Cannot connect Firebird in IBexpert

Question

I have installed Firebird 3.0.2 (x64) and IBExpert 2018.12.15.1.

I'm trying to create a Firebird DB on IBExpert but everytime getting this error:

Unsuccessful execution caused by system error that does not preclude successful execution of subsequent statements.
Error loading plugin Engine12.
Module C:\Program Files\Firebird\Firebird_Server\plugins/Engine12 exists but can not be loaded.*

My configuration:

• Server/Protocol Local, XNet (FB3)

• Database C:\Data\Example.fdb

• Connection string xnet://C:\Data\Example.fdb

• Client Library File C:\Program Files\Firebird\Firebird_Server\WOW64\fbclient.dll

• Username SYSDBA

• Password masterkey

• Page size 126384

• SQL Dialect 3

How to solve this problem?

Answer 1

This happens to me when I select the firebird fbclient dll from the following location

 C:\Program Files\Firebird\Firebird_3_0\WOW64\fbclient.dll

However if I instead (against all sanity and reason) chose what I think ought to be a 64 bit dll, from c:\windows\system32, it works.

ie, client choice:

c:\windows\system32

Now it might seem logical to some readers that system32 could contain a 32 bit dll, but actually almost every dll in there, and probably EVERY dll in there SHOULD be 64 bit, on windows 64 bit systems. However I am guessing that whatever is in there must be a 32 bit fbclient.dll in the main windows 10 system directory.

Microsoft made a now ancient but at the time, kind of odd decision that c:\windows\system32 will be full of 64 bit stuff on Windows XP 64 bit, and has kept it that way. It appears to me there's something wrong with Firebird 3.0.4's installer team's decisions.