Installing the BDE

To install the Borland Database Engine on modern versions of Windows (both 32 and 64 bit), we have created an install script, which can be downloaded from here as a zip file.

IMPORTANT!

Before running the BDE install script, please ensure you have a good backup of your system. We have tested the install script on 5 different versions of Windows, and we do not believe the changes are dangerous, but it does alter your registry settings which can cause your system to become unstable.

Running the script

You should ensure that you are running as a user with administrative privileges, or the script may not be able to copy the files or make changes to the registry.

First extract the zip file you downloaded into a suitable folder. For example, if you extracted the files into C:\TEMP, you will find the script files in C:\TEMP\BDE Install\

Next, open a command prompt, by running CMD.EXE. This can be found in the Windows Start Menu. At the command prompt, change directory to where you decompressed the script files:

CD "C:\TEMP\BDE Install"

Next, run the installation batch file INSTALL.BAT, by typing:

INSTALL

Information about what will happen next is presented, with warnings about having a good backup of your system. If you are happy to proceed with the install at your own risk, then type y and press the Enter key:

y

The script will copy some files, then Windows will prompt you to make changes to the registry:

The dialog box may look slightly different in different versions of Windows. Click on Yes if you are happy to make the registry changes. The registry changes are given in the two files BDEREG32BIT (for 32 bit Windows) and BDEREG64BIT (for 64 bit Windows). They are both text files that describe the registry entries to be made, so you can open them in any text editor, such as Notepad, to see what entries they will make.

Once you've clicked on Yes, the script should then finish, and the BDE should be installed.

If all has gone well, Domesday Explorer should now be able to start normally. If the installation did not work, it's possible that your user doesn't have the right permissions to copy files or make registry changes. You should make sure you are running as a user with administrator privileges.

What the script does

• 1. It copies the Borland Database Engine files (which would be installed by the setup program shipped with the Domesday Explorer CD) into C:\BDE32.

  2. It adds some entries to the registry.

• • For 32 bit systems, these are placed under \\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\BORLAND.

  • The entries to be made are in the file BDEREG32BIT.

  • For 64 bit systems, these are placed under \\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\BORLAND.

    • The entries to be made are in the file BDEREG64BIT.

You can perform these actions yourself manually, by copying the files and then running regedit, and importing either the 32 or 64 bit registry entry files, depending on what your system is. The registry files are just text files, so you can open them in a text editor to inspect what entries will be made.

Running the INSTALL.BAT file automates these steps, and detects whether you are running 32 or 64 bit Windows.