Forum Moderators: phranque
I ahve a reader... but everything in the database fields is in gibberish.
Am I missing something? Or can the contents have been scrambled on purpose?
Having used various flavours of DBase, plus Clipper, I can assure you, that not all .DBF files are alike. Do you know what version of DBF the file is?
What tool/utility are you trying to read it with? Also, what application created/maintained the DBF file.
Peter
No idea where the database came from... I suspect client has copied it from an application he has purchased that refernces it.
Can you tell me what you are using to read/view the DBF file please.
Also, try these url's:
[loki.borland.com...]
[wotsit.org...]
[wotsit.org...]
[e-bachmann.dk...]
However, it appears you would have to sift through these documents to determine the actual differences. I don't know of any specific document outlining the differences.
Sometimes, just the DBF haeder can become corrupt, which of course makes reading/viewing impossible, because all the field data types , lengths,etc are stored in the header.
Peter
Peter
I have tried 3 readers now, kepe getting the same garbage. One is multi-format.dbf and I have tried every format.
Thanks in any case.
Just to mention a few known within Clipper, for DBF encryption, ADS, Comix, NetLib, and then it is very easy to write your own encryption algorithm with Clipper/Foxpro/'whatever tool' to then encrypt the data.
I think the only way you will be able to de-crypt the data (assuming at this point in time _that_ is why you cannot view the data) in the DBF file is to find out exactly what product was used to maintain the data previously, and then what encryption methods. As you say, the data is valuable, so it is worth the effort to do the research into the 'past history' of the DBF file.
Peter
I have not the knowhow to determine what was used to create it. I guess we are getting in hacking or cracking territroy which I am open too but not able to arrange.
The database apparently is a list of members of a world wide conference organisation, who my client wihses to be able to contact, but can't except via the software. He CAN det each record, bu only one at a time, notall in one go.
I think I will put it in the too hard basket, but thanks for your suggestions.
Most recent attempt to open was with dbfviewer pro, and I was prompted to enter a password.
Often, if a password is prompted for, it indicates that the executable program that was previously used to maintain the DBF has the password within it. You can view the EXE with a hex editor, and find the location where the DBF is opened. Sometimes, there may be a text string near that location, which is the password, but that is only if the password itself is not also encrypted. :)
However, the legalities of doing this is that your client must be the lawful owner of the application (EXE) and the DBF. It is like decompilation; it is legal to do it, as long as you are the owner of the executable (people do loose the source code sometimes).
I have not the know how to determine what was used to create it. I guess we are getting in hacking or cracking territroy which I am open too but not able to arrange.
Your client must know what software application was used to create/maintain the DBF file/s, and therefore would be in a position to know who is the owner of the said EXE and data.
Btw, are there also any DBT files? These are Dbase memo files, and you cannot view DBF memo fields without also having the DBT files. Just a side issue, but important also.
The database apparently is a list of members of a world wide conference organisation, who my client wihses to be able to contact, but can't except via the software. He CAN get each record, but only one at a time, not all in one go.
Does your client own the data, or only have access to it?
I think I will put it in the too hard basket, but thanks for your suggestions.
Nah, .. more like a challenge, life is full of them. :)
Peter
