If this is all happening on a local workstation (not over a network to another computer where the data is stored)

1. Open the sample company.  If that works, the software and the workstation are probably OK.

2. Try restoring the data to a temporary folder, or with a name like 'RestoreTest' that can't interfere with your company data.

Thank-you!  I will try  what you suggest if I can find the right place to sign in.  I know this sounds stupid but the way I have been shown to go into the system doesn't take me to the main screen where I can select the company.  No one really knows how to use it and it has not been updated in forever ... the shortcut shows the file CAN2011 - Forms - SAI.  The system immediately goes to open the database from that point where it never connects.  I have tried going through the menu options in Windows and end up in the same place with the same result.  I checked Connection Manager and it shows it is running.  So if I can figure out where the sample company is...or even the data...  Thanks again!  

The sample company is called 'universl.sai', and the location is usually in the public or my documents folders (Microsoft seems to change the names every version, and likes to hide file extensions)

You may be able to find both the company data and the sample company data by searching for *.SAI from Windows explorer. 

Sage 50 stores the version of the file, the company name, and a few other details in the file with the .SAI extension.  There should be a matching folder (where the data lives) with a .SAJ extension.   Use 'Open file location' to see what's there.

When you double-click on the .SAI file, a complicated 'Rube Goldberg' process is kicked off between Windows calling the Sage 50 program that calls MySQL to load the actual data, then send back a network connection through any firewall, so lots of moving parts.  Great when it works...

The sample company is called 'universl.sai', and the location is usually in the public or my documents folders (Microsoft seems to change the names every version, and likes to hide file extensions)

You may be able to find both the company data and the sample company data by searching for *.SAI from Windows explorer. 

Sage 50 stores the version of the file, the company name, and a few other details in the file with the .SAI extension.  There should be a matching folder (where the data lives) with a .SAJ extension.   Use 'Open file location' to see what's there.

When you double-click on the .SAI file, a complicated 'Rube Goldberg' process is kicked off between Windows calling the Sage 50 program that calls MySQL to load the actual data, then send back a network connection through any firewall, so lots of moving parts.  Great when it works...

Randy I hope you can help me a bit more because I have looked at a lot of stuff but understand only a bit of it.  I found the sample file and it opens perfectly.  I looked at the tool that does a check of the SAI file and it indicates that it cannot check the SAI as it is already in use.  I have looked around at other answers and saw someone say that if there is a process.pid file showing on the SAJ that this file should be deleted as it is indicating that the file is running.  Meanwhile - I have copied and renamed the SAI file and the SAJ Folder and moved them to a different location and the system now opens.  I'm about to run and save a batch of reports but not sure what to do next.  I should "fix' the problem but don't really know what I'm doing....any suggestions are welcome.