Sage Intelligence Setup and Troubleshooting Guide

Summary

Instructions to configure Sage Intelligence in Sage 100.

Resolution

▼How and when to set up a new Sage Intelligence Repository folder?

Set up the Repository folder on the network (Termed the "Metadata Repository" in the program interface.  This shared folder holds all report templates, reporting trees and the activation information/control file.) 

A new empty repository folder is required whenever upgrading Sage 100 between versions where there were Sage Intelligence changes. That is, when upgrading Sage 100 from pre-2014 to 2015 or later, and from 2015-2024 versions to 2025 and later. If a new repository isn’t created during these transitions, the new report templates and components won’t install or be available in Report Manager.  When not transitioning between these versions, it's advised simply to reuse the existing repository folder or copy the folder to a new server.

The Repository path must be:

  1.  Set using a UNC path.  DON'T use a mapped drive.  Find the computer name in 'This PC' properties when setting up on your own machine for testing. KB 224924550061593 Sage 100 Intelligence environmental requirements.
  2. Entered after running Sage 100 as administrator.  Right-click Sage 100 and run as admin. KB 224924650067905 Unable to save repository path.
  3. Fully share the Repository for everyone accessing it.  Include minimum read/write permissions. KB 224924550061593 Sage 100 Intelligence environmental requirements.
  4.  When setting an existing repository on a new workstation, set the path to a folder that contains the Templates folder.  Don't map the Repository to the Templates folder itself. 

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▼How to register or activate Sage Intelligence and check the licensing?

 TIP: Enter the keys carefully.  Ensure there are no extra spaces when entering activation keys.  This product doesn’t limit the account/serial key fields to the correct size automatically.  It's designed to work with multiple serial number styles and lengths. 

  1. This article includes details of different activation key styles and a screenshot example of how license counts display.  KB 222924550020026 How to register Sage Intelligence product.
  2. KB 222924850024816 How to remove a workstation license for Sage 100 Intelligence.
  3. The most common activation calls are regarding activation keys incorrectly entered, license counts, or this error:  KB 224924450059453 Error: "The download file (PLDONGLE.DLL) isn’t the expected size. The download has been aborted. Please check that your internet connection is functioning correctly. Error is generated from the server".  This article discusses firewall settings to allow successful activation via an Internet connection.
  4. Keys use either an old Vantive account ID and activation key, or the current 4000xxxxxx account number and newer/longer activation key.
  5. Depending on which licenses the customer owns, the license count populates in different fields within License Manager.
  6. If there are issues with the activation keys such as incorrect user count, then please contact Sage Customer Support to have the activation server corrected.
  7. Report Manager and Report Viewer are the main interface that users will run and manage reports from.  They’re both workstation licenses and attach to the workstation computer name.  SI Designer and SI Connector are both site licenses and either unlock for the whole network or not, according to keys (hence don’t show a user count on customer license listing).  You must have an SI Designer license for the main Financial Designer functions.  You must have an SI Connector license for consolidated multi-company financial reports or linking to external data.
▼How to ensure users have the required permissions?

All Sage Intelligence users must have 'Full Control' level permissions for the following areas:

  1. MAS90 parent directory (as Sage 100 requires as well.)
  2. The Sage Intelligence Report Repository. (This displays in the Home/Properties area when Report Manager is launched.)
  3. All folders that begin with “BI” (versions 2024 and older) and “SI” and reside in C:\Program Files(x86 if on 64-bit Windows)\Common Files\.
  4. C:\ProgramData\Sage Software\SageMASIntelligenceXX\config.ini (XX=version number).  Also, make sure that there are no duplicates of the config.ini file or Repository folder in C:\Users\ \AppData\Local\VirtualStore.
  5. Registry entries at HKEY_Current_User, Software, Microsoft, Office, Excel, Add-Ins.
  6. As with all permissions, if a group policy or domain is in place, those settings must reflect the above requirements.

 

▼How to test reports and troubleshoot for Sage 100 versions 2015-2024 that use Sage Intelligence v2015?

 NOTE: We support the standard "out of the box" templates.  We DO NOT support customer or partner customized reports.  Almost all custom reports originate from the same standard Financial Report Designer 1-1 template.  So, if that template doesn’t function correctly then none of the customer reports based on that template will work either. 

 TIP:   ALWAYS test first with the standard Financial Report Designer 1-1

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When run successfully without issue, the report will launch into Excel and load the Task Pane on the right.

 CAUTION: If the Task Pane doesn’t load, then the cells in the worksheets can't calculate correctly. 

The Designer Task Pane is essentially a macro built into the Excel template file.  If it fails to load, then cells in the report won’t be able to run their formulas.  Instead, the report populates with '#name' or '#value'.  This will be the cause of most Sage Intelligence calls.  KB 222924350018616 Task Pane is missing in Excel when generating a Report Designer Add-In report in Sage 100 Intelligence.

