What may constitute the database
Primary data files
MDB, DBF, Paradox tables, Firebird/InterBase databases, Btrieve/Pervasive files or proprietary containers.
Companion structures
Indexes, memo/blob files, transaction logs, dictionaries, lock files and engine-specific metadata. Missing companions can silently remove fields or relationships.
Application knowledge
Lookup rules, units, status codes, calculated values, deleted-record semantics and business constraints may exist only in application code.
Safe recovery sequence
- Stop writes and preserve an untouched copy with hashes and source context.
- Identify file signatures, companion files and likely engine/version without modifying originals.
- Use compatible read-only tooling or work on disposable copies.
- Inventory tables, fields, indexes, relationships and record counts.
- Resolve encodings, dates, numeric precision, deleted records and memo/blob handling.
- Export into an open staging format, then reconcile totals and representative records.
- Document transformations before loading a new operational database.
Recovery, migration and preservation are different
| Goal | Success condition | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery | Readable, internally consistent records from damaged or inaccessible storage | Further modification of the only copy |
| Migration | Data and required behavior operate in a supported target | Losing semantics during type or schema conversion |
| Archival extraction | Business records remain searchable and interpretable | Exporting values without code lists or relationships |
| Application preservation | Original workflows remain reproducible | Preserving files but not the engine, configuration or client |
Technology boundaries
Start with unknown database identification when the format is uncertain. Use legacy database recovery services for damaged or inaccessible estates, MDB recovery for Access/Jet files and BDE database migration for Paradox, dBase or SQL aliases managed by the Borland engine.
Application context may come from VB6, Delphi or binary and behavior analysis.
Format-specific recovery
Use DBF recovery for dBase-family tables, memo companions and code pages. Use Paradox recovery for BDE-era table families, indexes and blob data. Both require application context before migration results can be trusted.
Application migration
Move general dBase-family estates through dBase database migration. Systems containing Visual FoxPro programs, forms, reports or database containers require the broader Visual FoxPro migration workflow.
Server database recovery and migration
Use Firebird database migration for version-level metadata/data transition and SQL Anywhere recovery for ASA assets, startup environments and extraction.
Record-oriented database ecosystems
Use Pervasive SQL recovery for PSQL/Btrieve files and engine dependencies. Use Clarion database recovery when data dictionaries, keys, memo companions and application metadata determine how records can be interpreted.
Migration delivery
When the requirement spans identification, schema reconstruction, repeatable conversion and reconciliation rather than one file format, see old database migration services.
Extraction and target formats
Begin with obsolete-software data recovery, SQLite recovery or ODBC diagnosis. Delivery paths cover proprietary extraction, CSV and SQL.