Oracle 11G client for windows do not install Oracle OLE DB Provider

On installing ORACLE 11G Client on a windows machine, the provider ORACLE OLE DB is not installed on the machine.

If user tries to connect to an Oracle database, they will not be able to connect as provider is missing.

To install the OLE DB Provider we need to install ODAC (ORACLE Data Access Components) which is available separately on Oracle website.
Note: On installing ODAC the machine must be rebooted.

Till Oracle 8 Microsoft used to provide Microsoft OLE DB provider for Oracle.
But it was later deprecated and is not available in ORACLE 11G.

To talk to Oracle 11G running on a separate server we need to use ORACLE OLE DB Provider.

Refer to link  for a greater visibility on the issue.

But here's a different but true story for those who actually read till the bottom...

Oracle provides cut down versions of Client on its website, if you are searching for just 32 bit client and 64 bit client; it will only list the cut down versions as ODAC XX.XX.XX.XXXXX.zip.

These zip files are just a drop in Oracle ocean.

Always search for Oracle Full Client. It is very beautiful and install client with full bells and whistles required to connect to an Oracle server.

In case you have already installed ODAC on your VM, uninstall it, delete all directories created by ODAC and reboot your VM.

Then install using Full Client Installer...... and get rid of that tiny task of connecting to DB Server.. (smoke pot stay happy)......

Hope this helps.................