Check that the files aren't read only or hidden

1. Make a note of the filename in the error message
2. Click Help then click About then under Program Details note the Data Directory.
   Can't access the Help menu? Read more >
3. Close Sage 50 Accounts.
4. Hold down the Windows key and press E then browse to the data directory noted.
5. Right-click the problem file then click Properties.
6. Ensure the Read-only and Hidden check boxes are clear then click OK.
7. Click Apply and select Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files then click OK.

Check the MEMO folder

If the Read-only or Hidden check boxes are selected on the problem file, there may be other memo files flagged as read-only or hidden.

1. Right-click the MEMO folder then click Properties and ensure that the Read-only and Hidden check boxes are clear.
2. Click OK and select Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files then click OK.
3. Check the properties have applied then double-click the memo folder and press Alt then press V and click Choose details and click Attributes.
   If any of the files show an R, they are still read-only. If the file shows an H, it is still hidden. You should change the attributes on the individual files.
4. To change the attributes on a file, right-click the file then click Properties then click Attributes and clear the Read-only and Hidden check boxes then click OK.

If this doesn't resolve the problem, continue to the next section.

Try renaming the file

1. Take a backup of data files.
2. Close Sage 50 Accounts.
3. Hold down the Windows key and press E then browse to the data directory you noted earlier.
4. Right-click the file and click Rename and change the file extension then press enter. For example, rename SETUP.DTA to SETUP.OLD

If you can rename the file, you have the necessary Windows permissions and you must rename the file and change the extension back to DTA.

If you receive an Access Denied message, it's likely that you don't have the necessary Windows permissions which is causing the error. For further information about this, please refer to your Windows User Guide, or your local IT support or network administrator.

If this doesn't resolve the problem, continue to the next section.

Reserved file name

This can often happen when customer (.SLM), supplier (.PLM) or project (.CLM) records are created using an Account Reference that is a reserved file name in Windows. If the message you are getting does not contain one of these file extensions skip this step.

This happens because Sage Accounts attempts to create a file using the Account Reference for the file name. For example, a memo created on a customer record with the Account Reference CON, will attempt to create the file CON.SLM. Because CON cannot be used for file names in Windows, the Waiting to open file message appears. The following are examples of restricted file names in Windows:

• CON
• COMx (where x is a number from 0 - 9)
• LPTx (where x is a number from 0 - 9)
• PRN
• AUX
• CLOCK$
• NUL

To resolve this, you must create a new customer or supplier record then use the Corrections option to change the Account Reference on the transactions.

If this doesn't resolve the problem, continue to the next section.

Log all users out of Sage Accounts then restart the computer on which the data files are held

It's possible that the file has become locked. This can be corrected by restarting the computer that holds the data files. Ensure that all users are logged out of Sage Accounts before restarting the computer.

If restarting the server isn't possible, you can use the Computer Management console to close the locked file. For more information about this, please refer to your Windows User Guide, or your network administrator.