DBA studio: Error add/connect database "Failed to parse tnsnames.ora file"

Question

I have Oracle (version 8.1.7) installed in my XP machine and when I try to (having chosen "Launch DBA Studio standalone") to open a connection I get:
"Failed to parse tnsnames.ora file
ERROR: 100 -- NLNV-NLNV String Format Error".
Also got this when I tried to manually add a database to a tree.
I can access the databases listed in my tnsnames.ora using SQL Plus with no error.
This is my tnsnames.ora.
# TNSNAMES.ORA Network Configuration File: C:\oracle\ora81\network\admin\tnsnames.ora
# Generated by Oracle configuration tools.
INST1_HTTP.xx.yy.GE.COM =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = MyMachine3)(PORT = 1521))
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVER = SHARED)
(SERVICE_NAME = buch3ora)
(PRESENTATION = http://admin)
EXTPROC_CONNECTION_DATA.xx.yy.GE.COM =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = IPC)(KEY = EXTPROC0))
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SID = PLSExtProc)
(PRESENTATION = RO)
MyOra3.xx.yy.GE.COM =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = MyMachine3)(PORT = 1521))
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = ora3)
OORCL.xx.yy.GE.COM =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 3.4.55.66)(PORT = 1521))
(CONNECT_DATA = (SERVICE_NAME = oorcl))
Does anybody have any idea what is wrong? Thanks a lot. Changsong

Answer 1

Just found out this IS a string error in my Tnsname.ora. What i did is deleting all the entries in my tnsname.ora, and start adding each one back. I found one particular entry is responsible for the error. This is the old text
serv32.xxx.ge.com =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (COMMUNITY = TCP)(PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = sevr32.xxy.ge.com)(PORT = 1521))
(CONNECT_DATA = (SID = atmo32))
just looking by itself I can't see anything wrong. I just formatted it a little, making it looked like the other one that is working
serv32.xxx.ge.com =(DESCRIPTION =
     (ADDRESS_LIST =
     (ADDRESS =
     (COMMUNITY = TCP)
     (PROTOCOL = TCP)
     (HOST = sevr32.xxy.ge.com)
     (PORT = 1521)))
     (CONNECT_DATA=
     (SID = atmo32)))
and now it works fine. I Really can't tell the difference, except that some words were moved to the other line. What puzzled me is that the same old tnsname.ora worked in almost all the other circumstances, like sql plus, and other database enginee. But it is just not good enough for dba studio?
I admit I probably should have used the network utility to add a connection to avoid this type of format error.
Anyhow, I'm glad it is solved. by the way, the symjct.dll mentioned in the previous post should be symcjit.dll. I guess he mispelled the name. I renamed it to symcjit_old.dll and now the java error was gone. So that is another gain from this post. Thanks Joel for all the information.