Error: "Unable to open company file" when opening a file normally

There are various reasons why you receive the error "Unable to open company file" when opening your file normally in Sage 50 Accounting. Your antivirus is blocking a file, network connection, file location, or you need a Windows operating system update.

Before you begin

1. Pause your antivirus real-time scanning.
2. Disable all VPNs.
3. Check if the sample company opens.

Error occurs when converting a company file

Follow the steps to resolve the error when trying to convert a company file to open in a newer version.

Run the program as an Administrator

Configure your Sage 50 Accounting program to run as Administrator.

Ensure Sage 50 is updated

1. Go to Help, About Sage 50.
2. Check the year. If the year is recent, click OK.
3. Go to Help, Check for Product Updates. You can also download and install the full version from our download portal.

Incorrect shortcut (icon)

If you launch the program from the taskbar.

1. Right-click the icon on the taskbar and select un-pin from taskbar.
2. Right-click the desktop shortcut and select pin to taskbar to pin the new version.

Maximum users logged in via Remote Data Access (RDA)

Verify the number of users allowed to log in simultaneously

1. Go to Help About Sage 50.
2. Click Support Info.
3. On the top left of the new screen, you'll see the number of users.
4. Go to File, View All Users to verify the number of users.
5. If you see the maximum number of users logged in, one user must log out before another can log in.

Verify all users on the subscription are using the correct serial number

1. The error will occur if your subscription doesn't support the number of users that the data owner uses.
2. Go to Help, Upgrade your Sage 50 Product.
3. Enter in your Company name and Account ID and Serial Number.
4. If you’re connected to the internet, press OK to Retrieve my Key Code from Sage 50 online.
5. Enter the Key Code manually if no connection to the internet.
6. Press OK to complete the activation.

Error occurs downloading RDA file

• Download your company file shared with Remote Data Access
• If you get the error Download has failed when re-downloading, and
• All users get the error: Unable to open company file when opening their shared file
  • Contact Sage Customer Support to disconnect your company file from Sage Cloud services and reshare

Company filename is long or contains special characters

• When saving the data file, shorten the file name and remove any special characters and dots
• The name must match both the SAJ and SAI folder names. If the name doesn't match, you must rename both names to match
  For example, TA.SAJ, TA ABC.SAI, you must rename both names to match TA.SAJ, TA.SAI
• Open the file again

Data file is corrupt

1. Restore a backup.
2. Open the file again.
3. If the error persists, your company file may have corruption.
4. Contact Sage Support to troubleshoot.

Network connection 

• Verify that you have access to the drive where your data files are located
• You’re running the files over a network and don’t have access to the network drive that's mapped
• Your mapping is incorrect or gone, or you have lost connection to the network drive

Move data to a new location on the hard drive and add permissions

1. Copy the SAI file and the SAJ folder to a designated folder on the root of the C drive, for example C:\Sage.
2. Add Everyone group for the user permission settings.
3. Close all other Sage 50 Accounting files.
4. Open the data file again.
5. Adjust the user permissions to the appropriate user group.

  CAUTION: The Everyone group appears by default when sharing folders in Windows with read access. It's not recommended to modify this level as it can post a security risk. Periodically review the users who have access to the Sage 50 Accounting data and remove access rights for users who no longer need access.

Network connection is private

1. Right-click on your Network connection icon and click Network and Sharing.
2. Ensure the network says Private/home/work/domain, not public.
3. If it says public, then swap it over to private.

 

 

What are permissions?

Windows updates