Question : "Error 3706: Provider cannot be found" after MDAC-reinstallation

I work for a company that makes software for schools. It's programmed in VB 6.0 using an MSDE-database. One of our customers has been using our software for years without any problems on a Windows 2003 Server SP1 with a Terminal Server network.

Recently, this customer has installed a third-party package that appears to have reinstalled MDAC in the background. It seems that this installation has caused MDAC to be corrupted or something, because now our software produces the following error:

Error 3706: Provider cannot be found

I have seen this error before and normally (re-)installing JET4 solves it. But to my knowledge JET4 is only used with an Access-database and not with MSDE.

We have tried the following solutions:

1. Installing JET4.
2. Installing MDAC 2.8 RTM
3. Installing MDAC 2.8 SP1
4. Trying to rollback MDAC with dasetup /u (gave the error that "a different version of MDAC was installed on this computer")
5. regsvr32 Sqloledb.dl, Oledb32.dll, Msado15.dll and Atl.dll. This was succesful but didn't solve the problem.

So I'm kinda out of ideas here. Maybe this customer should re-install his Windows Servicepack to solve the problem? Does anyone have other ideas please?

Thanks in advance for your help!

-- Geoffrey Reemer, Netherlands --

Answer : "Error 3706: Provider cannot be found" after MDAC-reinstallation

Microsoft has and MDAC checker that will help you trouble shoot your MDAC installation. You can download it from http://www.microsoft.com/data/download.htm#CCinfo

After you run the MDAC again, let me know if it doesn't solve the problem.