Windows 7, Forms Runtime 6i and Discoverer 10g don't play nice together

Question

Hi -
I posted this under the Discoverer Forum, but it was suggested that this might be a better place.
Let's see if I can have this make sense:
We are testing 3 Oracle products on a Windows 7 64-bit machine.
1. Forms Runtime 6i
2. Discoverer 10g version 10.1.2.3
3. ODBC from Ora client 11
I can install everything; although I had to install Discoverer in Compatablilty Mode using XP SP2. The ODBC client requires that I change the environment varialbes and add a New Environment variable called TNS_ADMIN.
Forms 6i works and the ODBC work until I install Discoverer. After installing Discoverer, I get a TNS cannont resolve.......on the Forms Runtime.
I'm lost as to how to get the Forms 6i to work. If you need any more information, please ask and I'll try to answer.
Thanks for all your help.

Answer 1

OK - so I thought the original post was from May of 2011 and wrote up my entire response accordingly. Only at the very end did I see that the original post was from May of 2010. Hopefully my response will help others who are only now trying to work through this issue.
Although Developer 6i is not officially supported by Oracle on Windows 7, it can run. It is just a bit finnicky to figure out.
There are a few of other things to I'd like to mention.
#1 Because you are running on a 64-bit OS, and depending on the Oracle 6i patch level you are running on the machine (we use Patch 17), you will need to replace two DLL files in the <ORA6i_HOME_DIR>\bin folder with version from 1/2/2001 (Patch 4, I think)
1. NN60.DLL
2. NNB60.DLL
If you do not replce these files, you will get an "FORM ERROR FRM-41211 Integration Error: SSL failure running another product" if you try to run a report from within your forms application, or if you try to open a form in a new window. The newer versions of these files apparently had removed some 64-bit calls when 64-bit Windows XP flopped.
More information (and my original source for my solution) can be found here: http://halimdba.blogspot.com/2009/05/oracle-forms-or-reports-6i-in-windows.html
#2 Because you are running on a 64-bit OS, if you want to add the TNS_ADMIN variable to your registry, you should add it in two places. HKLM\Software\Oracle AND HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Oracle
#3 During installation, I have a batch file that performs a lot of the 6i install stuff, so I don't run in compatability mode. But what I do is open a command prompt using "Run As Administrator" then browse to the 6i installers and install from that admin environment. If you are creating packaged forms 6i applications, I would strongly suggest investing the time to figure out how to script the 6i install for you clients. It can be a pain, but it is certainly much better than having to remember a gazillion different steps and make sure that you selec the approrpiate packages every time. The certainly don't need the full 6i environment, only the runtime portions.
#4 When installing multiple versions of oracle client, we've always found it best to start with the oldest version first. Get it running and tested, then move to the next version. Test the new version, then the old, then change the old to work with the new. Rinse and repeat. Of course, this is not required and may be impossible (installing your 6i app on machines that have been running 10g for years where you don't want to have to reimage the machine), but that order is definitely helpful in determine those steps that must be taken to get all versions working at the same time.