The sync cannot be started as there is an open sync awaiting for data" in Sage 50
Sage 50 thinks a previous data sync is still running or unfinished, so it refuses to start a new one until that sync is closed out.
If you are seeing “The sync cannot be started as there is an open sync awaiting for data.” in Sage 50, the program is telling you that a previous synchronization session is still registered as open somewhere in the system, and it will not start a new one until that earlier session is resolved. In plain terms: it is not usually a problem with your data itself, it is a stuck sync flag or a half-finished sync that Sage 50 has not cleared.
What the message actually means
Sage 50 tracks sync sessions between the company file and whatever it is syncing with, such as a connected application or an online service. When a sync starts, it is marked as open; when it finishes, that mark is cleared. If the sync was interrupted, by a crash, a network drop, a machine that was shut down mid-process, or simply a process that never completed, the “open” flag can be left behind. The next time you try to sync, Sage 50 sees the old open session and blocks the new one.
Close and restart everything first
The safest first step is to close Sage 50 completely on every workstation that uses the company file, confirm no Sage processes are still running in the background, and then reopen the company and try the sync again. On a multi-user setup, make sure nobody else has the file open. In many cases the stuck session clears on a clean restart.
Check whether the sync actually finished
Sometimes the message is accurate: the earlier sync really is waiting on something, such as data that was staged but never uploaded or downloaded. Look at the sync status or history in your connected service before forcing anything, so you know whether data is still pending. If data is genuinely in limbo, do not start duplicate syncs; resolve the pending one.
Restore from a backup taken before the sync
If the message persists after restarts and the company file itself is behaving oddly, restoring a backup made before the sync attempt will return you to a known-good state. Only do this if you are confident about which transactions were entered after the backup, because anything entered since will need to be re-entered.
When the file needs professional attention
If the flag will not clear, the sync history is corrupted, or the company file shows other symptoms such as slow opening, verification errors, or damaged transactions, the data itself may need repair before syncing can work again. Our engineers handle damaged Sage 50 and Simply Accounting databases directly, and we can also convert Sage 50 data to QuickBooks if you would rather move off the sync entirely.
A useful next step
Make a fresh backup of the company file right now, before trying anything else, so you have a safe copy regardless of how you proceed. Then restart cleanly and retry the sync. If the message still appears, send us the file for a free evaluation and we will tell you exactly what is stuck and what it will take to fix it.