Oracle client installation error - path too long

Question

I'm trying to install Oracle 11g Release 2 (client). But it gives an error like that :

Environment variable: "PATH" - This test checks whether the length of the
    environment variable "PATH" does not exceed the recommended length.
Expected Value: 1023
Actual Value : 1028
List of errors: - PRVF-3929 : Adding the Oracle binary location to the PATH
  environment variable will exceed the OS length limit of [ "1023" ] for the
  variable on the node "KamalNuriyev-PC"  -
    Cause:  The installer needs to update the PATH environment variable to
            include the value "%ORACLE_HOME%/bin;". However, doing so will
            cause PATH to exceed the maximum allowable length that this
            operating system allows.  - Action:  Ensure that the sum of the
            lengths of your current PATH environment variable and that of
            "%ORACLE_HOME%/bin;" does not exceed the operating system limit.
            Restart the installer after correcting the setting for
            environment variable. 

Solution 1

This limitation is based on older Windows restrictions, where length of environmental variables was important. This limitation is still there in the Oracle installation.

Work around this:

• Step 1: Copy the value of your 'path' variable to a text-editor (Ex.: notepad) and save this value as backup.
• Step 2: Reduce the size of this path to less that 1023 characters. Remove path variables at the end. You will mostly not need any of them during the oracle installation. Keep those removed values in a separate text-file, because you need to add them again later!
• Step 3: Start the oracle installation again.
• Step 4: After Oracle installation: Add those removed path values again at the end of the path.

Good luck!

Solution 2

For those who are facing this issue, solution would be to look into your Environment Variable "PATH" and bring it to shorter in length by removing unnecessary paths / repeating paths as suggested by Bob Javis in his comment. Thanks to him.

I had the similar issues and got it resolved by doing so.

To Edit ENV Variable on Windows 7: Start -> Computer -> Properties -> Advanced System Settings -> On "System properties" window, select "Advanced" tab - > Click on "Environment Variable" -> Scroll down to see the PATH variable and click on "Edit" to edit accordingly and Click "OK" to save

Hope someone might get helped :)

Solution 3

You could check on the ignore all check box on top right and that should enable the next button to continue further.

Solution 4

One way of fixing this is to go to stage\cvu in the installer directory and edit cvu_prereq.xml, replace all values (there are multiple ones) containing 1023 with a larger number and then try to install it again.

Might need to do this after running the installer but before the installer does the check on the different requirements like the PATH length.

Solution 5

After trying with all I found this in the Oracle wiki:

What it says is that you should reduced your string's path changing the "C:\Program Files (x86)" to "C:\PROGRA~2"

Be sure to make a backup of the original path.

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