How to Create DSN in 64 bit O.S for Access database

Question

How to create DSN in 64 bit OS for MS Access database for Windows OS?

Answer 1

Have you tried making one from Access? When you choose external data sources, odbc, you are given a chance to create the DSN from inside of Access. And you can at that point in time create a system DSN. (Access will launch the correct version of the ODBC manager for you).

Because Access is useally the 32 bit version, then the location of these system DSN's are thus in the standard location of:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ODBC\ODBC.INI\name of SYSTEM DSN

And, you MUST launch the 32 bit version of the ODBC manger, and the one in the control panel is going to be the 64 bit version.

So, it is REALLY MUCH easier to let Access launch this for you, since then you don't have to know or care if you are running the x64 or x32 bit version of Access (x64 versions only exist for Access 2010 and beyond – so if your using a previous version, then it will be x32 for all cases).

So, you need to launch the 32 bit version of the ODBC manager and it is found in this location:

C:\Windows\SysWOW64\odbcad32.exe

Then you should be fine (so do NOT use the one from the control panel).

If you thus create the system DSN using the 32 bit version (the one from sysWOW), then you should see it in Access when you launch the same odbc manager.