Microsoft KB Archive/231383

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INFO: Component Checker: Diagnose and Reconfigure MDAC Installations

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Q231383

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Data Access Components versions 1.5, 2.0, 2.1, 2.1 SP1, 2.1 SP2, 2.5, 2.6

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SUMMARY
This article outlines the functionality for Microsoft Component Checker (CC). The CC is a tool to help you diagnose installation issues with Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC). MDAC is installed with numerous products: it ships with Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Visual Studio, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Back Office and numerous other Microsoft products. In addition, developers can re-distribute the MDAC stack through the MDAC_TYP.exe, which can be found at: http://microsoft.com/data.

There have been over six releases of MDAC during the past year and, in certain circumstances, applications have experienced version incompatibility issues. This is a general statement and is purely dependent upon the environment in which MDAC was installed. In most scenarios, applications experiencing problems with MDAC behavior are a result of mis-matched components.

In response to these issues, the Component Checker was developed to help analyze MDAC installations. CC can also be used to remove and re-apply MDAC, if necessary.

NOTE: Microsoft Data Access Components are system components and cannot be removed from the operating system (OS) without causing unpredictable results. CC provides a safe method of removing and re-applying another version of MDAC. Removing MDAC by any other means is not supported.

MORE INFORMATION
Component Checker can be downloaded from http://microsoft.com/data/download.htm#CCinfo. It comes as a self-extracting zip file (CC.exe) that creates a ComCheck directory, and contains its own help file. After extracting the files into a directory you can run CC by clicking the ComCheck.exe. The application prompts you with a dialog box reading:

* Perform an analysis to determine installation


 * Perform an analysis based on a selected version

The most common selection would be the first. This information helps you determine the version of the MDAC installation on the computer. Keep in mind that CC may not be able to determine an exact version because the computer may be in a state that has multiple overlapping versions.
 * Scan the machine, but don't perform an analysis

The ComCheck.chm Help file in the \ComCheck directory provides more detailed information on the user interface and other functions.

Removing the Current Version of MDAC
CC refers to removing MDAC as reconfiguring, because you need to identify a valid MDAC_TYP.exe file to reinstall after CC removes the current installation. To enable reconfiguration, CC must be started from the command prompt with a /D parameter.

NOTE: The reconfigure option is not available under Microsoft Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me). MDAC 2.5 is integrated into these operating systems and should not be removed. For details on rolling back MDAC 2.6, see the MDAC 2.6 Setup FAQ at:

"http://support.microsoft.com/support/MDAC/26setupfaq.asp" The following are typical instructions for removing and re-applying MDAC:

 Download the version of MDAC that you want to install from the following Web location: Download Component Checker (CC.exe) from same location. Double-click on CC.EXE to extract the Component Checker files and install to the default location (C:\ComCheck).  On the Start menu, select Run, and run the following command line:

C:\ComCheck\ComCheck.exe /d.

The /d switch is required to enable the "Reconfigure MDAC" functionality. If you get an error dialog box indicating:

Cannot enable the reconfigure functionality

then you have not provided the correct switch to Component Checker.  Accept the default analysis type and click OK. At this point, Component Checker is scanning all of the MDAC files and registry settings on your computer. This normally takes several minutes. When the scan is complete, a message box appears indicating The version which closely matches your computer is 2.xxx. Click OK when this message box appears. At this point, a summary of Component Checker's scan appears. You may see some errors or warnings in the list view pane. These may or may not be actual problems with the installation of MDAC. 'Dir,' 'FileDescription,' and 'FileSize' errors can be safely ignored. From the File menu, select Reconfigure MDAC Components.

NOTE: If this option is not available, you have either not started Component Checker with the /d option, or you are running Component Checker on an operating system version that does not support this functionality (see NOTE earlier in this article for more information).  You may see a warning dialog box at this point indicating:

Unable to reconfigure MDAC components because of files in use or insufficient privileges

This error means that some ODBC, OLEDB, ADO, or RDS files are in use on the computer by some process. Component Checker cannot reconfigure MDAC until all MDAC using processes are shut down. If you click OK at this point, Component Checker lists all the files in use on the computer. You must shut down all processes on the computer that are using these files before you can reconfigure MDAC. Primary candidates include IIS and SQL Server, which can be shut down through the Services dialog box on the Control Panel on the NT Platform. </li> When a message box prompting you to continue with reconfigure appears, choose Yes.</li> When a message box indicating Before you reconfigure MDAC you must specify the location of your redist software install executable appears, click OK.</li> A file dialog box then appears. Select the mdac_typ.exe you downloaded in step 1. Locate mdac_typ.exe and click OK.</li> When a message box indicating MDAC removal complete, click OK.</li> Component Checker launches the MDAC setup file you selected in step 10. Proceed with installation as normal and accept all the defaults.</li> Once the MDAC installer is complete, control returns to the Component Checker program. When a message box indicating The program has successfully reconfigured all Microsoft Data Access Components! appears, click OK. This will shut down Component Checker. It may ask you to restart your computer.</li></ol>