Windows: Lsnrctl Start Fails to Start and Yields ORA-12560 "Protocol Adapter Error" (Doc ID 2261031.1)

Last updated on MARCH 31, 2022

Applies to:

Symptoms

This is a new installation of 12c.  There are or were other installations of Oracle
on this server.

The listener fails to start at the CMD prompt.
It is possible to create the service using sc create.  It is not possible to
administer the listener using the LSNRCTL utility after the service is created.

Another unusual symptom here is that no Oracle executables can be launched at the
Administrator CMD prompt unless ORACLE_HOME is explicitly set. 

When $ORACLE_HOME is not set, attempts to launch tnsping  yield "no message file"
errors. 

Example:
Message 3511 not found; No message file for product=NETWORK, facility=TNS
TNS-03505: Message 3505 not found; No message file for product=NETWORK, facility=TNS

This is abnormal of Windows where ORACLE_HOME should NOT be set at the
System/Environment level.

Changes

 This is either a new installation OR some changes have taken place with respect to the ORACLE_HOME(s) on this Windows server.

Cause

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