Test connection for linked server fails on desktop but not on server On SQL Server 2012 I have a linked server to Oracle 12c. On the server a test connection succeeds. Security is set to be made using this security content with an Oracle user and no local logins are defined. On my desktop the test connection fails with

Cannot create an instance of OLD DB provider "OraOLEDB.Oracle" for linked server. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 7302)
Checking Allow inprocess for the OraOLEDB.Oracle provider seems to have resolved the problem.