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Installation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Summary

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the Sage 50 Accounting installation.

Resolution

What do I need before I install Sage?

  • Your serial number. If you’re upgrading from a recent previous version, your new serial number should auto-fill
  • For first-time installations or installations on a new computer, you’ll be required to enter the current serial number. If you need to find your serial, see What is the serial number for my product?
  • Verify your system meets or exceeds the system requirements. Refer to System Requirements: Sage 50—U.S. Edition 2023

Do I have to upgrade?

  • You must be on a current release of Sage to access customer support for phone, chat, and other assistance. Once your Sage Business Care plan expires, and to access payroll and other add-on services
  • Learn more about using an older release. See Supported products and services

How do I know what release I’m using?

  • In Sage, select Help, and then select About Sage 50 Accounting
  • Note the Release

What is the upgrade process like?

There are three parts to the upgrade process:

How long does it take to upgrade?

  • The Release 2024 download is approximately 460 MB; on standard Internet connections the download will complete in under 30 minutes, but this depends on the download speed of your Internet connection
  • The installation speed depends on the computer: how much memory, how much free space on the hard drive, processor speed, and so forth.
  • On average, installation takes about 20 to 30 minutes from start to finish depending on the computer and network
  • The server installation typically takes longer than the workstation installation
  • If installing on a network, the program will be installed on the server first. After that installation, the program installation can be started on all the workstations at the same time
  • After the installation, each company will need to be converted. The time to convert will depend on the size of the database, how many versions the database has to be converted through (for example, if the database is currently in version 2019, it will take longer to convert than a database in version 2022 or 2023), and the speed of the computer.

Is Sage an upgrade or a new installation?

  • Sage is available as a full installation file or as an upgrade
  • If Sage is already installed, the program will upgrade the necessary files
  • If you wish to keep the older version and install the new version, download the full program
  • During the install, you’ll be given the option to upgrade or install to a new location, choosing a new location will leave your older version intact

Which machine gets upgraded first?

  • When using Sage on a network, the computer hosting the data (the server) must be upgraded first
  • Once the server has been upgraded, users shouldn’t start Sage until all of their workstations have been upgraded
  • After upgrading the server, open and print the Sage 50 - Network Installation Manager Instructions
  • After the server installation, the program installation can be started on all the workstations at the same time

Can I keep all my settings when I upgrade?

  • Most settings will be kept when you upgrade
  • Some user preferences will be reset to defaults after the company is converted; select Options, Global to change these settings
  • The default forms for printing will also be reset; click Select Form when printing to change the form (this must be done for each type of transaction)

What are the minimum system requirements for the new version/release of Sage?

To which version of Sage do I need to upgrade?

  • Typically, you need the same version as your previous version; for example, if currently running Pro 2023, you need Pro 2024
  • Companies can be converted to the same or higher version/releases, but not to lower version/releases; for example, a Quantum company can’t be converted to Premium
  • Some version/releases were phased out with Release 2015; if using one of the following version/releases, you’ll be upgraded to the indicated version/release
    • Complete will upgrade to Premium
    • Premium for Non-Profits upgrade to Quantum
    • Premium for Construction will upgrade to Quantum
    • Premium for Manufacturing will upgrade to Quantum
    • Premium for Distribution will upgrade to Quantum

Will I need to convert my data after upgrading?

  • After upgrading to 2024.0 a conversion is required from 2023.0 and lower
  • The conversion wizard will start automatically the first time each company is opened in the new version/release of Sage
  • For conversion instructions, see How to perform a data conversion from a prior version.

Where to get installation files

How to upgrade from previous releases

Can I upgrade by going to Help, Sage 50 Activation, Licensing and Subscription Options?

  • The Change your current version feature allows you to move from Pro to Premium or Quantum, or from Premium to Quantum by entering the new serial number received in your Download Notification email, it doesn’t upgrade the program from 2023 to 2024

How do I activate the program?

Can I place my company data on an external drive connected to the server?

  • No, at the server, data files must be installed to a local drive

I need to install Sage 50 on my laptop or home computer to access by date remotely through Sage Drive, how should I do that?

After installing Sage on the server can I copy the files to a different location and edit the .INI file?

  • No, the Sage won’t function correctly if this is done

Why can't Sage 50 be installed on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 or Windows Vista?

  • The Windows components necessary for current versions of Sage 50 to run are incompatible with older versions of Windows

Data conversion skipped after upgrade to 2022.0

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