Configuration, setup problems

Is your install on WindowsNT Workstation a complete Oracle8 database install, or just the client software for Oracle8?

Can you connect to Oracle from other workstations?

If you have just the client software for Oracle8 on your NT machine, SQL*Plus will not work until you get Net8 configured, so that is the problem to tackle first.  If you have a different network machine that connects to Oracle successfully, copy the tnsnames.ora file from that machine to your NT one (it is in Oracle_home\net80\admin).

My installation is client software for Oracle.
I have copied the tnsnames.ora from an other machine to my c:\orant\net80\admin
folder.
It reads
server.world=(description=(address=(
protocol=tcp(host=server)(port=1521))
connect_data=(sid=orcl))).
I hope this help you, I am confused.
Thanks.

At a DOS prompt try:

tnsping server
or
tnsping80 server

(If you get an "invalid command", then go to your Oracle_home\bin directory and try it from there.)

What is the result?  It should look like this:

TNS Ping Utility for 32-bit Windows: Version 8.0.5.0.0 - Production on 09-DEC-99 15:46:09

(c) Copyright 1997 Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.

Attempting to contact (ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=192.85.70.56)(PORT=1521))
OK (100 msec)


- - - - (end of "tnsping" results) - - -

If that works, then what happens in SQL*Plus when you enter "server" in the third line of the log-in box (along with a valid username and password)?

I can tnsping80 server
I sqlplus I get eror ora12705.
Thanks again.

ORA-12705 is an error due to an improper NLS_LANG var on the client.  Use regedit on your NT workstation and check the value for NS_LANG under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, SOFTWARE, ORACLE.  Do a search for NS_LANG and post the value here.
-Brad

Search for all occurrences of NLS_LANG, don't stop at the first one.

I guess another possibility is an ALTER SESSION in your %ORACLE_HOME%\bin\login.sql file with an improper NLS_LANG.  Check that file too.

My NS_LANG in Registry Oracle is
AMERICIAN_AMERCIA.WE8IS08859P1.
My login.sql is at c:\orant\dbs
it is setting numwidth,linesize, pagesize.
I hope this is help to bkowalski.
I appreciate your help.
Thanks.

That all looks o.k. Are you using 16-bit installation? If so, the NLS_LANG entry would then be in an oracle.ini file.
If all NLS_LANG entries looks good, since you had a crash on the original install, I would first uninstall everything with the Oracle Installer. You may have a few problems, but get through it as best you can ie. uninstall as many products as you can with the Installer. Also delete all program group folders in your Start:Programs.  Then try installing again.
If that doesn't work, uninstall again as in the above.  Then install once again, but this time specify a different ORACLE_HOME.  This will disable the original ORACLE_HOME which I hope is alright.
-Brad

I am using 32-bit installation.
I couldn't find an oracle.ini file.
Should I have one ?
I'll try to uninstall Oracle.

No you shouldn't have an oracle.ini then - only for 16-bit installations.

Should the registry keys for Oracle
and the drivers be removed ?
Thanks.

I wouldn't, but it's up to you.  I don't like modifying the registry myself, even if it's not clean.

If you uninstall Oracle and it doesn't remove all of the registry entries for Oracle (in HKEY-LOCAL-MACHINE, SOFTWARE) I would remove them manually.  Also, if you uninstall, delete the Orant directory (or whatever your Oracle_home is) afterwards, then reinstall.

I wouldn't, but it's up to you.  I don't like modifying the registry myself, even if it's not clean.

Sorry about that last comment sent twice, second time in error.
Mark, do you remove all the keys in the registry or do you leave the top level Oracle one?
-Brad

I remove the top-level Oracle key too when I uninstall.

I uninstalled and removed Oracle stuff
from Start:Programs, as bkowalski and
markgeer suggested, however nothing
changed it is still as it was.
What next ?

Does that mean that you re-installed the Oracle8 Client software and tested Net8 Easy Config and SQL*Plus again?  Did you copy a working version of tnsnames.ora again?  When you re-installed did you install SQL*Net (or Net8) and pick the TCP/IP protocol?  Does "tnsping80 server" at a DOS prompt return an "OK", but SQL*Plus still gives an error?

I tried the Net8 easy Config and Sqlplus
and I am getting the same error.
I installed sqlNet and pick TCP/IP
protocol.
I just now tried the tnsping80 and I
got error 3509 not found, I can ping
it's AP Address.
I get same error in Access when I try
to link to the database server.
I don't know what to do now.

Post the following info please:
  Server platform (o/s and version)
  Oracle server version
  Versions of Oracle software installed on the client.  To do this, open the file %ORACLE_HOME%\orainst\nt.rgs and copy and paste to here.
Have you got another NT client connecting successfully?

