I just bought a new PC running Windows XP. I need to transfer some database files created in Novell's PerfectWorks 2.1, an ancient program that has always catered for my database needs. It doesn't work properly under XP. Nick Steinitz
You have violated Schofield's First Law, which says you should never put data into a program unless you can see exactly how to get it out. PCs and programs are cheap and transitory but data is expensive to create and, potentially, lasts forever. You say you've tried XP's compatibility mode, so your best bet is to somehow load the data into PerfectWorks then save it in a recognised format, such as xbase (dBase) or, if all else fails, CSV (comma separated variables) that a more modern program will read.
If you can no longer load Perfect Works, your last chance is to try Dataviz's Conversions Plus, which includes a database translator for PerfectWorks 2.1. This must be considered a fortunate result. Novell sold PerfectWorks (formerly from WordPerfect) to Arkose Software in 1999, which sold version 3 as ArkoseWorks before going out of business.
The fact that an old program caters perfectly adequately to your needs is no excuse for using it. You need to make sure your data is in an open standard file format, for preference, or at least a de facto (widely supported) standard format. Here endeth the sermon!
