Oracle client installation error - path too long

Question

I'm trying to install Oracle 11g Release 2 (client). But it gives an error like that :

Environment variable: "PATH" - This test checks whether the length of the     environment variable "PATH" does not exceed the recommended length. Expected Value: 1023 Actual Value : 1028 List of errors: - PRVF-3929 : Adding the Oracle binary location to the PATH   environment variable will exceed the OS length limit of [ "1023" ] for the   variable on the node "KamalNuriyev-PC"  -     Cause:  The installer needs to update the PATH environment variable to             include the value "%ORACLE_HOME%/bin;". However, doing so will             cause PATH to exceed the maximum allowable length that this             operating system allows.  - Action:  Ensure that the sum of the             lengths of your current PATH environment variable and that of             "%ORACLE_HOME%/bin;" does not exceed the operating system limit.             Restart the installer after correcting the setting for             environment variable.  

Answer 1

This limitation is based on older Windows restrictions, where length of environmental variables was important. This limitation is still there in the Oracle installation.

Work around this:

• Step 1: Copy the value of your 'path' variable to a text-editor (Ex.: notepad) and save this value as backup.
• Step 2: Reduce the size of this path to less that 1023 characters. Remove path variables at the end. You will mostly not need any of them during the oracle installation. Keep those removed values in a separate text-file, because you need to add them again later!
• Step 3: Start the oracle installation again.
• Step 4: After Oracle installation: Add those removed path values again at the end of the path.

Good luck!

Answer 2

For those who are facing this issue, solution would be to look into your Environment Variable "PATH" and bring it to shorter in length by removing unnecessary paths / repeating paths as suggested by Bob Javis in his comment. Thanks to him.

I had the similar issues and got it resolved by doing so.

To Edit ENV Variable on Windows 7: Start -> Computer -> Properties -> Advanced System Settings -> On "System properties" window, select "Advanced" tab - > Click on "Environment Variable" -> Scroll down to see the PATH variable and click on "Edit" to edit accordingly and Click "OK" to save

Hope someone might get helped :)