I have an old Paradox database (I can convert it to Access 2007) which contains more then 200,000 records. This database has two columns: the first one is named "Word" and the second one is named "Mean". It is a dictionary database and my client wants to convert this old database to ASP.NET and SQL.

However, we don't know what key or method is used to encrypt or encode the "Mean" column which is in the Unicode format. The software itself has been written in Delphi 7 and we don't have the source code. My client only knows the credentials for logging in to database. The problem is decoding the Mean column.

What I do have is the compiled windows application and the Paradox database. This software can decode the "Mean" column for each "Word" so the method and/or key is in its own compiled code(.exe) or one of the files in its directory.

For example, we know that in the following row the "Zymurgy" exactly means "???? ??? ????? ?? ???? ????, ????? ?????" since the application translates it like that. Here is what the record looks like when I open the database in Access:

Word      Mean
Zymurgy   5OBnGguKPdDAd7L2lnvd9Lnf1mdd2zDBQRxngsCuirK5h91sVmy0kpRcue/+ql9ORmP99Mn/QZ4=

Therefore we're trying to discover how the value in the Mean column is converted to "???? ??? ????? ?? ???? ????, ????? ?????". I think the "Mean" column value in above row is encoded in Base64 string format, but decoding the Base64 string does not yet result in the expected text.

The extensions for files in the win app directory are dll, CCC, DAT, exe (other than the main app file), SYS, FAM, MB, PX, TV, VAL.

Any kind of help is appreciated.

Additional information: guys! the creators are not that stupid to save the values only in encoded form. they're definitely encrypted them. so i guess we have to look for the key.