Preface

This guide provides instructions about installing and configuring Oracle Database for Microsoft Windows (x64). Only the features of Oracle Database for Microsoft Windows (x64) software installed on the Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008 operating systems are discussed in this guide.

This preface contains these topics:

• Audience

• Documentation Accessibility

• Related Documentation

• Conventions

Audience

Oracle Database Installation Guide for Microsoft Windows (x64) is intended for anyone installing Oracle Database on a single computer. Additional installation guides for Oracle Real Application Clusters, Oracle Clusterware, Oracle Database Client, and Oracle Companion CD are available on the relevant installation media.

To use this document, you need the following:

• A supported Microsoft Windows operating system installed and tested on your computer system

• Administrative privileges on the computer where you are installing the Oracle Database software

• Familiarity with object-relational database management concepts

Documentation Accessibility

Our goal is to make Oracle products, services, and supporting documentation accessible, with good usability, to the disabled community. To that end, our documentation includes features that make information available to users of assistive technology. This documentation is available in HTML format, and contains markup to facilitate access by the disabled community. Accessibility standards will continue to evolve over time, and Oracle is actively engaged with other market-leading technology vendors to address technical obstacles so that our documentation can be accessible to all of our customers. For more information, visit the Oracle Accessibility Program Web site at http://www.oracle.com/accessibility/.

Accessibility of Code Examples in Documentation

Screen readers may not always correctly read the code examples in this document. The conventions for writing code require that closing braces should appear on an otherwise empty line; however, some screen readers may not always read a line of text that consists solely of a bracket or brace.

Accessibility of Links to External Web Sites in Documentation

This documentation may contain links to Web sites of other companies or organizations that Oracle does not own or control. Oracle neither evaluates nor makes any representations regarding the accessibility of these Web sites.

TTY Access to Oracle Support Services

Oracle provides dedicated Text Telephone (TTY) access to Oracle Support Services within the United States of America 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For TTY support, call 800.446.2398. Outside the United States, call +1.407.458.2479.

Related Documentation

For more information, see these Oracle resources:

• Oracle Database Release Notes for Microsoft Windows (x64)

• Oracle Database Client Installation Guide for Microsoft Windows (x64)

• Oracle Database Companion CD Installation Guide for Microsoft Windows (x64)

• Oracle Database Oracle Clusterware and Oracle Real Application Clusters Installation Guide

• Oracle Database Oracle Clusterware and Oracle Real Application Clusters Administration and Deployment Guide

• Oracle Database Platform Guide for Microsoft Windows (x64)

• Oracle Database Upgrade Guide

• Oracle Database 2 Day DBA

For information about Oracle error messages, see Oracle Database Error Messages. Oracle error message documentation is available only in HTML. If you only have access to the Oracle Database 10g Release 2 (10.2) Online Documentation Library, you can browse the error messages by range. Once you find the specific range, use your browser's "find in page" feature to locate the specific message. When connected to the Internet, you can search for a specific error message using the error message search feature of the Oracle online documentation.

Many books in the documentation set use the sample schemas of the seed database, which is installed by default when you install Oracle. Refer to Oracle Database Sample Schemas for information on how these schemas were created and how you can use them yourself.

Printed documentation is available for sale in the Oracle Store at

http://oraclestore.oracle.com/

To download free release notes, installation documentation, white papers, or other collateral, please visit the Oracle Technology Network (OTN). You must register online before using OTN; registration is free and can be done at

http://www.oracle.com/technology/membership/

If you already have a user name and password for OTN, then you can go directly to the documentation section of the OTN Web site at

http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/

Conventions

The following text conventions are used in this document: