I have finished designing my C# application which stores employees data in an Access database. The program works perfectly when I install Microsoft Office 2007 on my machine, but causes an error if I uninstall Office 2007. Now, I wonder if there is a method which enables my program to connect to the Access database without installing the whole Microsoft office 2007.
using System.Data.OleDb;
If your connection string uses the Microsoft.ACE.OleDb.12.0 provider then you need the Microsoft Access Database Engine installed on the client.
At the link provided you could find the installation of the two versions of this provider.
One for 32bit and one for 64bit.
The right one to use depends by the Target CPU defined in your app and by the operating system bitness. Of course on a 32bit OS you cannot install a 64bit provider while the reverse is possible.
If your app is compiled for x86 as Target CPU then you need the 32bit version and you could install your app also on 64bit systems. If your app is compiled for x64 Target CPU then you need the 64bit version and you could run only on 64bit systems. If your app is compiled for Any CPU then you should decide at install time which version of ACE.OleDb.12.0 to install depending on the bitness of the operating system.
If this is not enough to give you headache then things start to look very bad if there is an Office already installed on the client machine.
Office installs automatically the provider compatible with its version (32 or 64 bit) and you cannot install a different version of these libraries side by side with the other one.
So what are your best options?
Write your app for x86 Target CPU and provide a dedicated setup for
systems where Office 64 bit is installed or ask your customer to change Office version. (I'm kidding)
Write your app for AnyCPU Target, check at install time the OS bitness and choose the appropriate version of the engine. On 64bit systems hope that your customer has not
installed a 32bit version of Office.
Use the Access 2003 format (mdb) and compile for x86 Target CPU. This
approach requires the Microsoft.Jet.OleDb.4.0 provider that should
be already available on any target client. It doesn't require to install
anything and it should work flawlessy on any system.
Switch to SQLite or Sql Server Compact Edition or Sql Server
LocalDB. These options requires a complete retesting of the
application, database schema migration and probably code changes. Still, dedicated
libraries, are needed to distribute
Personally for small, single user applications, with limited amount of data (less than 1gb) and with integration with other Office applications I use the Access 2003 MDB solution.
Related
As part of a C# program that i trying to fix I run it on my machine and i got this error:
I figured out that the problem is with my Microsoft Access Database Engine and i install the 64 bit version but i got this message :
and i tried to install the 32 bit version and i got this message :
someone saw something like that and can help me please?
Ok, a few things:
First, you have to decide or determine what bit size your going to run your .net application as.
If you chose "any" cpu, or choose x86 then of course your .net application will run as x32. The reason why "any cpu" ALSO runs as x32 bits is because Visual Studio (VS) is a x32 bit application. So "any" means .net will take on the bit size of the host process.
The simple issue is you need/want/better specify the .net project bit size and force this issue. If you don't then you can wind up wasting a whole afternoon. KEEP VERY much in mind that if you decide and are using x64 bits for your .net application? Well, you CAN STILL use the connection string wizards and builders in VS, but when you go to TEST connection, for a x64 bit version the test connection dialogs in VS will fail. This is because VS is a x32 bit application. So, even with x64 bit ACE/AccessDatabase, you find the test connection wll fail. However, if your application is set to x64, then running it will work. So, keep this quirk in mind. So, while VS is x32 bits, when you run/debug the application it will respect your project bit settings, but the connection builders will fail on test (so you can use the connection builders - say in the settings panel from VS, but the test connection button will fail).
So, don't use "any cpu" for your project settings. Use x86, or x64 (ie: the bit size you want and plan to use).
Next up:
Normally if you have office (and access) installed, in the past, then this would expose and allow use of the ACE database engine. However, for office 2013 and onwards, installing office, Access, or Access runtime DOES NOT expose the ACE database engine anymore. Because of large amounts of confusing on this issue, for Access 2019, (full or runtime), they have reversed this policy. (so, now once again ACE will be exposed with a Access install).
And prior to 2013, installing Access full or runtime will also work and expose the ACE database engine.
Note that it is recommended that you use the SAME connection string for all versions of the ACE database engine. (from 2007, all the way to 2019). That correct connection string is thus this:
That means for ACE 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, we are to use this:
If using oleDB provider then:
Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=C:\test2\test44.accdb
If using ODBC provider then:
Driver={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb, *.accdb)};
dbq=C:\Test2\test44.accdb;defaultdir=C:\Test2;
Installing the ACE data engine in place of the larger and heaver Access (or access runtime) install.
Now, assuming you don't have Access installed. And assuming that you dealig with 2013, 2016, then you quite much need to install the ACE data engine.
You want to download the ace engine from here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=54920
Make sure you download and attempt to install the correct bit size version.
Getting around the dialog boxes that complain about office x32 or x64 already having been installed. It turns out that so many bits and parts of office are shared between all programs, that if you install say Excel, x32, then you cannot install ANY OTHER office program from word to power-point or Access as x64. You can install DIFFERNT versions of office, but NEVER mix and match bit size for a GIVEN version of office. This is due to the large amounts of .dll's and shared code between office programs.
HOWEVER, you CAN force the ACE engine to install , and install regardless of the bit size.
Download the ACE engine install (your desired bit size). But now launch the installer from the command line. Add the /quiet switch to the install. This will cause the installer to by-pass the nagging and complains about the bit size.
