You cannot use this utility to import transactions into a shared company
Sage 50 blocks an import because the company is in multi-user shared mode; it wants exclusive access first.
The message “You cannot use this utility to import transactions into a shared company” is Sage 50’s way of saying the import tool needs the company file to itself. It is not a complaint about your data. It means the company is currently open in shared, multi-user mode, and the import utility will not run until it has exclusive access.
What the message actually means
Sage 50 lets several people work in the same company at once through shared mode. Importing transactions is different. The import utility writes directly into the company data, and it refuses to do that while other users, or even another window of the program on your own machine, holds the file open. The block is a safety measure, not a sign of damage.
Close the company everywhere, then retry
The safest fix costs nothing. Have every user exit the company and close Sage 50 completely. Check that no workstation still has the file open, including a minimized session or a remote desktop connection. Then reopen the company in single-user mode and run the import again. In most cases the message disappears at this point.
If you are not sure whether someone else is in the file, the program’s user activity view will show current sessions. How you reach it depends on your edition, so if you cannot find it, ask everyone to close the program rather than hunting for the setting.
Is anyone else mid-task?
Before forcing anyone out, check that no one has an unposted batch or an unsaved entry. Closing the program on them can lose that work. Coordinate a quiet moment, such as end of day, and do the import then. Imports also run faster and safer when the file is not being written to at the same time.
Make a backup first
Any bulk import changes many records at once. Take a current backup of the company before importing, even if the import has run cleanly before. If the import brings in duplicates or wrong amounts, a backup lets you return to where you started. Exact backup steps vary by edition, so use the backup routine your installation provides.
When the import still will not run
Sometimes every user is out and the message still appears. That usually means a workstation crashed earlier and left a stale lock on the data, or the share itself is configured in a way the utility rejects. Restarting the machine hosting the company data, and then the workstations, clears most stale locks.
If the message persists after a clean restart, or if the import fails partway and leaves the company in an odd state, the file may need professional attention. Our engineers handle Sage 50 data directly, including imports that went wrong and companies that will not reopen afterward. We can also convert Sage 50 data to QuickBooks if you are moving away from the import utility entirely.
The useful next step: get everyone out of the company, take a backup, and retry in single-user mode. If it still refuses, send us the file for a free evaluation and we will tell you what is blocking it.