How to fix Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0 provider is not registered on the local machine

Question

After trying to follow several solutions online none seem to be working. I'm using 64bit Microsoft access and 2019 visual studio and have already installed the engine from https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/download/details.aspx?id=13255. I've tried running visual studio on x86 and any cpu. Stumped on where to go next

Answer 1

Hi gents,

I have gone through the same issue after installing several Access, ADODB runtime redistributables but still had the same problem.
The solution is:
Go to project properties
Compile Tab
Scroll down to Advanced Compile Options
Target CPU: change between x86 , x64 and AnyCPU validate your selection and run debug to test.
I hope this will solve your issue.
Best regards,
A. Aitouche

Answer 2

After some updates of Windows 10 and migration to Office 365 I did this:

• Installing AccessDatabaseEngine_X64.exe (which did not directly solve the issue)
• Visual Studio 2019: Project > <Project_Name> Properties > Target CPU > 'x64'

Thank you A. Aitouche!

Answer 3

To resolve install

1: Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable
Using below link.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/download/details.aspx?id=13255

Steps to install:
1: Open CMD in administrator privilege

2: Go the installable path of 32 bit Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable in CMD
prompt and start the installation.
Other OLEDB driver

 Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010
(Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0) https://www.microsoft.com/en us/download/details.aspx?id=13255

 Microsoft Access 2013 Runtime
(Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.15.0) https://www.microsoft.com/en us/download/details.aspx?id=39358

 Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016
(Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.16.0) https://www.microsoft.com/en us/download/details.aspx?id=54920

Answer 4

I was facing the similar problem, in one project, while in other project running on the same machine working fine with the same connection string. Changing 'Target CPU', didn't work. But I removed the check 'Prefer 32 Bit' just below this 'Target CPU' option, and it worked. I'm using VS2022 Community Edition.

Answer 5

I have this problem every time I get a new laptop.

As has been said, you have to install the Microsoft library here and set the platform target appropriately, but setting that target is not as simple as you would expect. It is NOT sufficient to change the solution target (in the drop-down at the top of the Visual Studio window) because, for some reason, that does not always set the targets of the underlying projects to the same value. In particular, when the solution target is AnyCPU, the project target default is correct (AnyCPU), but when the solution target is x86, the project target inexplicably defaults to x64. You need to go into the properties of all projects which use the Microsoft library and make sure the project target is set to what you want.

Is there a reason for this strange behavior, or is it a bug? Who knows? Hopefully, though, this will help some of you out there. It is a very annoying problem that rarely comes up, so it's hard to remember the fix.