It's useful to see exactly what a feature does before you use it in your live company. That's why Sage 50 Accounts has two extra areas where you can try out features and practice tasks without affecting your live data. Let's take a look at these options.

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Your company data

 NOTE: You can't backup and restore data from the Practice Data to your company data. 

This is your live company accounts. Any transactions you post here affect your day to day accounts and reports.

Practice Data

You can use Practice Data to try routines and tasks in the software without affecting your live company data. If you want to test how a feature of the software works or analyse the effect of posting different transaction types, the Practice Data is the ideal place to do this. You can save and reopen the Practice Data as needed, or you can discard your practice work and start again.

 NEW: Using v30.1? You can now restore a backup of your live company data into Practice Data to try out new processes and features without impacting your live data. Find out more about how to Practice with your own company data. 

To open the Practice Data from within your software click File, then click Open and click Open Practice Data.

 TIP: You can also select Practice Data from your main company selection screen when you first open your software. If you can't see the Company Selection window when opening, to switch it on click Tools, then Options, then Start up, and click the Show the Company List on start up check box then click OK.

To login, enter manager as the logon name and leave the password blank.

To discard information you previously entered in Practice Data:

• On opening the Practice Data, click Start Again and follow the on-screen prompts.
• While in Practice Data, click File, click Maintenance and then click Rebuild.

Demonstration Data

The Demonstration Data provides an example company, complete with records and transactions, so you can explore the capabilities of your software. Like the Practice Data, the Demonstration Data is independent of your live accounts, so any postings you make here don't affect your live data.

To open the demo data from within your software click File, then click Open and click Open Demo Data.

 TIP: You can also select Practice Data from your main company selection screen when you first open your software. If you can't see the Company Selection window when opening, to switch it on click Tools, then Options, then Start up, and click the Show the Company List on start up check box then click OK.

To login, enter manager as the logon name and leave the password blank.

Navigation

To move between your company data, Practice Data and Demonstration Data click File, then click Open and choose the required option.