Cannot create Oracle ODBC source on 64bit Windows 7

Question

I have installed the 64-bit version of the Oracle ODBC driver (instantclient-odbc-windows.x64-12.1.0.1.0 from http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/winx64soft-089540.html) on my 64 bit Windows 7 system. The driver shows up in the ODBC administration dialog. However, when I try to define an ODBC source I obtain the error message (translated from German):

The setup routines for the Oracle ODBC client in instantclient64_12_1 could not be loaded. System error code 126: The denoted module was not found. (C:\Program Files\Oracle\instantclient64_12_1\SQLORAS32.DLL).

After comfirming the dialog box a second message appears with basically the same message. A first check yields that the DLL does reside in the path given in the error message. Also the examination of the registry shows that both DLL paths to SQLORAS32.DLL and SQLORA32.DLL have been set correctly.

The installation manual requires the PATH variable to be set the same directory. This was also checked by me.

Is there any way to fix this?

Solution

Download and install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=14632

The problem is not with the SQLORA dlls, but the modules that those ddls refer to (missing from a default Windows installation).

Comments

[Marcus Rickert]

This fixed it! Thank you very much! I think it's a little embarassing for Oracle that they are not mentioning this prerequisite in an exposed position.

[Andrew Schulman]

Thanks a million, solved it for me. And thanks so much too, Oracle.

[Randall Sewell]

I just encountered a nearly identical problem, that has a nearly identical solution. In my case, it was the 2012 VC++ redist. I just wanted to add this to make sure people are aware it's not necessarily the 2010 VC++, but rather the version of VC++ the ODBC drivers were compiled under.