You receive an error message when you try to connect to an Oracle database table in an Office 2003 program (896607)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Excel 2003
  • Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Publisher 2003
  • Microsoft Office Word 2003
  • Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003
  • Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
  • Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003
  • Microsoft Office Standard Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Student and Teachers Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Small Business Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Basic Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Access 2003
Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry

SYMPTOMS

When you try to connect to an Oracle database table in a Microsoft Office 2003 program, you cannot connect to the database table. Additionally, you receive an error message that is similar to the following error message:
Word cannot open +Connect to New Data Source.odc as a data or header source because it contains no data.

CAUSE

This problem may occur when the user name of the logged on user is is different from the owner name of the Oracle database table. This problem may occur even though you have been granted permissions to the Oracle database table.

RESOLUTION

This problem was first fixed in a hotfix that is now contained in a service pack. If you installed the latest Office 2003 service pack, you do not have to install the hotfix.

Service pack information

This problem is corrected in Office 2003 Service Pack 2.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Office 2003. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

870924 How to obtain the latest service pack for Office 2003



After you install the service pack, follow the steps that are listed in the "More Information" section of the article to set the AlternateOracleDBSupport registry key and to activate the hotfix.

Hotfix information

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the Office 2003 post-Service Pack 1 Hotfix Package that is dated April 7, 2005. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

896606 Description of the Office 2003 post-Service Pack 1 hotfix package: April 7, 2005

After you install this hotfix, follow the steps that are listed in the "More Information" section of this article to set the AlternateOracleDBSupport registry key and to activate the hotfix.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. This problem was first corrected in Office 2003 Service Pack 2.

MORE INFORMATION

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
To enable this hotfix, follow these steps:
  1. Quit all Office 2003 programs.
  2. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
  3. Locate and then click to select the following registry key:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Common

  4. After you select the key that is specified in step 3, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click DWORD Value.
  5. Type AlternateOracleDBSupport, and then press ENTER.
  6. Right-click AlternateOracleDBSupport, and then click Modify.
  7. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
  8. On the File menu, click Exit to quit Registry Editor.

The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:4/7/2006
Keywords:kbQFE KBHotfixServer kbOffice2003SP2fix kbOracle kbmerge kbOffice2003preSP2fix kbbug kbfix KB896607 kbAudITPRO kbAudEndUser
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