Error while creating ole db source from visual studio

Question

Hello
i have downloaded instantclient-basic-windows.x64-21.6.0.0.0 and instantclient-odbc-windows.x64-21.6.0.0.0 ; I installed by running the command odbc_install.exe.
then i successfully created a 64bit odbc systems data source.
but when trying to create an ole db source from visual studio, I get the error message « Oracle client and networking components were not found. These components are supplied by Oracle Corporation and are part of the Oracle Version 7.3.3 or later client software installation . You will not be able to use this provider until you install these components.»

Please how to proceed ?

My environment:
win 10 64 bits
visual studio cpmmunity 2019 32bits

Answer 1

Visual Studio is a 32-bit app. It won't have access to x64 drivers (like you said you installed) within the IDE itself. Of course your app (if it is x64) can use such drivers but the IDE won't see them. Try installing the x86 version of the drivers instead.

As an aside you mention you're getting an Oracle error. That isn't related to ODBC and I have no idea what this InstantClient tool is. IBM/Oracle provides drivers to talk to their databases. That is what you need to be using. To get them you need to download the appropriate drivers from Oracle directly. For a .NET app you can use either their legacy ODP.NET drivers or the newer Managed Data Access drivers that are available from NuGet. The NuGet approach is simpler as you don't need to install any drivers to get it to work. However it only works with newer Oracle versions.