So, from command prompt, go:
C:\runtimetest>AccessDatabaseEngine.exe /quiet
or for x64, I think its:
C:\runtimetest>AccessDatabaseEngine_64.exe /quiet
(going form memory - but just use the /quiet swtich - it should allow you to proceed with the install.
Last but not least:
You can download my sample utility here:
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Avrwal_LV4qxhpdBSWWSP5Ivv38AZw?e=dTVQis
It is a small tiny .net exe file (no install). It has a x32 bit version, and a x64 bit version. You can run/try/test either version to see which bit size of access works, or is installed.
It shows this:
If the above utility don't work (x32 or x64 version), then you don't have a valid working ACE database engine installed.
I got an shown in the below image on my connection between my ms access database and my c# windows form application,error says that
"The 'Microsoft.ACE.OLDB.12.0' is not registered to local machine"
visual studio2015 and ms access2016
i'm an amateur
Having recently dealt with this myself, I believe you need the Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=13255
You have two options:
32-bit version (AccessDatabaseEngine.exe)
64-bit version (AccessDatabaseEngine_x64.exe)
You cannot install both at once. If you are targeting for the x86 platform, install the 32-bit version. If you are targeting for the x64 platform or AnyCPU, install the 64-bit version.
Have you installed office 2016 data connectivity components? If not please install the same. You could get more details on the below links
Stack Overflow link
I have a standalone application used for CRON that I deployed to a Windows Server 2008 machine that keeps giving me the error below.
System.InvalidOperationException: The 'Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0' provider is not registered on the local machine.
I did some research on the subject and it seems a 64 bit application does not work with the MSJet dll for 64bit. So the solution was to recompile the application and have it targeted for a 32bit machine, however I cannot do that in my project. I looked the in the C:\Windows\SysWOW64 folder and found both the msjet40.dll and msjetoledb40.dll files. Is there any other way I can run this application as is or maybe in a compatibility setting since I cant target it to 32 bit when I build it.
You cannot use msjet40.dll or msjetoledb40.dll if your application is a 64-bit process. You will have to use the ACE OLEDB 12.0 which is the only real alternative that supports 64-bit process. Your only other option is to compile the application as a 32-bit process.
You can download this driver from: Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable and if you are looking for additional information you can find it here
My application is written in C# and uses Ms-Access 2003 and I want it to run properly in 64-bit Windows installation. I use the data provider as ACE.OLEDB.12.0 in the connection string, but it still gives the exception that Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0 provider is not registered though I have installed the Microsoft Access Databse Engine 2010 (32-bit) in the target machine (As the target machine's Office installation is 32-bit).
I followed to the following post Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0 provider is not registered
and many other posts in msdn and other microsoft sites and the problem solves as they say to compile to x86. I want to know whether there is another way of solving this problem which does not require compiling to x86...
You don't have to compile for x86, but you need to install the 64-bit Access OLEDB provider on a 64-bit box. It's available here: Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable
I had this same issue on a 64-bit, but following advice on http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/1d5c04c7-157f-4955-a14b-41d912d50a64/how-to-fix-error-the-microsoftaceoledb120-provider-is-not-registered-on-the-local-machine, I installed the Office 2007 version of these components from http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/confirmation.aspx?id=23734, which worked flawlessly.
Mainly I ask this because I don't want to distribute both versions, and if I need to instal a 64bit .NET on an x64 PC and a 32bit .NET on a 32 bit PC then I would need to make this check in my loader application to download the correct version for the correct PC.
However, if I just do a one for all, it would be easier - and i would just like to know if theree is anything I should know before doing this (ie: any repercussions?) or all good?
Also, when I compile an exe in a 64bit version of VS2010 does it compile a 32bit exe by default or a 64bit? I'm presuming 32, but just wanted to make sure.
Thanks.
If you target AnyCPU for your compilation, the app will run as 64bit on a 64bit OS, and 32bit on a 32bit OS. If you target x86, the app will run as 32bit regardless of the OS. If you target x64, the app will only run on a 64bit OS.
The 64bit version of .Net also includes the 32bit dll's.
If you have to install the runtime from the Internet, then use the web installer. It will take care of downloading and installing the correct version on the client. This way you can target AnyCPU (or x86) and be certain that the app will run regardless of the OS.
If you need to package .Net with your app, download the full file which has both 32/64bit versions included - http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/5/A/95A9616B-7A37-4AF6-BC36-D6EA96C8DAAE/dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe
Client profile web install
Client profile full install
Silent install can be done with the /q parameter and you might want to add /norestart as well and handle reboot yourself if necessary.
Check out this blog post and the MSDN documentation on what switches are available.
The .NET bootstrapper automatically installs both the 32-bit and the 64-bit versions of the .NET framework on a machine with a 64-bit operating system. Nothing you have to do to tell it to do so. Avoid distributing the .NET framework yourself, you'll have a hard time keeping up with the security updates. Just tick the option in the Setup project's Prerequisites to get the bootstrapper, that will download the latest and greatest during install on the target machine, if necessary. The option is automatically ticked when you create an installer for a managed program.
There is no 64-bit version of VS2010, no need to worry about that.
The Platform Target setting in the Project + Properties, Build tab for your EXE project is relevant. It defaults to x86 in a project that was created from scratch in VS2010. There is no great reason to change it to AnyCPU for the Release build unless you need the extra virtual memory space that a 64-bit process can provide. If you do change it then do make sure to test it thoroughly. I know you've been tinkering with unmanaged COM servers, x86 is probably a hard requirement.