The is no longer included by default in RAD Studio 10.2 Tokyo and must be downloaded as a separate add-on. While the engine itself is available to registered users, there is no official "standalone" free version for non-license holders because the BDE is a deprecated technology. Official Download for Registered Users
A reliable source (still maintained by Embarcadero for registered users) is inside the under the redist folder. You can also find it on the Embarcadero GetIt package manager (if available), but for most, the standalone installer is found here:
What you need
: After installing the engine, you may need to manually add the BDE components to the IDE palette: Open RAD Studio 10.2 Tokyo.
If you are a legacy database application developer, you have likely encountered the . Despite being officially deprecated by Embarcadero for nearly two decades, millions of lines of production code still rely on the BDE for accessing Paradox, dBase, and text-based databases. bde installer for rad studio delphi c builder 102 tokyo free
For long-term sustainability and compatibility with 64-bit Windows, entirely. The BDE is deprecated and is increasingly problematic on modern operating systems. Here are some viable alternatives:
To deploy your application, you must use a deployment packaging tool (like InstallShield or Inno Setup) to distribute the minimal BDE runtime files, registry keys, and driver configurations ( idapi32.dll , bdemm.dll , etc.) to the target user's system. The Path Forward: Migrating Away from BDE
and is no longer included in the standard installation of RAD Studio 10.2 Tokyo. For developers who still require it for legacy projects, Embarcadero provides a separate, dedicated installer for registered users. Embarcadero Availability and Official Download
Disclaimer: This article refers to the official Embarcadero BDE Installer. Third-party "BDE replacements" exist but are generally paid software. The official installer is free for licensed RAD Studio users. The is no longer included by default in RAD Studio 10
Hope this helps save some time!
However, rewriting decades of legacy code to use FireDAC can be time-consuming. Embarcadero provides a separate BDE installer specifically for registered users of RAD Studio 10.2 Tokyo to bridge this gap during code migration. How to Download the BDE Installer for Free
Note: As of 2025, you may need a free Embarcadero account to access downloads.
Download the installer executable (typically named BDEInstaller_10.2.exe or similar). You can also find it on the Embarcadero
Are you installing this to or start a new one ?
After installation, verify that the BDE component tab appears in your Component Palette. Launch RAD Studio 10.2 Tokyo. Create a new VCL Forms Application (Delphi or C++Builder). Look at the Component Palette / Tool Palette.
The BDE installer looks for existing registry keys.