Run-time error '3706'

Question

I'm getting this error whenever I try to access a CDT Tool: Run-time error '3706'. Any idea how to fix this?

Answer 1

Hi John,

That message means the CDT tool is asking Windows for an OLE DB provider that is not present or is the wrong bitness. The most common case is the Microsoft ACE provider used to read Excel or Access files. Install the Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 that matches the tool's bitness, then try again.

Close the CDT tool and all Office apps. If the CDT tool runs inside Office, match your Office bitness. You can check it in any Office app under File > Account > About. If the CDT tool is a separate older VB app, choose 32 bit in most cases. Download the Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 Redistributable, then run the installer that matches the bitness: accessdatabaseengine.exe for 32 bit or accessdatabaseengine_X64.exe for 64 bit.

If the installer complains about an existing opposite-bit Office, open an elevated Command Prompt in the folder with the installer and run it with the passive switch, for example:

accessdatabaseengine.exe /passive

or

accessdatabaseengine_X64.exe /passive

Restart Windows and launch the CDT tool again.

If the error is still there, tell me the exact provider string the tool uses, for example Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0, so we can target the correct provider next.