Submission error: 'A software error occurred. This is likely to be due...'

When you attempt to send a submission or print a submission log, you may see the error:

'A software error occurred. This is likely to be due to a mismatch in your electronic submission components'

Error appears when sending a submission

These steps explain how to resolve the above error. Do the following in turn and retry the submission after each step.

Check if the issue appears in Demonstration Data

This will help determine if the issue is specific to your company data or your software. To open Demonstration Data, click File then click Open Company then open Demonstration Data. Once you're in Demonstration Data, open the IR Secure Mailbox. If this opens as normal, you should close Sage 50 Payroll then run the repair and compact utility on your data then retry the submission.

If the issue persists continue to the next stage.

Check you're using the latest version of Sage 50 Payroll

Visit our download and install Sage 50 Payroll guide to check that your software is up to date.

If you've had to download and install the most up-to-date version, try the submission again. 

If the issue persists continue to the next stage.

Check Windows Updates are up to date on your PC

You'll need to check your Windows Updates are all up to date on your PC, you may need a hand from your IT support to check this.

You can then reinstall Sage 50 Payroll >

If the issue persists continue to the next stage.

Check that your computer meets the recommended requirements

To ensure that Sage 50 Payroll runs smoothly on your computer, check that your computer meets the recommended requirements for Sage 50 Payroll.

If your computer doesn't meet the requirements, you may experience issues when running the software. If your computer meets the requirements, continue to the next stage.

Check your software is set to run as administrator

To make sure Sage 50 Payroll can run all tasks, we recommend using the software with full Window access. You can set the software to run as administrator. To do this, right-click the payroll shortcut, click Properties, click Compatibility, ensure Run as Administrator is selected then click OK.

Check the location of your Sage 50 Payroll data

If your data is located within the Program Files folder, you may experience issues. To check the location of your data, click Help then click About and check the Data directory path.

 NOTE: If the data is in Program Files, you need to move it. To do this, reinstall Sage 50 Payroll with full Windows access rights into a new folder, ensuring that the data isn't stored in the Program Files folder. You should then create your company and restore a backup, including RTI files.

Check your internet submission module

Check that you're using the latest internet submissions module. To do this, click Help then click e-Submission Version Check. If prompted, download and install the latest version.

If the problem persists, please refer to the section below. 

If the issue persists

Delete the submission components and reinstall Sage 50 Payroll

 CAUTION: You may prefer to consult your IT support to complete the steps below. 

To ensure your submission components are installing correctly, you should delete them and reinstall Sage 50 Payroll as administrator to recreate them.

To delete the submission components, follow these simple steps:

1. Close Sage 50 Payroll.
2. Press the Windows key  + R, enter C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Sage\Internet Submissions\V5, then click OK.
3. Delete the following .dll files:
   CAUTION: You must close Sage 50 Payroll and be logged into Windows with full access before deleting these files. If you find the required folder doesn't exist, this suggests a Windows permissions issue. You should speak to your IT support to ensure you have full access to install the folder then skip straight to reinstall your software in Step 4.
   • Esubs.model
   • Esubs.model.interfaces
   • Esubs.view
   • Esubs.viewmodel
   • SgEData
   • SgELauncher
4. Reinstall Sage 50 Payroll >
   NOTE: If the issue still occurs, check to ensure the above .dll files have been recreated in C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Sage\Internet Submissions\V5. If they haven't, you should log on to a different, administrator profile and repeat the steps above. If the files above have recreated, then proceed to the steps below. 

Turn Microsoft .NET Frameworks off then back on then reinstall Sage 50 Payroll

When you enable the .Net frameworks, ensure you expand each .NET option and enable all sub options.

1. Press the Windows key  + X, click Control Panel, click Programs then click Programs and Features.
2. Click Turn Windows features on or off then clear the .NET Framework 4.8 Advanced Services check box.
3. Clear the .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) check box, click OK then click Don't restart.
4. Click Turn Windows features on or off, select the .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) check box.
5. Select the .NET Framework 4.8 Advanced Services check box, click OK then click Restart now.
6. Reinstall Sage 50 Payroll >

If the problem persists, you should try installing Sage 50 Payroll in a new Windows profile or if possible, on a different computer. 

Error appears when printing a submission log

To resolve this, you need to install Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8. Alternatively, when printing, choose the Microsoft XPS Document Writer, click Print, enter a filename, browse to where you want to save it, for example, the Windows desktop then click Save. You can then locate and print the file you saved.

NOTE: If an error occurs while uninstalling or reinstalling Microsoft .NET Framework please refer to your local IT support or Microsoft for further advice. 

If the issue continues, or you're using a different operating system, this is likely to be caused by your printer driver. To test this, download and install software such as Cute PDF, which you can use to print to a PDF file. If this works without the error, you should check your printer manufacturer's website to download and install the latest driver for your printer.