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Cloning an SSD where Peachtree (Sage 50) "Another user is using this company" Issue Fix

 


Cloning an SSD where Peachtree (Sage 50) "Another user is using this company" Issue Fix

 

Issue after cloning an SSD where Peachtree (Sage 50) shows an error like:

"Another user is using this company"
or
"Cannot open the company file – it’s in use by another user."

This is often caused by cloning the system without resetting certain registry keys or configuration files that Peachtree uses to track sessions or system identity.

✅  Causes:

  1. Registry/Machine ID conflict – Cloning keeps the same registry identity, causing the server or Peachtree to think the same user is connected multiple times.
  2. Lock file not released – Peachtree uses *.LCK or *.PTL lock files to track users. These might persist or not be properly released after cloning.
  3. Peachtree thinks the old system is still online, since the hostname and registry info are the same.

Fix Steps:

1. Delete Lock Files

On the machine hosting the company data:

  • Go to the company folder (usually under C:\Sage\Peachtree\Company\YourCompanyName)
  • Delete the following files:
    • *.LCK
    • *.PTL

Make sure no other users are logged in before doing this.

 2. Reset System Identity

This forces Peachtree to treat the cloned system as a new machine:

For Standalone Installation:

  1. Press Windows + R → type regedit → Enter.
  2. Navigate to:

3.  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Peachtree\Version\[Your Version]\Datapath

    • (Or for 64-bit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Peachtree\Version\[Your Version]\)
  1. You may delete or rename the SystemID or similar keys (make a backup first).
  2. Also change the computer name in:
    • Control Panel > System > Change settings > Rename this PC.

For Multi-User Setup:

  • Check the Peachtree .ini configuration file (e.g., Peachw.ini) and ensure it's pointing to the correct host path.
  • Located typically in: C:\Program Files (x86)\Sage\Peachtree
    • Edit the DATAPATH= and MULTIUSER=TRUE values.

3. Restart Peachtree and Reconnect

  • Restart the application.
  • Reopen the company file.
  • If networked, restart the Peachtree services (on the host PC) from Services.msc:
    • Peachtree BusinessLogic Service
    • Pervasive PSQL Workgroup Engine

Additional Tips:

  • Avoid using a cloned system at the same time as the original unless you change its machine name and registry values.
  • If Peachtree is shared across multiple users, ensure that the Pervasive database engine is not conflicting.

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