How to Install OracleClient11g32-bit on Win7 + Add ODBC

We encounter many different problems during install Oracle Client, to work around these problems, I do many search in Google, fortunately, I get the solutions, wakaka↖(^ω^)↗ Here, I must say again Google is  more efficient than Baidu, Baidu, Come on.
Here let me share to you(this gudie is also updated in COMIT OIS Sharepoint), hope they’re useful to you.

1> How to make Oracle Client 11g 32-bit on Win7 available
Installation Info:
Oracle Client Version: Oracle_11gR1_win32_client.zip( \\s-garage\Database\Oracle\Oracle 11g )
1. Windows Version: Windows7
2. Please select “Administrator” as installation Type

Problem1>
Checking operating system requirements …
Expected result: One of 5.0,5.1,5.2,6.0
Actual Result: 6.1
Check complete. The overall result of this check is: Failed <<<< Problem: Oracle Database 11g is not certified on the current operating system. Recommendation: Make sure you are installing the software on the correct platform.To work around this problem I’ve decided to edit refhost.xml file adding entry for Windows 7.
Find the xml file from installation folder on my local system:
..\\Oracle_11gR1_client\client\stage\prereq\client\refhost.xml

This is my newly edited refhost.xml file. New lines are added at the end of this excerpt after <!–Microsoft Windows 7–>.
Notice version value=6.1

<CERTIFIED_SYSTEMS>
<OPERATING_SYSTEM>
<!–Microsoft Windows 2000–>
<VERSION VALUE=”5.0″/>
<SERVICE_PACK VALUE=”1″/>
</OPERATING_SYSTEM>
<OPERATING_SYSTEM>
<!–Microsoft Windows XP–>
<VERSION VALUE=”5.1″/>
<SERVICE_PACK VALUE=”1″/>
</OPERATING_SYSTEM>
<OPERATING_SYSTEM>
<!–Microsoft Windows 2003–>
<VERSION VALUE=”5.2″/>
</OPERATING_SYSTEM>
<!–Microsoft Windows Vista–>
<OPERATING_SYSTEM>
<VERSION VALUE=”6.0″/>
</OPERATING_SYSTEM>
<!–Microsoft Windows 7–>
<OPERATING_SYSTEM>
<VERSION VALUE=”6.1″/>
</OPERATING_SYSTEM>
</CERTIFIED_SYSTEMS>

Problem2>
Checking operating system requirements…
Expected result: ……..(don’t remember)
Actual Result: ……..(don’t remember)
Check complete. The overall result of this check is: Failed <<<< Problem: error in home path, no blank allowed…
To work around this problem I’ve decided to change the installed folder path without blank. I’ve changed my installed path like “C:\\Oracle11\product…”, it works.
With new refhost.xml file and no blank installed folder path, all checks passed and I was ready to try out is everything OK after installation.
Problem3>
No ODBC driver after installing Oracle 11g
The problem is, that I have installed 32-bit Oracle on 64-bit Windows.
Now there are two options:
1>Install 64-bit Oracle;
2>If you cannot do 1> (my case), then you can access 32-bit ODBC under: Start – Run – %windir%\SysWOW64\odbcad32.exe
Microsoft have article The 32-bit version of the ODBC Administrator tool and the 64-bit version of the ODBC Administrator tool display both the 32-bit user DSNs and the 64-bit user DSNs in a 64-bit version of the Windows operating system(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942976).

2> How to Open ODBC
Access ODBC via below path if you installed oracle 32-bit: Access ODBC via below path if you installed oracle 64-bit:3>How to Add ODBC via Oracle
Set oracle configures File then adds odbc for DB conection.
a.Go to your local oracle installed folder: …\ product\11.1.0\client_1\network\admin
b.Open file “tnsnames.ora”
c.Add you db info into the file, like add below strings (it is for OISF db connection string) into the file then save it.

OISF =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (SDU = 32768)
    (enable = broken)
    (LOAD_BALANCE = yes)
    (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = gct90168.houston.hp.com)(PORT = 1526))
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SERVICE_NAME = OISFI)
    )
  )

d.Open ODBC with the oracle version you installed, last chapter has said how to open it, the GUI will display as below:e.Go to “System DSN” tab, then click “Add…”, “Create New Data Source” window will pop up, go to bottom, select “Oracel in OraClient….” f. Then Click “Finish”,  “Oracle ODBC Driver Configuration” window displays as below. Go to “TNS Service Name”, select above “OISF” (which you added just now) from the list.
Add set “Data Source Name” same as TNS Service Name, it should be “OISF”. g.Click “Test Connection”, type username & password to confirm connection is successful. Remember: Don’t set username & password here. h. Then click “OK”. If you want to connect another db, just set up one more ODBC for it.

That’s all. Now Oracle with ODBC is ready for you work.