My C# application operates on a Paradox database using Microsoft ODBC Paradox Driver on the PC with BDE installed but not the one without BDE installed. If BDE is not installed, you will get the following error:
"ERROR [HY000] [Microsoft][ODBC Paradox Driver] External table is not in the expected format".

It seems that the latest version of the Microsoft Jet Database Engine (JDE) does not fully support Paradox unless the Borland Database Engine (BDE) is also installed.

You can manually install the BDE. However, according to BDEDEPLOY.TXT located in "\Program Files\Common Files\Borland Shared\BDE", you should not do that because Borland does not support deployment of the BDE except by "certified" installation tools such as InstallShield, Wise and so on.