How do I run a VBScript in 32-bit mode on a 64-bit machine?

Question

I have a text file that ends with .vbs that I have written the following in:

Set Conn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Conn.Provider = "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0"
Conn.Properties("Data Source") = "C:\dummy.accdb"
Conn.Properties("Jet OLEDB:Database Password") = "pass"
Conn.Open
Conn.Close
Set Conn = Nothing

• When I execute this on a Windows 32-bit machine it runs and ends without any notion (expected).
• When I execute this on a Windows 64-bit machine it gets the error

  Provider cannot be found. It may not be properly installed.

But it is installed. I think the root of the problem is that the provider is a 32-bit provider, as far as I know it doesn't exist as 64-bit.

If I run the VBScript through IIS on my 64-bit machine (as a ASP file) I can select that it should run in 32-bit mode. It can then find the provider.

How can I make it find the provider on Windows 64-bit? Can I tell CScript (which executes the .vbs text file) to run in 32-bit mode somehow?

Answer 1

follow http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896456

To start a 32-bit command prompt, follow these steps:

* Click Start, click Run, type %windir%\SysWoW64\cmd.exe, and then click OK.

Then type

cscript vbscriptfile.vbs

Answer 2

' C:\Windows\System32\WScript.exe = WScript.exe
Dim ScriptHost : ScriptHost = Mid(WScript.FullName, InStrRev(WScript.FullName, "\") + 1, Len(WScript.FullName))

Dim oWs : Set oWs = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Dim oProcEnv : Set oProcEnv = oWs.Environment("Process")

' Am I running 64-bit version of WScript.exe/Cscript.exe? So, call script again in x86 script host and then exit.
If InStr(LCase(WScript.FullName), LCase(oProcEnv("windir") & "\System32\")) And oProcEnv("PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE") = "AMD64" Then
    ' rebuild arguments
    If Not WScript.Arguments.Count = 0 Then
        Dim sArg, Arg
        sArg = ""
        For Each Arg In Wscript.Arguments
              sArg = sArg & " " & """" & Arg & """"
        Next
    End If

    Dim sCmd : sCmd = """" &  oProcEnv("windir") & "\SysWOW64\" & ScriptHost & """" & " """ & WScript.ScriptFullName & """" & sArg
    WScript.Echo "Call " & sCmd
    oWs.Run sCmd
    WScript.Quit
End If

Answer 3

If you have control over running the cscript executable then run the X:\windows\syswow64\cscript.exe version which is the 32bit implementation.

Answer 4

   ' ***************
   ' *** 64bit check
   ' ***************
   ' check to see if we are on 64bit OS -> re-run this script with 32bit cscript
   Function RestartWithCScript32(extraargs)
   Dim strCMD, iCount
   strCMD = r32wShell.ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%SYSTEMROOT%") & "\SysWOW64\cscript.exe"
   If NOT r32fso.FileExists(strCMD) Then strCMD = "cscript.exe" ' This may not work if we can't find the SysWOW64 Version
   strCMD = strCMD & Chr(32) & Wscript.ScriptFullName & Chr(32)
   If Wscript.Arguments.Count > 0 Then
    For iCount = 0 To WScript.Arguments.Count - 1
     if Instr(Wscript.Arguments(iCount), " ") = 0 Then ' add unspaced args
      strCMD = strCMD & " " & Wscript.Arguments(iCount) & " "
     Else
      If Instr("/-\", Left(Wscript.Arguments(iCount), 1)) > 0 Then ' quote spaced args
       If InStr(WScript.Arguments(iCount),"=") > 0 Then
        strCMD = strCMD & " " & Left(Wscript.Arguments(iCount), Instr(Wscript.Arguments(iCount), "=") ) & """" & Mid(Wscript.Arguments(iCount), Instr(Wscript.Arguments(iCount), "=") + 1) & """ "
       ElseIf Instr(WScript.Arguments(iCount),":") > 0 Then
        strCMD = strCMD & " " & Left(Wscript.Arguments(iCount), Instr(Wscript.Arguments(iCount), ":") ) & """" & Mid(Wscript.Arguments(iCount), Instr(Wscript.Arguments(iCount), ":") + 1) & """ "
       Else
        strCMD = strCMD & " """ & Wscript.Arguments(iCount) & """ "
       End If
      Else
       strCMD = strCMD & " """ & Wscript.Arguments(iCount) & """ "
      End If
     End If
    Next
   End If
   r32wShell.Run strCMD & " " & extraargs, 0, False
   End Function

   Dim r32wShell, r32env1, r32env2, r32iCount
   Dim r32fso
   SET r32fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
   Set r32wShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
   r32env1 = r32wShell.ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE%")
   If r32env1 <> "x86" Then ' not running in x86 mode
    For r32iCount = 0 To WScript.Arguments.Count - 1
     r32env2 = r32env2 & WScript.Arguments(r32iCount) & VbCrLf
    Next
    If InStr(r32env2,"restart32") = 0 Then RestartWithCScript32 "restart32" Else MsgBox "Cannot find 32bit version of cscript.exe or unknown OS type " & r32env1
    Set r32wShell = Nothing
    WScript.Quit
   End If
   Set r32wShell = Nothing
   Set r32fso = Nothing
   ' *******************
   ' *** END 64bit check
   ' *******************

Place the above code at the beginning of your script and the subsequent code will run in 32bit mode with access to the 32bit ODBC drivers. Source.

Answer 5

We can force vbscript always run with 32 bit mode by changing "system32" to "sysWOW64" in default value of key "Computer\HKLM\SOFTWARE]\Classes\VBSFile\Shell\Open\Command"

Answer 6

Alternate method to run 32-bit scripts on 64-bit machine: %windir%\syswow64\cscript.exe vbscriptfile.vbs

Answer 7

In the launcher script you can force it, it permits to keep the same script and same launcher for both architecture

:: For 32 bits architecture, this line is sufficent (32bits is the only cscript available)
set CSCRIPT="cscript.exe"
:: Detect windows 64bits and use the expected cscript (SysWOW64 contains 32bits executable)
if exist "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\cscript.exe" set CSCRIPT="C:\Windows\SysWOW64\cscript.exe"
%CSCRIPT% yourscript.vbs