Error: Client Software Failed to Load. Be Sure the Database Client Software is Installed a

Error Message

When attempting to connect to an Oracle database from an ArcGIS application, the following error occurs:

"Client software failed to load. Be sure the database client software is installed and configured correctly."

Cause

This error may occur for the following reasons:

A. No client is installed on the ArcGIS for Desktop machine.

B. Only the 64-bit client is installed when attempting to connect to Oracle from ArcMap or ArcCatalog, which are 32-bit applications.

C. Only the 32-bit client is installed when attempting to connect to Oracle from ArcGIS for Server or ArcGIS Pro, which are 64-bit applications.

Solution or Workaround

To solve the issue, ensure that the client is installed and that the bit-level of the client matches the bit-level of the connecting application.

If both the 32-bit client and the 64-bit clients are installed on the same machine, the 64-bit client must be listed first in the PATH environmental variable for a Windows operating system.

Article ID: 000013262

Software: