registry-entries-for-data-sources.md

title	Registry Entries for Data Sources
description	Registry Entries for Data Sources
author	David-Engel
ms.author	davidengel
ms.date	01/19/2017
ms.service	sql
ms.subservice	connectivity
ms.topic	concept-article
helpviewer_keywords	subkeys [ODBC] data sources [ODBC], registry entries registry entries for data sources [ODBC], about registry entries data sources [ODBC], configuring registry entries for data sources [ODBC]

Registry Entries for Data Sources

Note

Starting with Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, ODBC is included in the Windows operation system. You should only explicitly install ODBC on earlier versions of Windows.

The installer DLL maintains information in the registry about each data source. In Microsoft Windows NT/Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows 95/98, this information is stored in subkeys under one of the following two keys in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\Odbc.ini  

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\ODBC\Odbc.ini

Which key is used depends on whether the data source is a system data source, which is available to all users, or a user data source, which is available only to the current user. System data sources are stored on the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE tree, and user data sources are stored on the HKEY_CURRENT_USER tree. In all other respects, system data sources and user data sources are identical.

This section contains the following topics.

• ODBC Data Sources Subkey

• Data Source Specification Subkeys

• Default Subkey

• ODBC Subkey