First stabilize the evidence
- Image or copy the working system before upgrading components or database drivers.
- Collect DPR, DPK, PAS, DFM, RES and project-option files from every source location.
- Inventory loaded DLLs/BPLs and installed IDE packages; filenames alone do not establish compatible versions.
- Preserve database files consistently. Copying live Paradox or database files can produce an internally inconsistent backup.
- Document the release and installer sequence on a clean test machine.
Support situations and diagnostic direction
Build environment lost
Identify the compiler from project metadata and executable clues, reconstruct library paths, then recover components in dependency order. Avoid upgrading while recovery is incomplete.
BDE-era data failure
Separate table damage from alias, network-control-file, permissions and locale problems. Work on copies and verify record counts and relationships.
Modern Windows failure
Check write locations, elevation, 32-bit registry views, obsolete help/installer components and DLL search behavior before changing application code.
Device integration failure
Record port settings and traffic from a known-good exchange. A replacement USB adapter may change latency or control-line behavior even when COM settings match.
Repair, upgrade or replace?
| Condition | Preferred response |
|---|---|
| Application is useful and buildable | Maintain it, improve deployment and reduce the riskiest dependencies. |
| Application works but build is lost | Preserve operation while reconstructing the toolchain separately. |
| One obsolete component blocks deployment | Replace or wrap that boundary before considering a rewrite. |
| Behavior and data ownership are poorly understood | Perform discovery and characterization before selecting a target platform. |
Virtualization can preserve a stable environment, but it does not repair corrupt data, recover missing source or emulate every hardware interface.
What to send for an initial assessment
- Delphi version if known, plus source and executable timestamps
- Exact failure and recent environmental change
- Third-party component names and surviving installers
- Database engine, file location and backup state
- Connected devices and acceptable downtime
Use the Delphi systems hub for the wider discipline. Related investigations may involve database recovery, serial interfaces or binary and dependency analysis.