SQL & PL/SQL

HI,

I have installed Oracle db 10.2.0 and developersuite 10g on my laptop.

My tnsnames.ora file looks like this...

# tnsnames.ora Network Configuration File: C:\oracle\product\10.2.0\db_2\network\admin\tnsnames.ora
# Generated by Oracle configuration tools.

ORCL =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = localhost)(PORT = 1521))
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVER = DEDICATED)
(SERVICE_NAME = orcl)
)
)

EXTPROC_CONNECTION_DATA =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = IPC)(KEY = EXTPROC1))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SID = PLSExtProc)
(PRESENTATION = RO)
)
)


I am trying to configure the ODBC driver so that i can use the SQL*XL that exchanges data from Microsoft Excel to the database.
I am sorry, if i don't know the right terminology here as i am very new to Oracle and I am not a DBA. I trained on Developper 10g
and a friend configured the database on my laptop.

I understand that one needs to configure the ODBC driver to be able to use SQL*XL.

Now the problem i am facing is that everytime i try to configure the driver, as per the rules stated in the help file of the ODBC folder
in oracle, i get the following error.


UNABLE TO CONNECT TO SQLSTATE = IM003. SPECIFIED DRIVER COULD NOT BE LOADED DUE TO SYSTEM ERROR 998. (ORACLE IN OraDb10g_home2)

and when i try to connect to the database directly from MS Excel, using the same parameters i used to configure the ODBC driver, it gives me
a similar message saying 'the specified driver could not be loaded due to system error 127.

please help!!!