SAS Installation Documentation 


Pay attention to every instruction as even the smallest mishap can break the system. Follow them exactly.


Everything inside of a ' ' is in reference to a name and should not be copied or used.


Before the installation. If installing on a new pc, have the SAS user sign into the computer to create their profile.

If possible, you will want to perform the install while they are logged in. If not, use you own profile and I will provide a way around it later.


Download and install VC++ 2005 redist x64 and x86. Link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=14431

Download and install VC++ 2008 redist x64 and x86. Link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26368

Download and install VC++ 2010 redist x64 and x86. Link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26999

Download and install VC++ 2013 redist x64 and x86. It might not give an option to install and might only say repair. Select repair. Link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40784

These redist packages allow the ODBC driver to have all necessary runtime libraries.


Next, the Oracle database light package (named 'instantclient_12_2') needs to be downloaded and configured. 

Go to \\helix\Programs\Oracle\Oracle Instant Client

Extract 'instantclient-basic-windows.x64-12.2.0.1.0.zip' to the root directory on the C drive ( C:\ ).

Next extract 'instantclient-odbc-windows.x64-12.2.0.1.0-2.zip' to the same root directory.

When you are done, it should combine both folders into one. The 'instantclient' folder should have an odbc install and odbc uninstall inside it.

Go ahead and run 'odbc_install.exe' AS ADMIN. Make sure it is as admin. When you run it, it should provide no feedback nor pop anything up.

Microsoft ODBC Driver for SQL Server is a single dynamic-link library (DLL) containing run-time support for applications using native-code APIs to connect to SQL Server.


Open helix and go to the path \\helix\Programs\Oracle\Oracle SQL Developer.

Find the 'tnsnames.ora' file located in the directory and copy/paste it into the 'InstantClient' folder you extracted in C:\.

In the SAS users profile ( 'C:\Users\%USERNAME%' ), create a folder named 'Oracle' (case sensitive). If there is already a folder there named Oracle, that is okay.

Navigate to \\helix\Programs. Copy the folder 'Oracle Client SAS' and paste it into the 'Oracle' folder you just created.


This next section is the most important part. 


Once if again, if copying/pasting do not include any ' ' in the names.


If you are installing all of this while currently signed into the SAS user's profile, follow these directions. If not, skip this and go to the next section.


Open control panel. In the search bar, enter and select "Edit environment variables for your account".

In the user's variables (top panel) select new and create a new variable named 'ORACLE_HOME' with underscore included. The variable value should be 'C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Oracle\Oracle Client SAS\network\admin'

Replace %USERNAME% with the SAS users Username.

While still in top panel. Select 'Path' and hit edit. Select new and paste the same variable value as before ( 'C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Oracle\Oracle Client SAS\network\admin' ) 

Keep the new variable at the bottom as we want this directory to be at the end of the PC's PATH.

Close out of that and in the windows search bar, type and select 'Edit the system environment variables'. 

You should be prompted to enter admin creds.

Select 'Environment Variables'.

In the bottom panel, which is system variables, select new.

For the variable name, enter 'TNS_ADMIN' with underscore included.

For the variable value, enter 'C:\instantclient_12_2'. 

While still under system variables, find 'Path' and select edit.

Select 'New'. Enter the value 'C:\instantclient_12_2'.

Move the value all the way to the top of the PATH as we want it to be parsed first.

Hit OK for everything.


If you cannot log into the SAS users account, do these steps.


The SAS user should have already signed in once to create their user profile.

Open file explorer. Navigate to their user profile. At the top, select view. In the Show/hide section, check 'Hidden items'.

Find the 'NTUSER.DAT' file and right click and go to properties.

At the bottom of the general tab, uncheck the 'Hidden' attribute. Hit apply.

In the windows search bar, open 'Regedit' as admin.

Highlight 'HKEY_USERS'. Go to the top, hit 'File' and then 'Load hive'.

Navigate to their user profile and select the now shown 'NTUSER.DAT' file.

For the name, just name it 'temp'.

Now expand 'HKEY_USERS' and select 'temp'. Expand it. Then select 'Environment'.

Right click. Hit new & 'String value'

Name it 'ORACLE_HOME' with underscore included.

Right click the new variable and select 'Modify'. The variable data should be 'C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Oracle\Oracle Client SAS\network\admin'

Replace %USERNAME% with the SAS users Username.

Then select 'Path'. Right click & modify. After the ' ; ' at the end, paste the same variable data ( 'C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Oracle\Oracle Client SAS\network\admin' ) and then hit Ok.

Select 'temp' again. Go to 'File' at the top and select 'Unload hive'. Hit ok.

Restart the machine.

In the windows search bar, type and select 'Edit the system environment variables'. 

You should be prompted to enter admin creds.

Select 'Environment Variables'.

In the bottom panel, which is system variables, select new.

For the variable name, enter 'TNS_ADMIN' with underscore included.

For the variable value, enter 'C:\instantclient_12_2'. 

While still under system variables, find 'Path' and select edit.

Select 'New'. Enter the value 'C:\instantclient_12_2'.

Move the value all the way to the top of the PATH as we want it to be parsed first.

Hit OK for everything.


In the windows search bar, type ODBC and run the 64bit version as admin.

At the top, select 'System DSN'. Hit 'Add'. Enter these values exactly.

Data Source Name: ODSP

Description: 64bit for ODSP

TNS Service Name: ODSP

For 'User ID', you will need to enter the database username of the SAS user. It will be something like 'IRANALYST2'. You will need to talk to Greg Tulenko about this.

Once entered, Ok out of everything.


Next we will install SAS.


Navigate to \\helix\Programs\SAS. Run the setup.exe.

Select 'Install SAS Software'. 

Select '9BRC9R' which is the 64 bit version.

Keep the next screen default and hit next. 

Select 'Install SAS Foundation....'

On the next screen, hit 'Select all' & then next.

Select '64 bit'. 

Keep the next screen default. 

On the next screen, hit 'Browse'. Find the new and current 64 bit license. As of writing these instructions the current license is '\\helix\Programs\SAS\Licenses 2024\SAS94_9CZRMS_70130718_Win_X64_Wrkstn.txt'. Hit next.

On the next screen, hit 'Clear All'. Only English is needed.

Keep the next screen default. Next.

Select 'SAS Enterprise Guide'.

For the Internet Browser. Hit 'Browse'. The path should be C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application and select chrome.

For the Java applets, hit 'Browse' and create a new folder named 'SAS/Graph' in the root of the C:\ drive.

Keep the next screen default.

Keep the next screen default.

Keep the next screen default.

Keep the next screen default.

Keep the next screen default.

Keep the next screen default.

It should be loading the installers and checking file system.

After that, go ahead and start the install. 

There is 1 program called 'SAS Bridge for Esri' towards the end that will most likely fail. You will need to hit 'Yes for All' when it gives you that prompt.

Complete the installation and SAS should be installed and working.