title: Error connecting to oracle database from a .net application on Windows 7
body: <p>I get this error when my .Net winforms application tries to connect to Oracle database on a 64-bit Windows 7 machine.Am using System.Data.OracleClient.dll as a provider.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>OCIEnvCreate failed with return code -1 but error message text was not
    available.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>Am able to connect to the same database using a "udl file" and using "SQL Plus" utility on this machine. </p>
  
  <p>On my windows 7 machine, ORACLE_HOME directory is correctly pointing to 32 bit client in the environment variable and registry too, but still am getting the same error.</p>
  
  <p>Also, am able to connect to this database from .Net app on a Windows XP machine even if does not have any of these environment variables present.</p>
  
  <p>Could you please advise?</p>
  
  <p>Thanks for reading.</p>