ODBC 32/64 bit dilemma

Actually, no, it is rather confusing. The system 32 version is 64 bits on a x64 bit OS.

So the default from the control panel is to run + use the x64 bit version by DEFAULT if you are on an x64 bit system. Turns out that the DEFAULT x64 bit location is in system32. The confusing part is system32 suggests you using an x32 bit version of the ODBC manager -  you are not!!! You find most code in that dir is x64 bit.

So the DEFAULT from the control pineal uses the CURRENT OS bit size. If you are running an x64 bit version of windows, you will find the x64 bit version in the first location you noted.

A REALLY great way to ALWAYS launch the correct version of the ODBC manager for the given version of Access is to simply launch + use the manager from inside of Access, as it will always launch the correct bit size manager for the given version of Access.

So from the Access ribbon, external data, and then choosing ODBC, you are given a chance to create a new DSN, or use existing. When launching the ODBC manger from Access, then Access will use + launch the correct bit size version based on Access.

And by the way, SysWOW = system Windows on Windows = x32 bit compatibility layer for x64 bit windows. So everything in SysWOW should be x32 code that "can" run on x64 machines.

So some confusing exists here, since the default ODBC setup and drivers launched from the control panel resides under a directory called system32 which is rather confusing.

In summary:

To launch x32 manager on x64 bit os:

C:\Windows\SysWOW64\odbcad32.exe

To launch x64 manager on x64 bit os:

Simply use control panel, or this path:

C:\Windows\system32\odbcad32.exe

So above is the x64 bit version despite it being in a folder called system32.

Also, as a great tip to solving the x64 driver for 3rd party programs that need x64 bit version, but you need/want to continue to use x32 Access?

If user has x32 office 2010, then install Access 2013 ACE drivers and data engine

If use has x32 version of office 2013, then install Access 2010 ACE drivers and data engine.

Regards,

Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)

Edmonton, Alberta Canada

I don't know why you don't have both versions - IMy desktop PC is Vista x64 with Office 2007, and I have both x86 and x64 drivers installed. It's installed by default. Regardless, this sort of problem occurs all the time, and the only way to solve it in a professional and reliable way is to load up another PC or use virtualisation. Get yourself a copy of Virtual PC (for free) or VMWare Workstation and run up a 32-bit or 64-bit VM, so you can use whichever version you want without affecting anything else.

I might remind you that registry hacks *may* work, or they may work for a while, or they may simply appear to work (while actually causing damage), but these things can come back to bite you rather severely, which is why professional developers don't do it.

Regards, Graham R Seach Microsoft Access MVP Sydney, Australia

"AVoelp" wrote in message news:*** Email address is removed for privacy *** .com...

Graham:

I know that I can use both 32-bit and 64-bit ODBC drivers on the same machine (as I already do for some data sources), and I do have access to both administrator programs. I need to use 64-bit ODBC drivers for MS Access and Excel (because the application that is supposed to read the data is 64-bit), and my promlem is as follows:

• I installed Office 2010 32-bit first (I need the 32-bit Office version because 64-bit plugins are not available yet for several other applications). Then I tried to install the MS AccessDatabaseEngine X64 package that includes the 64-bit ODBC drivers. The installation terminated with an error message that the software cannot be installed with 32-bit Office on the machine, and that I need to uninstall 32-bit Office first.
• I then uninstalled 32-bit Office and ran the MS AccessDatabaseEngine X64 package installation again. This time it worked, and I was just happy to have the long-awaited 64-bit drivers available. However, when I then tried to re-install 32-bit Office, the installer told me that it cannot run because there was now a 64-bit version of Office on the machine (which there wasn't, of course - I only installed the ODBC driver package!). So I had to uninstall the MS AccessDatabaseEngine X64 package again to be able to re-install 32-bit Office.

So here I am standing in the rain - again without 64-bit drivers for MS Access and Excel. This is really a vicious circle ...

Neophyte: When everything else fails I may be tempted to try your solution ... (after performing an image backup of course ;-)

Regards, Graham R Seach Microsoft Access MVP Sydney, Australia

Graham:

I know that I can use both 32-bit and 64-bit ODBC drivers on the same machine (as I already do for some data sources), and I do have access to both administrator programs. I need to use 64-bit ODBC drivers for MS Access and Excel (because the application that is supposed to read the data is 64-bit), and my promlem is as follows:

• I installed Office 2010 32-bit first (I need the 32-bit Office version because 64-bit plugins are not available yet for several other applications). Then I tried to install the MS AccessDatabaseEngine X64 package that includes the 64-bit ODBC drivers. The installation terminated with an error message that the software cannot be installed with 32-bit Office on the machine, and that I need to uninstall 32-bit Office first.
• I then uninstalled 32-bit Office and ran the MS AccessDatabaseEngine X64 package installation again. This time it worked, and I was just happy to have the long-awaited 64-bit drivers available. However, when I then tried to re-install 32-bit Office, the installer told me that it cannot run because there was now a 64-bit version of Office on the machine (which there wasn't, of course - I only installed the ODBC driver package!). So I had to uninstall the MS AccessDatabaseEngine X64 package again to be able to re-install 32-bit Office.

So here I am standing in the rain - again without 64-bit drivers for MS Access and Excel. This is really a vicious circle ...

Neophyte: When everything else fails I may be tempted to try your solution ... (after performing an image backup of course ;-)

You can't have both 32-bit and 64-bit installations on the same machine.

What you might want to consider is using virtual machines. There are only two I'd recommend. Microsoft Virtual PC is great for 32-bit images (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/). It's free and many of us use it (including myself). You would need the 64-bit version (so it works on a 64-bit machine), but unfortunately VPC does not allow you to create 64-bit images.

If you want to create 32-bit AND 64-bit virtual images, you're probably better to use something like VMWare Workstation (http://store.vmware.com/store/vmware/pd/productID.165308800/Currency.AUD/?src=PaidSearch_10Q1_EBIZ_WORKSTATION-AUD). This is not free, and there may be other products that do the same job, but this is the one that I and many others use for 64-bit work.

Regards, Graham R Seach Microsoft Access MVP Sydney, Australia