Crystal reports 2020 export to odbc

[saucyknave]

I've miraculously connected with support, but I wanted to ask (again) in the community about this: 

Is anyone else having Crystal Reports 2020 crash when trying to *export* to an ODBC connection?  Windows 11 23H2, up-to-date on updates, Microsoft 365 apps installed 64bit, 64bit SQL Server driver installed, even the 64bit Microsoft Access Database Redistributable installed.  Whenever I select the target ODBC connection while exporting a report in CR2020, it immediately crashes to the desktop.  

I can export to any other option in Crystal Reports and it works, but it consistently crashes any time I choose an ODBC target.  

Is anyone else experiencing this and have you found a way to fix it? 

[DonWilliams]

I can confirm it crashed for me also, I used MS Access as the destination though.

Curious what did Support say about the issue? Other than the OS is not supported?

Looking at the Event Viewer I get this:

Faulting application name: crw64.exe, version: 14.3.4.5055, time stamp: 0x66d752f5
Faulting module name: u2fodbc.dll, version: 14.3.4.5099, time stamp: 0x6711420e
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00000000000177e3
Faulting process id: 0xD0E8
Faulting application start time: 0x1DB2F8836D21C57
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\SAP BusinessObjects\SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 4.0\win64_x64\crw64.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files (x86)\SAP BusinessObjects\SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 4.0\win64_x64\u2fodbc.dll
Report Id: 2d1e134f-c5d4-4b3d-bf8f-fac42aafdfc1
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

Followed by this:

Application: crw64.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: exception code c0000005, exception address 00007FF9558677E3
Stack:

I'll ping R&D and see what they say about it.

[saucyknave]

Am I replying to you, Don? This post arrangement is a little wonky. Anyway, I'm still working with Support on this. The last time I looked, Windows 11 IS supported; can you point me to a document that says otherwise? I know how that sounds, I'll try to find one that says Win11 is supported. Otherwise we're seeing the same entry in the Event Viewer, so I don't know what else to say.

[saucyknave]

Argh. In terms of compatibility, what looks like the latest PAM (https://www.sap.com/documents/2020/06/b2ec5eaa-9d7d-0010-87a3-c30de2ffd8ff.html) indicates Windows 11 22H2 is the latest supported OS, but that document specifies CR2020 SP3, so I know it's old. The only catch is that I can't find a newer version of that document. In any case, that's the tiny thread I'm grasping to tell me my version of Windows 11 (23H2) is supported on CR2020 SP4. 😞

[DonWilliams]

I asked the Project owner when I worked at SAP to do the same, I hate Comment and Answer, screws up the order of replies... Ah, since it's still on going do you have an Incident number I can let them know to look at the details, it could be we are just duplicating the case here and it wastes their time doing it twice...

[saucyknave]

I assumed "Answer" was to mark the latest comment as the "final answer". Now I wanna click that button to see what it does!

[saucyknave]

Dang it, hit <ENTER>. Anyway, I have a ticket number: 1000476427, but that's all. Hope that helps.

[AA_SOI]

[Just upgraded to CR 2020.]

When loading a report that uses data from a previously exported Excel ODBC in CR2016, I get the error: "Failed to load database information. Details: Access/Excel(DAO) connection is no longer supported, use another alternative if possible, e.g. ODBC/JDBC." Therefore, I think exporting to ODBC Excel/Access is no longer a viable solution in CR 2020. I can't even access the Excel ODBC data [using the same method] from the CR2016 export file.

This is unfortunate because I need to access the same Oracle database with two different logins for data for one report. CR [or Oracle setup] doesn't seem to allow this. I have tried a number of different methods to accomplish it without success. So in CR2016, I had to retrieve data into Report1, move the previous data in the "excel odbc file" by clearing the excel Name Manager info, change the excel tab name, then re-export the new CR data to the same Excel ODBC file, then use it as a secondary data source for Report2 without needing to modify this Report2. [It was a little clunky, but got the job done.]

For the new CR2020 install, I have installed the MSOffice 365 Database Engine [and 2016] and various items. The "Export" to ODBC Excel/Access does not seem to work, regardless of AccessEngine install. Attempting to get it to work in another way, I have successfully connected to the ODBC file using the MS ODBC configuration settings [start menu ODBC, each file needs a new connection in Drive C:, then create a New Connection using ODBC (RDO) in CR2020]. I currently can only retrieve data from the ODBC file. I am not sure how to update data in the ODBC file using this setup. I may need to incorporate SQL Update commands in Report1 [if possible] to update the external Excel ODBC file. Then use that ODBC connection as secondary input data in Report2.

Another possiblity would be to just use the CR2020 excel output file as a datasource without the ODBC connection. I have not tried this before, but will attempt this in the near future. Then, every time the excel is output from Report1 and overwritten, the data is updated for Report2.

Any other work arounds or ideas are appreciated.

[DonWilliams]

When you need to use 2 different log ons you must use a subreport, it can have a separate DB logon UI. You can't use the main report with 2 DB's unless you can link them somehow.

Try this, Open CR Designer and click on File - Log on or off server and connect to 1 and then again to the other DB Server.

Then open the report and see if you can set Location for each connection using Set Location...

Other than that your only option is to use a subreport for the second user and link the Main report to the Subreport.

[DonWilliams · Accepted solution]

That number you gave is not a support Incident but a sales number, not the same thing.

Actually you can't buy a support contract for Crystal Reports, no longer available for CR Designer unless you purchase CRS, BOE or some other Crystal Product.

R&D confirmed it's and issue and will be providing a fix in some patch, possibly the next one for CR 2020 and other CRS/BOE products.

Thanks for reporting the issue...

[saucyknave · Accepted solution]

Don, that's the "DigReqNo" in the original first response I received from SAP, not to mention it's referred to as the "Ticket Number" in the email subject, so I just assumed that was my case number. Sorry about that. Otherwise, WHAT was confirmed to be an issue? I realize you don't owe me more details, but right now you're like a godfather benevolently helping me out and I can't express enough gratitude for your help!

[DonWilliams · Accepted solution]

R&D confirmed both x86 and x64 exporting to ODBC has an issue so that's what they will be fixing. Go here for the update when it's available: https://origin.softwaredownloads.sap.com/public/site/index.html

FYI, R&D did test it in CR 2016 and it worked fine....

[saucyknave · Accepted solution]

Wow, that's insane that it took more than 4 years for this to be addressed. Well, now I can honestly say I was involved in making Crystal Reports better....for what it's worth. 😄

[DonWilliams · Accepted solution]

Actually 4 years is misleading. Without doing a bunch of testing it's possible this was only an issue since some 2016 patch may have broke it....