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Sage 50 - Anti-Virus & Firewall Configuration Guide

Ensuring your antivirus software is correctly configured is crucial for the optimal performance and stability of Sage 50 Accounts, especially when using features like Sage Remote Data Access (RDA). Antivirus software can sometimes interfere with Sage 50 Accounts by blocking necessary files or processes, leading to slowdowns or instability.

Here's a detailed breakdown of advice, including specific guidance for various antivirus products and general exclusions:

General Antivirus Advice for Sage 50 Accounts

•  Configuration is Key: You must configure your antivirus software to prevent conflicts with Sage 50 Accounts.
•  IT Support: Sage cannot directly assist with modifying antivirus software due to its complexity and frequent updates. For help with configuration, you should contact your local IT support.
•  Installation: When installing Sage 50 Accounts or Sage 50 Payroll, it is recommended to temporarily disable your antivirus software during the installation process. After installation is complete, re-enable your antivirus software and ensure the necessary exclusions for Sage are set up.
•  Troubleshooting Connection Issues: If you encounter persistent "No Internet Connection" messages when using Sage's Connected Services, such as RDA, you should check your antivirus and firewall settings for conflicts. As a last resort, resetting RDA might help, but if issues persist, you must re-examine your antivirus and firewall configurations.

Specific Antivirus Advice

Sage has identified specific issues and resolutions for certain popular antivirus programs:

•  Avast! Antivirus
  • Issues: Avast! has been known to quarantine Sage files, causing problems like PayImp.dll being quarantined during Sage 50 Payroll installation, the Payroll icon disappearing (due to payroll.exe being quarantined), Sage hanging on the splash window, false virus reports on Sage files, Error 1721, flickering windows when using "Memorise" or "Recall" (if SG50memorise.dll is quarantined), small tabs at the bottom of the screen, and restricted views of modules (e.g., the Projects module). These issues occur because Sage files are moved to Avast's "Virus Chest".
  • Resolution:
    1. Update Avast!: Avast! has updated its definitions to exclude Sage files, so ensure your Avast! version is fully updated.
    2. Restore Quarantined Files:
       • Open Avast! and navigate to its "Quarantine" or "Virus Chest" (the exact path depends on your Avast! version, e.g., for 2016/2015, it's "Scan > Scan for viruses > Quarantine (Virus Chest)"; for 2014, "Scan > Quarantine (Virus Chest)"; for 2013 and earlier, "Avast > Maintenance > Virus Chest").
       • Right-click any Sage files found in quarantine and select "Restore and add to exclusions".
       • If a file was renamed by Avast! (e.g., PayImp.dll to payide.rra), you must manually rename it back to its original name after restoring it to the payroll installation directory.
    3. Add Exclusions: To prevent future quarantines, you must add the following directories to Avast's list of excluded scan locations:
       • For Sage Accounts: The program directory and the Sage SBD directory.
       • For Sage Payroll: The program directory, the ProgramData directory, and the Sage SBD directory.
       • You can find the program and data directories by going to Help > About in Sage Accounts or Payroll. The Sage SBD directory is typically found at C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Sage SBD or C:\Program Files\Common Files\Sage SBD.
       • If you are unsure how to add these exclusions in Avast!, contact your local IT support or Avast! support.
•  Bitdefender
  • Issues: Users of Bitdefender Total Security 2015 or Security Defender antivirus software might encounter the error message 'SBD Desktop has encountered an error and will now close' when opening any records in Sage 50 Accounts.
  • Resolution (to prevent reoccurrence):
    1. Open Bitdefender (identified by a white 'B' on a red background in the taskbar).
    2. Click Protection, then Antivirus, then Exclusions.
    3. Click Excluded processes, then Add.
    4. Add specific Sage executable files as process exclusions. These vary by Sage 50 Accounts version (v26 to v30) and Windows operating system type (32-bit or 64-bit). Examples include:
       • [_Sage Accounts program directory_]\SBDDesktop.exe
       • C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceVXX\sg50svc.exe (or sg50svc_vXX.exe)
       • C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceVXX\Sage.UK.Accounts50.Data.Service.Control_vXX.exe
       • (Note: For 64-bit Windows, paths will typically start with C:\Program Files (x86) instead of C:\Program Files for Sage's program directory).
    5. Click Exclude Program.
    6. If the problem persists, temporarily disable "Active Threat Control" in Bitdefender's Active Settings. If this resolves the issue, contact your IT support for further assistance.
•  Kaspersky
  • Issues: Kaspersky antivirus software can cause "No Internet Connection" messages when using Sage's Connected Services, such as RDA.
  • Resolution:
    1. Open your Kaspersky software. Click the gear icon, then on the left-hand menu, click General.
    2. Clear the "Enable Self-Defence" checkbox and click Save.
    3. Right-click the green shield Kaspersky icon in the Windows system tray, click Exit, then Continue.
    4. Navigate to C:\ProgramData\Kaspersky Lab\AVPxx (where 'xx' is your software version, e.g., AVP21.3).
    5. Right-click the Report folder, click Rename, and rename it to OldReport.
    6. Re-open Kaspersky, click the gear icon, then General, select the "Enable Self-Defence" checkbox, and click Save.
•  Webroot
  • Issues: Webroot can cause Sage 50 Accounts to hang or close on the opening splash window.
  • Resolution: If you are using Webroot and experiencing this issue, you should consult further specific information provided by Sage for resolution.
•  Eset or Nod 32
  • Issues: These antivirus programs can lead to errors such as 'Waiting to open file...', 'Access Denied', 'Internal deadlock', or 'file is in use' in Sage 50 Accounts.
  • Resolution: You should follow the specific article provided by Sage to resolve these errors.
•  Malwarebytes
  • Issues: In Sage 50 Accounts v29, Malwarebytes might erroneously quarantine the sg50End.dll file, leading to problems when opening Sage.
  • Resolution:
    1. When the Malwarebytes pop-up appears, click Open Quarantine.
    2. Select the tick box next to the sg50End.dll file, then click Restore.
    3. Go to the Allow List tab, click Add, and add the C:\Program Files (x86)\Sage folder to the allow list.
    4. After adding the folder, try opening Sage 50 Accounts again. If the issue persists, you may need to uninstall and reinstall your Sage software.

