Trace the connection stack
- Determine whether the process is 32-bit or 64-bit.
- Inspect the corresponding system/user DSN and exact driver version.
- Sanitize and record connection-string options and authentication method.
- Test DNS, host, port and server reachability independently.
- Capture all ODBC SQLSTATE/native error records or a bounded trace.
After connection succeeds
| SQL failure | Dialect, quoting, permissions or driver capability. |
|---|---|
| Text damage | Unicode/ANSI conversion or code-page disagreement. |
| Machine difference | DSN scope, architecture, driver build or credentials. |
This cross-technology guide complements VB6 ODBC and Delphi ODBC. See also database identification and the database pillar.