Sage 50 Accounting Connection Manager - FAQ

Answers to common questions and troubleshooting tips regarding the Sage 50 Accounting Connection Manager.

What is the Sage 50 Accounting Connection Manager?

• Sage 50 Accounting uses the Connection Manager to manage access to its MySQL database
• The Connection Manager updates the data automatically
• Controls requests from Sage 50 Accounting and third-party software allowing connection to your company data file
• In a multi-user environment (Premium and Quantum editions only), it allows secondary users to update the main data file instantly

Where do I need to install the Connection Manager?

• The Connection Manager installs on every computer where you install Sage 50 Accounting
• Install on the computer or server where the data is stored
• Install on a Windows OS environment. You can't install on a Mac OS, Linux system or NAS drive

How do I download and install the Sage 50 Connection Manager?

1. The Sage 50 Connection Manager automatically installs when you install Sage 50 Accounting
   • View Sage 50 Product and Payroll Updates to download the current latest version of Sage 50 Accounting
2. While installing Sage 50, review options for determining if the computer will be a workstation or a server
   • Use the Typical option on a workstation. The full accounting product suite including the Sage 50 Connection Manager will install
   • Use the Advanced option on a Server. Only the Connection Manager portion installs
3. Read How to install the Sage 50 Connection Manager on the server for more information

How to check if the Connection Manager is installed

1. Look for the Connection Manager system tray icon in the notifications bar in Windows 10 or 11, see below
   
2. Click the icon to open the status window
3. If you don't see the icon in the System Tray, click the Start menu
4. Locate the Sage 50 Accounting 202x program group
5. Choose Sage 50 Accounting Connection Manager
6. From within Sage 50 Accounting select Setup, Connection Manager

Which version of the Connection Manager to install

1. Install the latest version of the software on the server first before the workstations
2. Review the list of versions of the Connection Manager that came with the old version of Sage 50
   

Troubleshooting Connection Manager errors

Connection Manager service isn’t running on the computer where the data is located
"A network error occurred while communicating with the Connection Manager"
"Sage 50 can’t find the Connection Manager" when opening the company file.
"The Connection Manager couldn’t start the database engine. The database engine reported an error."
"The Sage 50 Connection manager is not installed on the machine that hosts your data"
"The latest version of the Connection Manager is not installed on this computer"
"Database engine timed out ... detected a firewall which may be blocking..."
"You need to update the Sage 50 Connection Manager on [ServerName]"