What is the DM file format?
The .dm file is a Paradox Data Model file - a small proprietary binary created by Borland Paradox for Windows alongside each database table. It stores data-model and table-relationship definitions that Paradox uses to manage how tables connect within a multi-table application.
A .dm file is never standalone. It lives beside the primary .DB table file and other Paradox sibling files such as .px (primary index), .mb (memo/BLOB storage), and .val (validity checks). Together these files form one complete Paradox table set. The .dm file itself holds relationship metadata and contains no raw record data - to access or recover data you always need the matching .db file.
Paradox was originally developed by Ansa Software, acquired by Borland in 1987, and later transferred to Corel Corporation, which continued shipping it inside WordPerfect Office. The format is proprietary binary (little-endian) with no publicly documented magic-byte signature. The internal structure version is tied to the Paradox table level - for example, table level 5 corresponds to Paradox 5 and Paradox 7.
Paradox is now a legacy desktop database platform. Migration typically involves exporting table data from .db files into dBASE format, Access databases, or CSV files using tools such as Corel Paradox, the Borland Database Engine (BDE), or Paradox-aware viewers like Database .NET.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA Paradox .DM is a small inert metadata file with no scripting, so it poses little direct risk. The caution is practical: it is legacy data, the matching .DB/.PX/.MB files are needed to recover anything useful, and old Paradox databases may carry table-level password protection. Beware "universal .dm viewer" download sites - they often bundle adware/PUPs.
Format details
in a nutshell- Gatan DigitalMicrograph image (.dm / .dm3 / .dm4) - Electron-microscopy image and spectrum file; the bare .dm variant is an old DigitalMicrograph format predating .dm3.
- BYOND DM source code (.dm) - DreamMaker source file for BYOND online games - plain-text code, not a database file.
- SourceMod / Source-engine demo (.dem is standard; .dm appears in some toolchains) - Game replay/demo data; unrelated to Paradox.
Programs that open DM files
Windows3 apps
Corel Paradox (WordPerfect Office)
Paid Open the parent Paradox database/table (.DB); Paradox reads the .DM model automatically. Buy via WordPerfect Office Professional.
Borland Database Engine + legacy Paradox
Paid Use a BDE-based tool to read the .DB tables when the original Paradox app is unavailable.
DBF Viewer / Paradox-aware viewers (e.g. Database .NET)
Freemium Open the companion .DB table to read the actual records; the .DM is only a model definition. Technical details
deep spec| Encoding | Binary (proprietary Borland Paradox record structure) |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| Encryption | None in the .dm file itself; password protection exists at the .db table level |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream |
| Typical file size | 1 KB - 50 KB (small auxiliary metadata file) |
| Role in table set | Stores data-model and table-relationship definitions for the paired .db table |
| Sibling files | .db (table data), .px (primary index), .mb (BLOBs), .val (validity checks), .net (referential integrity) |
| Internal version | Tied to Paradox table level (table level 5 = Paradox 5/7); no separate .dm versioning |
| Magic bytes | No publicly documented constant byte signature for .dm files |
| Developer lineage | Ansa Software → Borland (1987) → Corel Corporation |
| Associated OS | Windows (Paradox for Windows), DOS (legacy Paradox for DOS) |
| Data recovery dependency | The .dm file alone contains no table records; the matching .db file is required for any data access |
| Runtime dependency | Requires the Borland Database Engine (BDE) for programmatic access on Windows |
| Superseded by | Modern relational databases (Access, SQLite) or flat formats (CSV, dBASE) for migration |
| Container | Borland Paradox proprietary auxiliary data-model structure; no standard container format |
| Released | Paradox for Windows era (early-mid 1990s) |
| Latest version | Paradox-family format frozen; Corel Paradox last shipped in WordPerfect Office (2021 build) |
DM conversions
Community Q&A
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