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Hex Edit hack to allow .dbf to open in old Dbase3 ( solved )

PostPosted: Wed May 09, 2018 9:43 pm
by Rick Lipkin
To All

I have a client that still needs to open .dbf in old dbase3 .. I recall a hex edit hack to change one of the first Hex blocks to make a .dbf open in Dbase 3 .. I had to do this for the same client last year .. but can not find my notes on the Hex Edit hack ...

Any ideas ?

Thanks
Rick Lipkin

Re: Hex Edit hack to allow .dbf to open in old Dbase3 ( solved )

PostPosted: Fri May 11, 2018 12:35 pm
by Rick Lipkin
To All

The trick ( hack ) to getting a .dbf created with DBFCDX to read in dbase 3 is as simple as making sure the first and second hex block are 03 12

This is before the hex edit
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This is what the first two hex block looked like when created with DBFCDX
Image

Changing the second block from 76 to 12 was the fix to make the .dbf compatible with dbase3
Image
and this was the successful result in Dbase3
Image

Rick Lipkin