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  5. You cannot save these changes

You cannot save these changes

You may not have the correct security access or you may need to renew your subscription.

Sage 50 you cannot save these changes
Sage 50 you cannot save these changes

This error may be many different issues. Make sure you are not trying to edit an archived company. You can tell this by looking at the Sage 50 program title bar. Make sure it does not say Archived (company name), you cannot edit an archived company.

If you are not working with an archived company then your company’s DDF (Data Dictionary Files) may be damaged. The DDF files provide the database schema (database layout) to the Sage 50 database.

You can delete these files and Sage 50 will create a new set for you when you open your company again.

Always backup your company’s data before deleting any files.  We cannot stress this enough.  If you delete the wrong files by error you can easily get them back by restoring your backup.

How to backup my Sage 50 Company

Locate your company data folder.

To locate your company data folder in Sage 50:

  • Sage 50 2021 or later: You can find the data folder within the Open Company dialog.
  • Older versions: Open your company file, then navigate to Maintenance > Maintain Company Information from the top menu.
Sage 50 Company Data Location Maintain Company Information
Sage 50 Company Data Location Maintain Company Information

This will display the location of your company data folder for easy access.

Sage 50 Comp;any Data Directory
Sage 50 Company Data Directory

Once you have your company’s data location at hand, close the Sage 50 program. Make sure any additional users have the company closed as well. The company cannot be in use when we are going to delete the DDF files.

Open Windows File Explorer and navigate to the data folder above.

Delete all the DDF files.

Restart Sage 50 and open the company.  You should see a flash dialog showing that it is recreating the DDF files.

That’s it.  Now see if the message “You cannot save these changes.” has stopped.