When components load correctly in Excel, you’ll see the following three Add-Ins showing in the Active section of Excel Options, Add-Ins:

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The Microsoft "Solver Add-in" is a known conflict and needs to be disabled if shown as Active:

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  • There are both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the Report Designer Add-in, and the correct one will automatically plug into Excel during workstation setup autorun.exe. Expand the location column to see which bit version is active, which should be compared to the version of Excel shown in Excel Options, Account, About Excel.
  • The Designer license is required for the Financial Designer functionality. Almost all customers will have the Sage Intelligence Designer bundled into their product licenses with their C/monthly renewal and will show listed in the Customer 360 window with zero user count.
  • All components of Sage Intelligence install automatically when running workstation setup autorun.exe as admin.
  • The error that the Report Designer is required but not installed immediately upon running the Financial Designer report is a direct indication that the required windows registry entry is missing. KB 223924450034773 Sage Intelligence Error: "The Report Designer Component is required by this report and is not installed on the workstation. Please install it before running this report".
  • Sage Intelligence is environmentally sensitive; even if correct licensing is present and correct add-ins are loaded in Excel they won’t be able to load on the report if the local user lacks the required permissions. See the section on required permissions (or KB 224924550061593 for local permissions details. Sage 100 Intelligence environmental requirements.
  • If Excel add-ins show the SIR add-in as the file name (Sage.Bi.ExcelFunctions) instead of the add-in name itself (Report Designer Add-in 1.2.0), then Excel is failing to recognize the add-in and the most common cause is Excel incorrectly loading the wrong version.  KB 220924660107912 Sage Intelligence Task Pane will not launch; getting Sage.BI.ExcelFunctions in Excel Add-ins.
▼How to test reports and troubleshoot for Sage 100 version 2025 and later that use Sage Intelligence 8.0?

 NOTE: We support the standard "out of the box" templates.  We DO NOT support customer or partner customized reports.  Almost all custom reports are built off the same standard Financial Report Designer S100 8.0 template.  So, if that template doesn’t function correctly then none of the customer reports based on that template will work either. 
  TIP: ALWAYS test first with the standard Financial Report Designer S100 8.0 

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When successfully run without issue, the report will launch into Excel and load the Task Pane on the right

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 CAUTION: If the Task Pane doesn’t load, then the cells in the worksheets can’t calculate correctly. 

The Designer Task Pane is essentially a macro built into the Excel template file.  If it fails to load, then cells in the report won’t be able to run their formulas and instead will populate with '#name' or '#value'.  This will be the cause of most Sage Intelligence calls.  KB 222924350018616 Task Pane is missing in Excel when generating a Report Designer Add-In report in Sage 100 Intelligence.

When components are correctly loaded in Excel, you’ll see the following four Add-ins showing in the Active section of Excel Options, Add-Ins:

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  • There are both 32- and 64-bit versions of the Report Designer Add-in, and the correct one should automatically plug into Excel during workstation setup autorun.exe. Expand the location column to see which bit version is active, which should be compared to the version of Excel shown in Excel Options, Account, About Excel.
  • The Designer license is required for the Financial Designer functionality. Almost all customers will have the Sage Intelligence Designer bundled into their product licenses with their C/monthly renewal and will show listed in the Customer 360 window with zero user count.
  • All components of Sage Intelligence install automatically when running workstation setup autorun.exe as admin.
  • The error that the Report Designer is required but not installed immediately upon running the Financial Designer report is a direct indication that the required windows registry entry is missing. KB 223924450034773 Sage Intelligence Error: "The Report Designer Component is required by this report and is not installed on the workstation. Please install it before running this report".
  • Sage Intelligence is environmentally sensitive; even if correct licensing is present and correct add-ins are loaded in Excel they won’t be able to load on the report if the local user lacks the required permissions. See the section on required permissions (or KB 224924550061593 for local permissions details. Sage 100 Intelligence environmental requirements.
  • If Excel add-ins show the SIR add-in as the file name (Sage.Bi.ExcelFunctions) instead of the add-in name itself (Report Designer Add-in 1.2.0), then Excel is failing to recognize the add-in and the most common cause is Excel incorrectly loading the wrong version – KB 220924660107912 Sage Intelligence Task Pane will not launch; getting Sage.BI.ExcelFunctions in Excel Add-ins.
▼How to upgrade Sage 100 Intelligence to a new version.

The instruction in this section is critical when transitioning between versions of Sage 100 Intelligence that had functional changes (such as going from version 2014 or older to 2015+, or from version 2024 or older to 2025+).

  1. A new repository must be created so that the updated Designer report template and associated files can be installed, the latter happens automatically when Intelligence is set to use an empty Repository folder. Please see the section above on how to set up a new Repository.

  2. Any custom reports that need to be brought to the new version must be exported from the prior Intelligence version/Repository. To export a report, open Report Manager and right-click on the report, then click Export Report. Alternatively, simply select report with a left-click and click Export Report button from the Tools menu. Make a note of the location where you are saving the export file and the name you enter for the exported file. Please see KB 222924350018604 How to Upgrade (Import/Export) Sage 100 Intelligence reports

  3. Once you have created the new Repository for the new version, you can set the new Repository path when prompted upon opening the new version or also via the File menu in Report Manager (File, Change Metadata Repository).

  4. Create a new folder in Report Manager to import reports into, then follow the steps in the KB linked in step 2.

  5. Please note that not all prior versions of Sage Intelligence templates are compatible with the latest version. Templates should work normally once imported, with the Task Pane loading on the right side of the report in Excel and numbers rendering without error. Always test the standard Designer report before testing any custom reports, to ensure that the standard Intelligence components are working correctly. Please see the sections above on how to test reports and troubleshoot specific to the version you are working with.

  6.  If you have confirmed that the standard Intelligence Designer report appropriate for your version is working without issue, but the imported report is not working correctly in the new version, then the report template may be too old to be natively compatible with the latest release. In this case, please see KB 250910000133303 Imported Sage Intelligence Reports don’t convert properly to SI version 2025 and higher for details on adding critical components to unsupported templates.

 

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Solution ID
250716234409030
Last Modified Date
Thu Jun 25 14:44:05 UTC 2026
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