Is it possible to have 64-bit 11g Full Install and 32-Client on 1 computer?

Question

Here's why I ask:
I have installed a full 64-bit 11g R2 install on my Windows 7 D: drive, installed two DB's, worked great. Then I realized application I need to support (Cognos 10.1) requires 32-bit client (for drivers) so I installed the 11g client also on D: drive as well (for space reasons).
My problem is that my registry only shows one ORACLE_HOME--the 64-bit full install whereas Cognos reqs to point to 32-bit client.
My sqlplus in the 64-bit OH worked fine (D:\oracle\app\dock\product\11.2.0\dbhome_1\BIN\sqlplus.exe) whereas the 32-bit client sqlplus (D:\oracle\client\app\dock\product\11.2.0\client_1\BIN\sqlplus.exe) did not work. The error was:
SQL*Plus: Release 11.2.0.1.0 Production on Mon Sep 26 18:02:30 2011
Copyright (c) 1982, 2010, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Enter user-name: cognos
Enter password:
ERROR:
ORA-12560: TNS:protocol adapter error
Any login id (sys, system, etc) gave same error. 64-bit sql-plus worked fine. If I opened a cmd prompt and navigated to the 32-bit sqlplus under the client this WOULD work to login (but then I noticed it was using the 64-bit ORACLE_HOME and PATH settings if I typed set). In order to fix Cognos, I changed my ORACLE_HOME and path to point to the 32-bit client (i.e. from D:\oracle\app\dock\product\11.2.0\dbhome_1 to
ORACLE_HOME = D:\oracle\client\app\dock\product\11.2.0\client_1
PATH = D:\oracle\client\app\dock\product\11.2.0\client_1\bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\PhysX\Common;%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem;%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\Bluetooth Software\;C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\Bluetooth Software\syswow64;C:\Program Files\Intel\WiFi\bin\;C:\Program Files\Common Files\Intel\WirelessCommon\
Guess what? This stopped both the 64-bit and 32-bit sqlplus from working, even after bouncing the computer. Now the listener (64-bit) OracleOraDb11g_home1TNSListener will also not start either.
Sooooo, I think I need to set the OH and PATH back to the 64-bit as that is what the Listener requires but any ideas how to get the 32-bit sqlplus to also work?!? The Cognos application appears to use the default server settings (most likely from ORACLE_HOME and Path) and in it I just type the name of the database and connection string, there's no real way to point it anywhere to differentiate. If it doesn't find 32-bit drivers it throws an error hence the reason I need the client sqlplus, etc to work.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Dave
Edited by: lo**** on Sep 26, 2011 4:20 PM

Answer 1

Duplicate post.
{thread:id=2290122}