Where is ODBC Connection Information Stored?

[A. User]

Hello,

Where does the ODBC Data Source Admin tool store the connection
information for User, System or File DSNs? A coworker created/used
several ODBC connections on his machine, we backed up most of his files
but did not make an image (Ghost), wiped the HD and now I am having to
reconstitute his ODBC connections from memory. I would like to find a
file or something that has all that information stored. Am I SOL? Any
thoughts?

Thanks for your time,
A. User

[DFS]

A. User wrote:

Hello,

Where does the ODBC Data Source Admin tool store the connection
information for User, System or File DSNs? A coworker created/used
several ODBC connections on his machine, we backed up most of his
files but did not make an image (Ghost), wiped the HD and now I am
having to reconstitute his ODBC connections from memory. I would like
to find a file or something that has all that information stored. Am
I SOL? Any thoughts?

Unfortunately, I do believe you are SOL, Mr. User.

At least on my WinServer2003 system, the connection details are stored in
Registry key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBC.INI

Thanks for your time,
A. User

[Tim Marshall]

A. User wrote:

file or something that has all that information stored. Am I SOL? Any
thoughts?

DFS is correct (ie, you're out of luck), but do you know what
systems/databases to which he was connected?

Also, if you have the mdbs that used the DSNs, you can get the connect
information from tables or queries that might be stored. Did he use
PTQs? If he wrote them in code, then the connect strings will be there.

Also, the hidden system table, msysobjects, holds connection information
from linked tables.

If you have the mdb, and aren't sure how to translate or find the
connect strings, post back and we may be able to help.

At the very least, connection strings will give you the name of the DSN
he used (which may be important to relicate in case there are other apps
that access the DSN or if there are only certain DSNs permitted), the
user ID, possibly the password, and the name of the database to which
the DSN is connected.
--
Tim http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~tmarshal/
^o<
/#) "Burp-beep, burp-beep, burp-beep?" - Quaker Jake
/^^ "Whatcha doin?" - Ditto "TIM-MAY!!" - Me