I got tnsping80 server to work.
We have several NT Clients with same
setup working just fine.
Here is my nt.rgs
  0 ntinstall   all   "orainst"  "3.3.0.1.3" "Oracle Installer"                                 9238533 "12/13/99 12:24:27 AM" [ntinstall]  "Oracle Installer enables you to install, update, and remove Oracle products."                                                                                                                                                                                                           true true  
 20 w32tcp23    adp23 "tcp23"    "2.3.4.0.0" "Oracle TCP/IP Protocol Adapter"                    102028 "12/13/99 10:18:32 PM" [w32netclt23] "Oracle TCP/IP Protocol Adapter contains a set of dynamic link libraries (DLLs) that enable communication over a network using a combination of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP)."                                                                 true false
 23 w32nmp23    adp23 "nmp23"    "2.3.4.0.0" "Oracle Named Pipes Protocol Adapter"                79546 "12/13/99 10:18:33 PM" [w32netclt23] "Oracle Named Pipes Protocol Adapter enables communication over a Named Pipes network."                                                                                                                                                                                                  true false
 26 w32util73   all   "util73"   "7.3.4.0.0" "Oracle7 Utilities"                               15735974 "12/13/99 07:58:33 AM" [w32util73]  "The Oracle7 Utilities provide a command line interface for complete database administration and migration of data stored in Oracle databases."                                                                                                                                          true false
 34 w32rsf73    all   "rsf73"    "7.3.4.0.0" "Required Support Files"                          22238875 "12/13/99 07:58:24 AM" [w32netclt23,ntnames20] "Required Support Files are a collection of files and libraries needed by Oracle applications."                                                                                                                                                                                          true false
 47 ntnetsrv23  net23 "nets23"   "2.3.4.0.0" "SQL*Net Server"                                    707817 "12/13/99 10:19:17 PM" []           "SQL*Net Server is the networking software that allows client/server and server/server communication."                                                                                                                                                                                   true false
 47 w32netclt23 net23 "netc23"   "2.3.4.0.0" "SQL*Net Client"                                   9150044 "12/13/99 10:19:04 PM" [ntnetsrv23] "SQL*Net Client is the networking software that allows client/server communication."                                                                                                                                                                                                     true false
 69 w32plus80   all   "plus80"   "8.0.4.0.0" "SQL*Plus"                                         2302304 "12/13/99 07:59:15 AM" [w32plus80]  "SQL*Plus, the primary interface to Oracle databases, provides a powerful yet easy-to-use environment for querying, defining, and controlling data.  SQL*Plus delivers a full implementation of Oracle SQL and PL/SQL, along with a rich set of extensions."                             true false
170 ntnames20   net23 "names20"  "2.0.4.0.0" "Oracle Names Server"                              2655944 "12/13/99 10:19:27 PM" []           "Oracle Names Server is Oracle's transparent, protocol-independent naming software for storing network names, addresses, and other information."                                                                                                                                         true false
170 ntnames80   net80 "names80"  "8.0.4.0.0" "Oracle Names Server"                               246888 "12/10/99 09:07:27 PM" []           "Oracle Names Server is Oracle's transparent, protocol-independent naming software for storing network names, addresses, and other information."                                                                                                                                         true false
317 ntodbo3220  all   "odbo3220" "8.0.4.0.0" "Oracle8 ODBC Driver"                              2929335 "12/13/99 12:25:30 AM" [ntodbo3220] "Oracle8 ODBC Driver enables a wide variety of ODBC-compliant applications to work together with Oracle database servers.  The Oracle8 ODBC Driver acts as a translator between the ODBC interface used by popular front-end applications and the native interface to Oracle databases." true true  
671 w32a2owiz80 all   "a2owiz80" "8.0.4.0.0" "Oracle Migration Assistant for Microsoft Access" 17279839 "12/13/99 03:52:59 AM" []           "Oracle Migration Assistant for Microsoft Access automatically migrates Microsoft Access databases to Oracle."                                                                                                                                                                           true false
691 w32Tracesvr all   "tracesvr" "7.3.4.0.0" "Oracle Trace Collection Services"                  932752 "12/13/99 10:18:31 PM" [w32netclt23] "Oracle Trace Collection Services is a general-purpose data collection product that captures data for specific software events."                                                                                                                                                         true false
999 w32o8rn80   all   "o8rn80"   "8.0.4.0.0" "Oracle8 Release Notes"                             164506 "12/10/99 09:09:16 PM" []           "Oracle8 Release Notes contain vital information and procedures developed after the main documentation was created.  Read the release notes to ensure you know all of the important issues."                                                                                             true false
I hope you can read this.

Well I don't know exactly what I did
but I can now connect to the database,
through access, sqlplus, & test.
I installed OCI, and it worked.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Please share points with bkowalski and
markgeer.
Again Thanks.

The site will not allow you to share the points between two people.  You can though accept an answer from one person and create a new question with a title like "Points for ..." and then accept an "answer" to that one from the second person.

markqeer or bkowalski offer an answer
and who does first I will accept for
the points.
Thanks again.

Thanks all.