Software Deployment

Somehow, I don't think database passwords are stored in clear text in the ODBC registry entries. You will need to get that from the user somehow, either running in UI or from the command line.

Lets say ..I just need to read the user information from the INI and import the value to registery .Is there any way to do that ?

Sure, just write a custom action script to read the required ini file values and write them to the registry.

Thanks Rob, That can be done but would appreciate if you could point me to a written custom action coz of my low grip in VB and wise script.

But I am still bothered about ODBC password field. Does this field always remains a manual step ?
Cann't password be set in a INI and read to write in registery ?
I am talking about system DSN so the password must be same for all Users logging in.

Also , cann't ODBC connection through Wise set a password ?

But I am still bothered about ODBC password field. Does this field always remains a manual step ?

first of all your odbc entries.

do you not access to odbc32.exe where you can create the required odbc settings
for sure you must have the required username and password to create the odbc settings

passwords are not stored in the registry when you create odbc connections

A clarification: You can store a password in the registry for a System DSN, in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBC.INI\[DSN_Name]\Password

As for a script, PM me with a detailed requirement and I'll send you a quote. No-one works for free.

Rob . this reg value doesn't work.

@cygan --> cann't we make Username , password a part of INI from where ODBC would automatically pick up values.

Further research (Ha! Imagine that! Actually researching a problem. What's wrong with me?) indicates that the reading of the p/w from the registry, even for a System DSN, is dependent on the ODBC driver used. Most SQL Server drivers ignore this entry, apparently.

Thanks Rob for digging so deep ; perhaps a .NET or java exe can be called from custom action which would read the value from INI file and directly assign it to DB.

...making the process even more complicated! You're still left with the problem of getting the password from the user, whether it's script, Java, .Net or divine invocation.

Deepak, You still haven't specified what kind of ODBC entry this is. If it's a SQL DSN there is no way to store user name and password information in the registry. It either needs to be integrated authentication or SQL authentication. Integrated uses the current logged on user and SQL authentication uses the security accounts set up on the SQL server, and the application needs to pass the username and password to the server.

Why don't you just create the DSN manually and look in the registry to see what it is actually storing? I hate to be the one wheeing in your cheerios, but the concept of using cleartext username and password values in an INI file for DSN creation is a rather poor solution. If the app vendor supports it use integrated authentication.