CODEWITHSUNDEEP
delphi
Jerry Irons
Jerry Irons

Reputation: 55

Problem writing delphi 64 bit application using microsoft access databases

What happens: create delphi 32 bit application to open up a ms access database, the newer accdb one, created with access 2013 32 bit version. Using TADOConnection and dbgo. Works great. Change to 64 bit platform, as soon as I try opening up a table at runtime, I get the "provider cannot be found error". Although I can open up a table within the IDE. OS is windows 10 pro 64 bit.

I have tried uninstalling ms office, and then downloading and installing the access 2013 database engine, the 64 bit version one. If I drop a TADOConnection on a new project, there are no MS ACE 12 or 15 providers. If I uninstall the 64 bit database engine, and install the 32 bit database engine, I see providers in both delphi 32 and 64 bit target platforms. I tried installing the 64 bit database engine using the "passive" parameter but microsoft has apparently caught on to this trick and will give the usual error message about you cannot install both 32 and 64 bit versions. So I tried using the 2010 versions of the database engines and still get error messages, although different ones.

It just feels like I'm missing something here. The weird thing is that in the IDE, using 32 bit access engine and 64 bit delphi target platform, I can make the connection active and open a table. But if I try and open a table at run time I get the error. I have also tried uninstalling and reinstalling delphi.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 662

Answers (1)

Jerry Irons
Jerry Irons

Reputation: 55

Ok so the short answer is yes it will work, but there are a few caveats:

  • You can only install either the 32 bit or 64 bit access 2013 engine drivers or Office, or any combination of those two. Microsoft has disabled the /passive or /quiet way to bypass that. So you can't install both 32 bit and 64 bit at the same time. (at least in a straightforward manner) You can go to control panel and see which ODBC drivers are installed via admin tools.
  • The IDE is 32 bit, and can only see 32 bit access engine providers when they are installed (via tadoconnect build data provider). Any 64 bit providers installed are not visible in the tadoconnect build connection string wizard.
  • The good news is that the 32 bit and 64 bit access engine providers have exactly the same provider name. So if you install the 32 bit drivers, create your 32 bit project, you can also create your 64 bit target as well.
  • with 32 bit drivers installed, your 32 bit target application will debug and run normally. If you try and run the 64 bit target, you'll get "provider not found"
  • with 64 bit drivers installed, your 64 bit target application will run normally, and the 32 bit application will give the "provider not found" error. In addition, in the IDE, you will not be able to see the data provider via the build connection string in tadoconnect, just leave it alone as it has the exact same name. You can run or debug your 64 bit app, just assume the data provider is correct even though you can't see it.

A thanks to Ken White for a point in the right direction.

Upvotes: 1

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