General Exclusions for Sage 50 Accounts Antivirus Software

To optimize compatibility and performance, Sage recommends excluding specific files, folders, processes, and URLs from real-time antivirus scans and firewalls.

• Files (by Extension):
  • Data Files: *.DTA, *.DTH, *.COA, *.S50.
  • Criteria Files: *.SLC, *.SLI, *.PRC, *.PRI, *.NMC, *.NMI, *.BKC, *.BKI, *.SKC, *.SKI, *.IVC, *.IVI, *.SPC, *.SPI, *.PCC, *.PPI, *.PCI, *.REC, *.REI, *.SAC, *.SAI, *.IPC, *.IPI, *.PDC, *.PDI.
  • Memo Files: *.SLM, *.PLM, *.NLM, *.ILM, *.BLM, *.CLM, *.DLM.
• Folders:
  • The Sage Accounts program directory.
  • The folder containing the ACCDATA folder, or ACCDATA and all its subfolders.
  • Common Sage folders often located in C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86) on 64-bit systems:
    • C:\Program Files\Common Files\Sage SBD
    • C:\Program Files\Common Files\Sage Line50
    • C:\Program Files\Common Files\Sage Report Designer 2007
    • C:\Program Files\Common Files\Sage Shared
    • C:\Program Files\Sage EBanking
    • C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsService
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Sage Report Designer
• Process Exclusions:
  • Add the following relevant executable files as process exclusions. Note that Program Files should be replaced with Program Files (x86) for 64-bit Windows installations.
  • Common to all versions: [_Sage Accounts program directory_]\SBDDesktop.exe.
  • Specific to version (VXX refers to your Sage 50 Accounts version):
    • v31: C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV31\sg50svc_v31.exe, C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV31\Sage.UK.Accounts50.Data.Service.Control_v31.exe, C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV31\Sage.Accounts.Access.Control.SyncApp.exe, C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV31\Sage.Accounts.Copilot.AnomalyDetectionApp.exe, C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV31\\Sage.Accounts.InvoiceFinanceManagement.SyncApp.exe, C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV31\Sage.Accounts.Lockstep.SyncApp.exe.
    • v30: C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV28\sg50svc_v30.exe, C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV28\Sage.UK.Accounts50.Data.Service.Control_v30.exe, C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV30\Sage.Accounts.InvoiceFinanceManagement.SyncApp.exe, C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV30\Sage.Accounts.Lockstep.SyncApp.exe.
    • v29: C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV28\sg50svc_v29.exe, C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV28\Sage.UK.Accounts50.Data.Service.Control_v29.exe.
    • v28: C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV28\sg50svc_v28.exe, C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV28\Sage.UK.Accounts50.Data.Service.Control_v28.exe.
    • v27: C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV27\sg50svc_v27.exe, C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV27\Sage.UK.Accounts50.Data.Service.Control_v27.exe.
    • v26: C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV26\sg50svc_v26.exe, C:\Program Files\Sage\AccountsServiceV26\sg50CtrlSvc_v26.exe.
• URLs to Exclude from Firewall/Antivirus Scans:
  • Ensure your firewall or antivirus software does not block access to https://api.sbc.sage.com/. (Other specific URLs are typically listed by Sage in their online documentation).
• Ports to Exclude from Firewall:
  • To prevent your firewall from blocking the Sage Data Service, ensure the following TCP ports are open. (VXX refers to your Sage 50 Accounts version):
    • Sage Accounts Control VXX: TCP 342XX (e.g., 34232 for v32, 34231 for v31).
    • Sage Accounts Service VXX: TCP 322XX (e.g., 32232 for v32, 32231 for v31).
    • Sage Accounts VXX: TCP 323XX (e.g., 32332 for v32, 32331 for v31). Note that for v28, it specifies both 32228 & 32328 for the service.
  • You can configure these ports for specific IP addresses by adding inbound rules on the server and outbound rules on client computers, though this is not applicable for dynamic IP addresses.

Changing Location of Report Files

Temporary files created when running reports in Sage 50 Accounts can be locked by antivirus software. To mitigate this, you can change the location of these temporary files and exclude that specific folder from antivirus scans.

Steps (Caution: Editing the Windows Registry can cause serious system-wide issues; contact your IT Administrator if unsure):

1. Press Windows key + R, type regedit, and click OK.
2. Navigate to the relevant registry key based on your Sage 50 Accounts version (v26-v31) and operating system type (32-bit or 64-bit). For example:
   • For 32-bit systems: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ODBC\ODBC.INI\SageLine50vXX.
   • For 64-bit systems: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\ODBC\ODBC.INI\SageLine50vXX.
3. Within this key, create a new String Value named TempPathname. This name is case-sensitive, and using incorrect casing will cause an error when running reports.
4. Modify the TempPathname String Value and enter the full path to a new folder where you want temporary files to be created (e.g., create a "Reports_Temp" folder within your Sage settings directory, which can be found via Help > About in Sage Accounts).
5. After setting this, you can configure your antivirus software to exclude only the following file types specifically within this new folder: *.TMP, *.000, *.001, *.002.

This configuration ensures that temporary report files are created in a controlled location, reducing potential conflicts with antivirus scanning.