ORA-12705: Cannot access NLS data files or invalid environment specified

Question

I just installed the Oracle instant client on my laptop, and get this when I try to connect via ODBC in C#. The machine has had 9.2 and 10.2 installed in the past.

Why does this error appear? In my connection string, can I tell it to ignore the Oracle NLS settings?

Answer 1

The solution was to find the registry key named NLS_LANG under:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE

and rename it to anything else. I put an "x" at the end. This key is left over from a full install of Oracle. The instant client ODBC works properly now.