title: Vb.net make mySQL connection through normal Oledb connection object
body: <p>I am attempting / can I, make a database connection through a normal Oledb connection object, and connection string...?</p>
  
  <p>I would like to keep my current database methods, already spent alot of time on them, and they all make use of the oledb connection object. I do not wish to "change" them, to use a different connection object when needed, nor do I wish to re-do all of them with a different connection object.</p>
  
  <p>I am interfacing between an access db and a mySQL db.</p>
  
  <pre><code>Private db_cn As New Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>'Access Conn String</p>
  
  <pre><code>cn_connection_string = "PROVIDER=MSDataShape;Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Jet OLEDB:Database Password=****;Data Source=" &amp; DbPath
  
  db_cn = New Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection(cn_connection_string)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Now, my mySQL conn string so far is this...</p>
  
  <pre><code>cn_connection_string = "Server=*****;Uid=*****;Pwd=******;Database=*****;"
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Oledb reports that I am not specifying a "driver". If I do specify the driver I find in my server explorer connection string, oledb reports that its not registered.</p>
  
  <p>My Server explorer does connect to the db successfully.</p>
  
  <p>Any help would be greatly appreciated.</p>
  
  <p>*EDIT - 28-01-2013</p>
  
  <p>Here is the exact error, on using the priovder as in the Server Explorer Properties.</p>
  
  <p>"The '.NET Framework Data Provider for MySQL' provider is not registered on the local machine."</p>
  
  <p>Connection String in Code is this:
  cn_connection_string = "provider=.NET Framework Data Provider for MySQL;<strong>*<em>;Uid=</em>*</strong>;Pwd=<strong>*<em>;Database=</em>*</strong>;"</p>
  
  <p>Connection String in Server Explorer is this:
  server=<strong>*<em>;User Id=</em>*</strong>;database=<em>*</em>*</p>