Microsoft KB Archive/286246

= How to use Paradox data with Access 2002 and Jet =

PSS ID Number: 286246

Article Last Modified on 8/12/2004

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Access 2002
 * Microsoft Data Access Components 2.1
 * Microsoft Data Access Components 2.1 SP1
 * Microsoft Data Access Components 2.1 SP2
 * Microsoft Data Access Components 2.5

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This article was previously published under Q286246



Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

This article applies to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb) and to a Microsoft Access project (.adp).

For a Microsoft Access 2000 version of this article, see 230126.



SYMPTOMS
The Paradox database driver works in one of two modes. One mode is when either the the latest Microsoft Jet 4.0 Service Pack or the Borland Database Engine (BDE) is installed. The other mode is when neither of these are installed. Paradox data is only updateable when the latest Jet 4.0 service pack or the BDE is installed. Without the latest Jet 4.0 service pack or the BDE, Paradox data can be read, imported and exported, or linked to read-only.

There may be incompatibilities with certain versions of BDE. The symptoms of the incompatibilities vary, depending upon the version of the BDE. Version 5.01 of the Borland Database Engine is recommended. The following table lists the behavior supported for each of the Paradox file formats:



RESOLUTION
To be able to write data to a linked dbase file from within Access 2002 or a Jet 4.0 application you can install either the latest Jet 4.0 service pack or the BDE.

The Latest Jet 4.0 Service Pack
For additional information about how to obtain and install the latest Jet 4.0 service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

239114 How To: Obtain the Latest Service Pack for the Microsoft Jet 4.0 Database Engine

NOTE: If you choose to install the latest Jet 4.0 service pack, the linked Paradox table must have a primary key to be updateable.

Borland Database Engine
Contact Inprise Inc. or a third-party vendor to obtain the BDE. Obtain the licensing and run-time distribution requirements for the BDE from Inprise.

Third-party Paradox ODBC driver vendors include Merant (http://www.merant.com), Borland.Com (http://www.borland.com), and Inprise Inc. (http://www.Inprise.com). For additional information about how to contact Merant, Borland.Com, or Inprise Inc., please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

65416 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, A-K

60781 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, L-P

60782 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, Q-Z



MORE INFORMATION

 * If neither the latest Jet 4.0 service pack nor the BDE is installed:
 * Microsoft Access does not prompt for, use, or maintain Paradox indexes as in earlier versions of Microsoft Access. If the latest Jet 4.0 service pack or the BDE is installed, Access uses and maintains the indexes.
 * APPEND, UPDATE, and DELETE are no longer supported.
 * Bulk writing of data to Paradox tables when using the INSERT INTO ... SELECT ... FROM ... syntax remains supported; however the indexes are no longer maintained.
 * If the BDE is not installed:
 * The Paradox ISAM places an exclusive lock upon opening Paradox files. This includes opening linked Paradox tables or Paradox tables opened via DAO.
 * Multi-user capability is no longer supported.
 * Concurrent ODBC connections to the same table, from the same computer, or from multiple computers, is no longer supported.
 * The Paradox ISAM only supports the 8.3 naming convention as in earlier version of Microsoft Access.
 * Paradox extensions are not supported via the Microsoft Paradox IISAM, regardless of whether a version of the BDE is installed that supports it.

