Can't Find SQL Native Client in ODBC Connection Manager in SQL Server Open Database Connectivit

I apologize if this is not the correct forum for this posting. Looking at the descriptions, it appeared to be the best choice.

I am running Windows XP Pro SP2. I have installed the SQL Native Client for XP. However, when I try to add a new data source through ODBC Connection Manager, SQL Native Client is not listed as an option. I have followed this procedure on three other systems with no problems. What would be causing the SQL Native Client to not show up in the list of available ODBC data sources?

Hi, James,

First of all - are you sure that the installation of the SQL Native Client completed successfully? Do you see the packet in the Add/Remove Programs applet? What you can try first is to uninstall (if available) and reinstall the Client, check if any errors or warnings would be reported.

Going further - the ODBC drivers information is stored in the registry. Using regedit, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBCINST.INI and check if the SQL Native Client driver is present, the entries in the folder as well as an entry at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBCINST.INI\ODBC Drivers" folder.

If the SQL Native Client driver is not present in the registry, you might have a permission issue. One possible approach is to run and capture a RegMon log during the installation (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/SystemInformation/Regmon.mspx) and see if access to the key above failed.

If the SQL Native Client driver is present in the registry, then for some reason the ODBC Administrator fails to enumerate it or it contains invalid entries. First step would be to compare the entries to a "working" machine and then you could probably use RegMon again - this time when running ODBC Administrator.

Based on the findings, you could take corrective actions and start seeing the driver properly.

HTH,

Jivko Dobrev - MSFT
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|||Thanks for the reply. SQL Native Client does appear in Add/Remove programs, and I am able to uninstall and reinstall. I will do the other checks you mentioned, and let you know the results. Thanks.
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I am having a very similar problem. I am using Visual C++ 2005 Express and have installed the Microsoft SQL Server Native Client. All the mentioned registrty entries appear to be correct. I have also include all of the ODBC components in my toolbox. When I try to configure the ODBC data adpater, create a new connection, the only types of data sources that are in the possible list are the SQL Server and Access. If I add an OdbcConnection tool to the form and try to modify the connection string to a new connection, I get a message that the data provider identified by guid "all zeroes" could not be loaded. It would appear that csomething is missing.

I have tried to find a "Data" component to reference in the project that might include the missing component, but have had no success.

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