 32bit and 64bit so i just made it exactly the same.

I would think that 64bit ODAC + SQLPlus would do it but i dont have more time to test.

Thanks all
GL

I saw this on a new install and had to manually edit the tnsnames.ora file because the syntax was incorrect. Pay close attention to this. The one everyone else was using it (tnsnames.ora) successfully in Win7 32, but did NOT work for Win7 64. Once I edited it (sorry I don't have an example), all worked as usual.