Unknown Database type: Delphi program, DTA and IDX File Extension for Database

I got some databases which I cannot open. The original program seems to be a Delphi (7?) application and it uses some db1.dta, db1.idx, db2.dta, db2.idx database files.

I tried MS Access on them and DBISAM from ElevateDB (current 4.30 version, not the old ones) but without any luck.

The IDX files seem to be index files but that doesn't help me.

Any idea which database that could be?

Hex Editor tells me that the first 4 bytes of the file are "FF FF FF FF" (DTA and IDX).

It's really DTA, not DAT so it's not a typo.

Note: The database access code/libs seem to be compiled into the executable because you don't 开发者_运维知识库need to install anything, just run the executable and it works.

.DTA isn't an extension I can find for anything, and Wotsit doesn't know anything about it either.

The .DTA extension doesn't really mean anything, however. I can name a dBASE III .DBF file, for instance, .TXT or .RXA or .JOE and open it with dBASE, as long as I specify the extension as part of the filename. The same applies with most other software.

.IDX could be Paradox, dBASE IV, or FoxPro (among probably others) if it's an actual vendor's extension for an index. Again, though, it could be anything.

The FFFF doesn't really indicate anything, either, AFAICT. It's not Access, dBASE, Paradox, or DataFlex (just a check because it used .DAT for an extension).

You'll need to dig into the file with a hex editor and see if you can find out anything more from the files, I'm afraid. Simply guessing and trying to open them with various software products won't work unless you just get lucky.