SQL Server Driver missing from ODBC Data Source in XP 1

[bobolito]

I ran into something I've never seen before. I am trying to create a new SQL Data Source in Windows XP. I am quite familiar with how to setup the System DSN in the ODBC Data Source Administrator as I have done it many times in other computers. However, I have one computer where I wanted to setup the System DSN and setup a connection using the SQL Driver to my SQL Server. I clicked on System DSN tab and then clicked "Add" and then I am supposed to get a listing of the different drivers available. I only get 5 drivers listed there. I know there's supposed to be a lot more. The SQL Server driver is missing from that list which seems quite strange since Windows XP comes with that. I downloaded MDAC 2.8 from Microsoft but when I tried installing it it said that it cannot install it because it is not compatible with my version of Windows and that it should already be part of Windows. I am running the same version of Windows that everyone else in my organization has: Windows XP Professional with SP2. Does anyone have any idea what I need to install? What am I missing?

One thing that I noticed is that in the list of available drivers that I can add to the System DSN, if I scroll to the right I see that ACEODBC.DLL is listed under the file column. This file is shown five times since I only see 5 drivers there. Check the screen shots below.

I went to another computer and in the same window I see 22 drivers listed, which seems to be what I've seen in the rest of the computers every time I do this. Under the file column, I see these files: ODBCJT32.DLL, VFPODBC.DLL, SQLSRV32.DLL, and MSORCL32.DLL, all of which are missing in my computer. My computer only shows ACEODBC.DLL. What do I need to do to get those files to show in my System DSN? Thanks!

These screen shots show the only 5 drivers available in my computer:

 

[mirtheil]

You might check the registry. I've seen other drivers not show up when the ODBC registry key was corrupted. Check HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ODBC\ODBCINST.INI key. You'll see the Drivers listed separately as well as in the "ODBC Drivers" key. I've had to go so far as to export the whole HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ODBC\ key to a .REG file, delete the key from the registry, remove a few non-printable characters in the .REG file, and then reimport the REG file.

NOTE: Modifying the registry can be dangerous. Do it at you own risk.

Mirtheil
Certified Pervasive Developer
Certified Pervasive Technician

http://www.mirtheil.com

 

[bobolito]

Thanks. I checked that key and I noticed all the items regularly in there were missing. I only have the same items available in the System DSN configuration box.

I then went to another computer, exported the ODBCINST.INI key, which contains all the items, and imported it to my computer. I had previously backed up the original ODBCINST.INI key. Now, the items are available in the ODBC System DSN config box, however, under the Version and Company columns, it says "Not Marked" for all the items that were imported from the other computer. I selected the SQL Server item, which is the item I want to use for System DSN, and an error message came up: "The setup routines for the SQL Server ODBC driver could not be loaded due to system error code 126." and then when I click OK, it says "Could not load the setup or translator library."

Any other suggestions?

 

[bkowal]

This Microsoft knowledge base article explains how to repair MDAC 2.81 which is the version of MDAC that is included with Windows XP SP2...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/899861

. I installed SQL Server 2005 Express and after the installation everything except SQL Native Client was missing from the Drivers tab of the ODBC Data Source Administrator window. Repairing MDAC restored everything that used to be there.

 

[bobolito]

Thanks! repairing MDAC solved the problem.

 

[ArtieChoke]

Glad you got it fixed. The reason you got the setup error is that you only copied over the registry keys. You needed to copy over the dll files also, which are usually in the system32 directory. You can copy these from another computer.

"I think we're all Bozos on this bus!" - Firesign Theatre