Instantiation of Export Options throws an Exception in SAP Crystal Report

Even after referencing the correct version of the dll, if you are still getting the error then it means that the runtime for the Crystal Reports is not properly installed.

The issue typically occurs when you use the MSI installer instead of the EXE installer for SAP Crystal Reports installation. The MSI installer has a known shortcoming that it does not properly incorporate Crystal Reports with Visual Studio, leading to instantiation exceptions when working with export options.

Solution

To resolve this issue, follow these steps ?

Step 1: Uninstall the current Crystal Reports runtime that was installed via MSI.

Step 2: Download the correct Crystal Reports Runtime (EXE version) from the SAP official website.

Step 3: Install the runtime using the EXE installer, which properly integrates with Visual Studio and registers all necessary components.

Step 4: Restart Visual Studio and rebuild your project.

Alternative Solution

If you must use the MSI installer, you can manually register the Crystal Reports components using the following command in Command Prompt (run as administrator) ?

regsvr32 "C:\Program Files (x86)\SAP BusinessObjects\Crystal Reports for .NET Framework 4.0\Common\SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 4.0\win32_x86\crdb_adoplus.dll"

Replace the path with your actual Crystal Reports installation directory if different.

Conclusion

The instantiation exception in SAP Crystal Reports export options is primarily caused by improper runtime installation. Using the EXE installer instead of MSI ensures proper integration with Visual Studio and resolves most export-related exceptions.