Database Users

I am attempting to configure Oracle SQL Developer 4.0.1.14 to use an Oracle 11.2.0.4 instant client and the OCI/Thick driver in order to reset expired passwords within the password expiration grace period.  I have defined the location of the instant client in the Tools\preferences\Database\advanced dialog panel.  Use Oracle Client and Use OCI/Thick driver boxes are checked.  The tnsnames.ora file location is also entered.  Connection targets are Oracle 11.2.0.3 and Oracle 10.2.0.4 databases.  There are two other Oracle clients installed on the same Windows XP SP3 desktop. Testing the Instant Client located at C:\app\oracle\product\11.2.0\instantclient-basic-nt-11.2.0.4.0\instantclient_11_2Testing client directory ... OKTesting loading Oracle JDBC driver ... OKTesting checking Oracle JDBC driver version ... OK  Driver version: 11.2.0.3.0Testing testing native OCI library load ... OKSuccess! Despite the apparent OCI success, I searched the Oracle installation directories, but I find no oci.sym file in any Oracle home as suggested by the following link. http://www.thatjeffsmith.com/archive/2014/01/oracle-sql-developer-4-and-the-oracle-client/ When I validate the configuration changes via Help\About\properties tab, the sqldeveloper.oci.available setting is still showing false. What needs to happen before sqldeveloper.oci.available becomes true?

p.s., the Windows PATH environment variable was also revalued with the Oracle instant client location at the front.

Do you get a connection error when you try to login?  Also, in the Configure dialog, you set the client type to 'Instant Client?' 

Yes, Client Type is Instant Client. I (re)extracted the instantclient-basic-nt-11.2.0.4.0.zip file.  Now, sqldeveloper.oci.file is true, but connections generate an ORA-12705 Cannot access NLS data files or invalid environment specified.  I am one step closer. I altered the bin directory sqldeveloper.conf file to IncludeConfFile sqldeveloper-debug.conf.  Not sure that helped, error did not change. Note, I also abandoned the Microsoft explorer search engine and performed a manual search for the oci.sym file.  Found it.  So, that is not an issue.

Some good ideas hereRe: ORA-12705: Cannot access NLS data files or invalid environment specified

After I set NLS_LANG=AMERICAN_AMERICA.US7ASCII from the Windows command prompt and rebooted the machine, the Oracle instant client connected Oracle SQL Developer 4 with the database.  I also did not find a way to dynamically set this value inside Oracle SQL Developer 4.  Would I need to perform a similar exercise for each connection to another target database with a different character set?

Tools > Preferences. You can set your NLS parameters there. 

Under Tools\Preferences\Environment, I set ENCODING to US-ASCII as a substitute for setting character set in NLS_LANG as an environment variable in Windows XP.  Oracle SQL Developer Help suggested ENCODING had a different purpose.  Under Tools\Preferences\Database\NLS, LANGUAGE and TERRITORY were present, but not CHARACTER SET.  Target database character set is US7ASCII.  Rebooted, now it is working without the environment variable set at the system level in Windows XP.  Your help was really beneficial in getting this install up and running.  Thanks again.