Use the official MicrosoftProgram_Install_and_Uninstall.meta.diagcab troubleshooter, or manually uninstall via Control Panel → Programs and Features before installing v18. Part 8: Upgrading from Older Drivers (SQLNCLI, SQLOLEDB, MSOLEDBSQL 15) | Old Provider | Recommended Action | | :--- | :--- | | SQLNCLI (Native Client) | Migrate immediately. SQLNCLI is deprecated and no longer receives security updates. Replace with MSOLEDBSQL . | | SQLOLEDB (MDAC) | Migrate. The built-in Windows OLE DB provider for SQL Server is outdated and lacks modern features like Always Encrypted. | | MSOLEDBSQL v15 | Upgrade to v18 if you need TLS 1.2 enforcement, Azure AD authentication, or newer SQL Server 2022 features. |
The application is trying to load the 32-bit provider, but you installed only the 64-bit version (or vice versa).
| File Name | Architecture | Use Case | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | msoledbsql.msi | Both x86 & x64 | This is a unified installer that will install both 32-bit and 64-bit components. | | msoledbsql_x64.msi | x64 (64-bit) | For 64-bit-only systems (e.g., 64-bit Windows Server). | | msoledbsql_x86.msi | x86 (32-bit) | For 32-bit systems or applications. |
Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server\ | Select ProductName, Version Expected output:
Re-run the unified installer ( msoledbsql.msi ), which installs both architectures. Alternatively, explicitly install the missing architecture .msi . Issue 2: "SSL Security error – TLS 1.2 required" Cause: Driver 18 enforces TLS 1.2 by default. Older SQL Servers (2012 without patches) may not support it.
ProductName Version ----------- ------- Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server 18.6.xxxx Once installed, you can reference the driver in your connection strings. Connection String Syntax For 32-bit or 64-bit applications:
