BDE eXpress for Vista	Version 2
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The Borland Database Engine (shortly BDE ) is an interface of the company Firma Borland Inc. to access databases. It provides the access to well known databases as  dBase and Paradox. A lot of well known programs are using the BDE. Normally the user don'nt know that he's using the BDE. But if he try to run the same program unter  Windows Vista  appears the message " Error initializing the Borland Database Engine". At this moment it is obvious that not the software is bad but there's no compatible instalation of the BDE for Windows Vista present. With "Windows Vista" Microsoft introduced a lot of changes egarding the file acces and rights of users and programs. Per default the original BDE is'nt made for "Windows Vista" specific environment conditions. This does'nt mean that BDE is'nt a professionel database system. Well installed on Windows Vista the BDE runs as confidential as ever on other Windows systems.

When do I need "BDE eXpress for Vista"?

in general	If a new program version is working now with server based data and you have to import former BDE databases you need a funcional BDE under Windows Vista.
as single user:	If a puchased program runs well under Windows 98, ME, 2000, NT or XP and does'nt work now under Windows Vista cause of problems with the BDE.
as company:	You've purchased several licences of an expansive BDE application. Your company uses Windows-XP computers as well as newer PC's with Windows-Vista. You do'nt want to invest into a change of the database system or the manufacturer of your special software does'nt offer an own Vista-compatible Setup yet The Original BDE Administation does'nt permit modifications of the configuration under Windows Vista even with Admin rights, e.g. to configure the computer for net access of a Paradox database.
as softwaredeveloper:	You've created BDE applications during years and are willing to offer this aplications also fo Windows Vista. You want to convert in a near future your BDE applications into server based aplications. To convert existing data stocks of your clients you need apart of the server database a funcional BDE under Vista. In this case you may include a special BDE eXpress for Vista installation into yout own setup. This silent BDE eXpress will install and initialize the BDE during the setup process of your software.

User Aliasnames

"BDE eXpress für Vista" supports apart from the global alias names also User Aliasnames. These alias names are only valid for the current user and may be modified even without admin rights.  In the Admin Mode are also visible the Original BDE Alias names for common use on the PC. "BDE eXpress Manager" as well as "BDE Express Backup" use both types of naming dat stock.

Long filenames for Paradox tables of version 3,4 or 5:

Under Windows Vista (and already on Windows XP) data not should be stored in the same folder as the program itself but in the user specific directories.
But it is impossbile to open Paradox databases of  Version 3,4 and 5 if the full filename (foldername and tablename) contains more than 70 characters. This happens easily in Windows, the folder "My Documents" has the real name
"C:\Documents and Settings\[Name of the user]\My Documents\".

In contrast Paradox tables of  version 7 support long filenames. With "BDE Express Backup" one may convert automatically whole data stocks into the modern Paradox 7 Format.

The Setup

You may also install "BDE eXpress für Vista" on other Windows operating systems if you wish a compact installation of the BDE. But it is recommended toi install the setup only if: You uses Windows Vista You know that the applications need the BDE the normal BDE-installation does'nt work the BDE is'nt installed yet on the computer Clean Uninstalling: Was already a BDE installed on your PC, you may restore the former intallation any time with then "BDE eXpress Manager" the former state will be restored automatically after uninstalling "BDE eXpress für Vista"