Installing Oracle Instant Client Packages

Learn the different methods to install Oracle Instant Client.

Parent topic: Installing Oracle Instant Client

Installing Oracle Instant Client Using Zip Files

Learn how to download and use zip files to install Oracle Instant Client Basic or Oracle Instant Client Basic Light.

  1. Use any browser to access the Oracle Instant Client Downloads page:
  2. Download the desired Oracle Instant Client Basic or Oracle Instant Client Basic Light zip files. Select the correct platform, architecture, and packages of your choice. For example, if your application is 64-bit, then ensure that you select 64-bit Instant Client and download the Basic or Basic Light package zip file.
  3. Unzip the packages into a single directory such as C:\oracle\instantclient_21_3 . For example, for Windows x64:
    unzip instantclient-basic-windows.x64-21.3.0.0.0dbru.zip
    The various packages unzip into C:\oracle\instantclient_21_3.
  4. Add this directory to the PATH environment variable. If you have multiple versions of Oracle libraries installed, make sure the new directory occurs first in the path. Restart any terminal windows or otherwise make sure the new PATH is used by your applications.
  5. Download and install the correct Visual Studio Redistributable from Microsoft. Oracle Instant Client 21 requires the Visual Studio 2017 redistributable.
  6. If you intend to colocate optional Oracle configuration files such as tnsnames.ora, sqlnet.ora, ldap.ora, or oraaccess.xml with Oracle Instant Client, then move these files to the C:\oracle\instantclient_21_3\network\admin subdirectory.
    This is the default Oracle configuration directory for applications linked with this Oracle Instant Client.
    Alternatively, you can move the Oracle configuration files to another, accessible directory. Then set the environment variable TNS_ADMIN to that directory name.
  7. Start your application.
ODBC users must follow the Oracle Instant Client ODBC Installation Notes.

Parent topic: Installing Oracle Instant Client Packages

Installing Oracle Instant Client Using the Setup Wizard

Learn how to use the setup wizard to install Oracle Instant Client.

  1. Use any browser to access the Oracle Database Software Downloads page:
  2. Download the Oracle Database Client installation zip file to a directory of your choice. For example, you can download the zip file to the \tmp directory.
  3. Log in to Windows as an Administrator user. If you are installing on a Primary Domain Controller (PDC) or a Backup Domain Controller (BDC), log on as a member of the Domain Administrators group.
  4. Extract the client zip file, open a command prompt with administrator privileges, and run the setup.exe command to start the Oracle setup wizard.
  5. In the Select Installation Type screen, select Instant Client. Click Next.
  6. In the Specify Installation Location screen, enter an OFA-compliant Oracle home directory path like C:\app\oracle\product\21.3.0.0\client_1. Click Next.
  7. Note the information in the Summary screen and click Next.
  8. The Finish screen displays the status of the Oracle Instant Client installation. Click Close to complete the installation and exit the installer.
  9. The Oracle Instant Client shared libraries like oci.dll, oraociei21.dll, and orannzsbb21.dll are available in the Oracle client home directory C:\app\oracle\product\21.3.0.0\client_1.
  10. Set PATH to the instantclient_21_3 directory. For example, update PATH in Control Panel, System, Advanced System Settings, Advanced, Environment Variables, System Variables, PATH.
  11. If you intend to colocate optional Oracle configuration files such as tnsnames.ora, sqlnet.ora, ldap.ora, or oraaccess.xml with Oracle Instant Client, then move these files to the network\admin subdirectory.
    This is the default Oracle configuration directory for applications linked with this Oracle Instant Client.
    Alternatively, you can move the Oracle configuration files to another, accessible directory. Then set the environment variable TNS_ADMIN to that directory name.
  12. Start your application.

To remove this Oracle Instant Client installation use the setup.exe command along with the -deinstall -home options: 

setup.exe -deinstall -home C:\app\oracle\product\21.3.0.0\client_1

Parent topic: Installing Oracle Instant Client Packages