If a user forgets which client they currently have loaded or cannot remember the username or password there’s no easy or obvious way to reset the data or find the details.
This little tip will allow you to reset the current client and will allow you to restore a backup or create a new client, it will not allow you to recover the password or gain access to the current data. I probably come across this once a week so I decided to put together some basic batch scripts so the users can resolve the issue themselves.
I’ve included scripts for 2012 covering Windows XP and 7, you can easily modify the scripts to allow for older/new versions. Just change the year in the path C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sage\Accounts\2012\company.000 or C:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2012\Company.000.
This is based on a single user license, if you have a multi user license with multiple datasets you’ll want to manually go through this process and see which company.xxx needs resetting.
Sage 50 Accounts 2012 – Windows XP
REM Accounts 2011 Dataset Reset.bat @echo Removing dataset for Sage Line 50 Accounts 2012. Please make sure the application is closed. @echo Off REM Removes the .old ACCDATA if script has already been run rmdir /s /q "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sage\Accounts\2012\company.000\ACCDATA.old" REM Delay to allow for deletion PING -n 5 127.0.0.1 >NUL REM Renames the current ACCDATA rename "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sage\Accounts\2012\company.000\ACCDATA" "ACCDATA.old" REM Creates a new ACCDATA Folder mkdir "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sage\Accounts\2012\company.000\ACCDATA" REM Renames the company file, this will get recreated when a backup is restored or new client is setup rename "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sage\Accounts\2012\company" "company.old" @echo Complete! You can now open the application. Pause
Sage 50 Accounts 2012 – Windows 7
REM Accounts 2011 Dataset Reset.bat @echo Removing dataset for Sage Line 50 Accounts 2012. Please make sure the application is closed. @echo Off REM Removes the .old ACCDATA if script has already been run rmdir /s /q "C:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2012\Company.000\ACCDATA.old" REM Delay to allow for deletion PING -n 5 127.0.0.1 >NUL REM Renames the current ACCDATA rename "C:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2012\Company.000\ACCDATA" "ACCDATA.old" REM Creates a new ACCDATA Folder mkdir "C:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2012\Company.000\ACCDATA" REM Renames the company file, this will get recreated when a backup is restored or new client is setup rename "C:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2012\company" "company.old" @echo Complete! You can now open the application. Pause
January 27, 2012 at 11:41 am
Is it possible to change the location of the data files and to point the software to a drive other than c:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2012\Company.000\ACCDATA?
February 1, 2012 at 11:00 am
yes of course, when yoo go in c:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2012 there is a file called company (not the folder) open with notepad there’s linked where the company data is linked. Just copy the whole sage folder (c:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts) to another location and then edit the link in the company to the new directory for expample to D:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2012 and there you go 🙂
August 29, 2013 at 2:32 pm
Thank you very much! I’ve only just seen your response today!
January 6, 2014 at 6:55 pm
Hi there,
I have 2 user licence on Sage 50. I have changed the main PC (to Windows 7) which was feeding Sage data to another PC (Windows Vista) for a 2nd user. I have shared Accounts files, but now when I go to open Sage on Windows Vista PC, error message appears saying that it can not find \ACCDATA\ file…
Are you able to help?… please reply…
Thanks!
January 6, 2014 at 7:09 pm
to be exact – it says: Cannot find directory Z:\ACCDATA\ – please check our Company file and icon properties
I hope you can help.. this is driving me crazy…
January 6, 2014 at 7:24 pm
Hi Erika
Can you go to “Computer” on the 2nd machine running Windows Vista and confirm you have a Z drive (and can access it)?
Sounds like you may need to look at permissions and/or user accounts.
Tom
January 6, 2014 at 7:57 pm
Hi Tom,
Yes, I have Z drive and I can get into it and press on Sage link there, so it opens up from there, but for some reason, it comes up with the same error I get when I try to run Sage from 2nd PC…
January 6, 2014 at 8:18 pm
Basically – run it from a link on 2nd PC desktop or via Z drive = the same error. It runs fine on the 1st (Windows 7) PC.
I read something about Virtual stores that Windows 7 does, but I do not see Virtual store folders at all in 1st computer.
Then I searched for ACCDATA file in 1st PC, it is showing that the file is in C:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2010\Company.000\ARCHIVES\YEAR 2011\ACCDATA
so I shared Company.000 as well, but it has not made a difference… fed up… :((
January 7, 2014 at 11:16 pm
Hi Tom,
Thank you for the email, I really appreciate that someone is interested to help 🙂
I have actually sorted it now – initially I shared wrong Accounts folder (from Program files), after 10 hours (7 hrs last night & 3 hrs this morning) of going to & back various PC’s I have managed to work it out… it actually works now! 🙂
I think you need to advertise your help and earn some money for it for a “one-off” Sage help, as here in the UK it is impossible to get a “one-off” paid service from Sage or their so called approved partners!! SPJ Solutions company (I initially bought Sage from them) have asked for £399+vat for a yearly contract, although it would have probably taken them 20 minutes to walk me through the process via phone! They would not do a “one-off”!!! Disgusting!
So, I sincerely thank you!
Kind regards
Erika
March 12, 2014 at 5:15 pm
Hi i cannot seem to restore my company. I have saved a back up on to an external hard drive. I am using sage line 50 v10 2012, my old PC was windows XP im now using windows 7. An error message keeps occuring when trying to restore. I dont fully understand the intructions above..
Thanks in advance.. really need help :-/
March 12, 2014 at 5:34 pm
Hi Shannon
Please drop me an email with a screenshot of the error message you are seeing.
Thanks
April 4, 2014 at 10:37 pm
Hi Tom ,
i want to reset all my account to zero to enable me start using my sage fresh but am not able to do that. Can you please help me do that.
thank you.
April 5, 2014 at 4:25 pm
What version of Sage 50 Accounts are you using- and what version of Microsoft Windows?
The scripts above can be modified to achieve your goal, if you are confident in doing so.
November 26, 2015 at 10:15 am
26.11.15- Thank you so much for your post Tom – life saver!