IMPORTANT:  Most technical issues are resolved soon after they’re discovered.
If you’re not using the very latest version, then you should get the free upgrade now.  Upgrading will usually fix most issues.

The following is a list of known technical issues and the steps required to resolve them.  If you’re just looking for an answer to a common task or question, please see the FAQ.

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I can’t send emails from Cashbook Complete

Before you can start emailing invoices, etc. you need to make sure that the “Email Setup” screen is configured properly.  To do this, click on the “Invoicing” menu (very top of the screen) and select “Email Setup”.

Watch a video tutorial on Email Setup.

If you’re not sure what settings to use, please check with your ISP or if you’re using an email account from a web-based email provider like Gmail, Yahoo, etc. see here for a list of common SMTP settings.

If you are getting errors when sending emails from Cashbook, please check the following:-

  • Make sure you’re connected to the internet
  • Make sure the recipient’s email address is correct
  • Try temporarily disabling your antivirus software (in rare cases, antivirus software can block outgoing emails)
  • See the “troubleshooting” section at the bottom of the SMTP Configuration page.

If you can’t resolve an error you’re getting when emailing from Cashbook, please contact support.

I get an error when I try to backup

When you do a backup, the software first runs a “Repair & Compact” to check that the data you’re backing up is OK and not corrupt. If your file is corrupt, then the “Repair & Compact” process will fail and the backup will not take place. This is to prevent you from potentially overwriting a good backup with a corrupt one.

If this is happening, see the next question below to try and fix the corrupted file.

Note: If the “Repair & Compact” process is completing successfully but the backup still fails, then we would recommend that you try backing up to a different device as your backup device may be faulty.

The “Repair & Compact” fails

When the Repair & Compact process fails (or produces errors), then that indicates that your file has become corrupt.  Here’s what you should do in that situation:-

  1. Download and install the latest version of Cashbook
  2. When you start Cashbook, it will attempt to self-repair when it detects that your file is corrupted

If you’re already using the latest version and Cashbook cannot ‘self-repair’, then the corruption may be quite severe.  If that’s the case, then you’ll need to replace your corrupt data file with a backup by clicking on the “File” menu and choosing “Restore from Backup”.  After restoring a backup, you should be able to use the software as normal again.

For more details, refer to: “How do I prevent my data file from becoming corrupted“.

I’ve started a new data file and my old one has disappeared

Cashbook Complete always remembers the last data file that you were using and will open it by default, the next time you start the software. If you want to work on another data file, click the “Open” button on the toolbar and select the data file you want to use.

Cashbook Complete won’t start

If you’re unable to start Cashbook for any reason, reinstalling the software will usually fix the problem:-

  1. Download the latest version
  2. Install the software
  3. Restart your computer

Reinstalling doesn’t affect your data or registration.  However, it’s always a good idea to do a backup first, if you can.

If you see a message that the “Microsoft Access Runtime is Missing” when starting Cashbook, please click here.

If the problem continues after reinstalling the latest version, please contact support and let us know which version of Windows you’re using and what the error messages say, etc.  The more information you can provide, the better.

Note:  Please check that your system meets the minimum requirements.

Cashbook Complete won’t install

If you’re having trouble installing the software, the first thing to try is to right-click on the setup file you downloaded from our website (e.g. Cashbook6x.exe), then choose “Run as Administrator”.

If it still won’t install after that, please see this page.

My file won’t upgrade to the latest version

When you upgrade the software, some times your cashbook data file needs to be upgraded to work in the latest version.  In most cases, this happens automatically.  However, there are some factors that may prevent a file from upgrading.  If for any reason the file you’re opening says that it can’t be upgraded, please contact support for assistance.

I’m having printing problems

Most printer problems are the result of corrupt printer drivers, affecting the way Cashbook and the printer communicate.  Problems may include the following:-

  • Nothing happens when you try and print
  • You can’t do a print preview *
  • Printouts appear to be missing information or show unusual characters
  • You get errors when trying to print preview or print

* A print preview is controlled by your printer, not the Cashbook.  You must have a printer installed in order to do a print preview.

Cashbook Complete doesn’t have any printer specific logic in it.  It sends exactly the same information to all versions of Windows, and it is up to Windows and the printer drivers to manage the information correctly.  If any of the above problems apply, then we recommend that you do the following:-

  1. Uninstall your current printer drivers
  2. Download and install the latest printer drivers for your printer, from your printer manufacturer’s website
  3. Download and reinstall the latest version of Cashbook

The above 3 steps should resolve most printer problems, but if you still have trouble after that, please contact support.

Cashbook is printing to the wrong paper format

If Cashbook is printing to the wrong paper format (e.g. Letter instead of A4, or vice versa), here’s what we recommend doing:-

  • Exit Cashbook if it’s open
  • In Windows, make sure your default printer is set to the correct paper source (e.g. A4 or Letter)
  • Download and install the latest version

If you continue to have trouble after that, please contact support.

I can’t print envelopes

If you’re unable to print envelopes properly, please make sure that you have the latest version installed.  If you’re using Version 5.05d or older, the envelope printing only works correctly about 80% of the time due to variations in the way printers handle envelope printing.  The latest version is not prone to such issues because we’ve completely changed how envelope printing works.

I’m getting errors that I’ve never had before

If you are getting strange errors that never used to occur, then it’s probably because something is corrupted on your computer.  Please try each of the following, in this order, until the problem is resolved:-

  1. Restart your computer
  2. In Cashbook, select “Repair and Compact” from the “File” menu.  This should always ‘complete successfully’.  If it fails, refer to the “Data Corruption” information below
  3. Check your “C Drive” for errors:  In “File Explorer”, right-click on your “C Drive”, select “Properties”, then “Tools”, then click the “Check” button.  Allow Windows to automatically fix any problems it may find
  4. Download and reinstall Cashbook Complete
What do I do if my data is corrupt?

If you see a message that your Cashbook file might be corrupted, then follow these steps (in the order listed) until the problem is resolved:-

  • Download and reinstall the latest version of Cashbook Complete
  • Under some circumstances, Cashbook may detect problems with corruption automatically and attempt to repair itself.  If it doesn’t do this, try doing a “Repair & Compact” from the “File” menu (top left of the screen)
  • If Cashbook cannot automatically repair itself and/or if the “Repair & Compact” fails, then you’ll need to restore your data from a backup

Please refer to the “Restoring Data” section on the FAQ page.

How do I prevent my data file from becoming corrupted?

The most common causes of corruption are:-

  • Faulty networking hardware (if sharing your file over a network)
  • Power cuts, surges or failures
  • Not exiting Cashbook when it’s not in use

The best ways to prevent corruption are to:-

  • Connect the PC to a UPS (Un-interruptible Power Supply)
  • Exit the software when you aren’t using it
  • Do a “Repair & Compact” (from the “File” menu) at least once a month (or more frequently if used daily)
  • Keep your software as up-to-date as possible.  You can download the latest version here
Some of my data has disappeared

When it looks like recent data has disappeared from your Cashbook, it’s usually just human-error caused by one of the following:-

  • You’ve accidentally done a “Restore from Backup”
    If you’ve done this, then the file that you’ve restored has replaced your more up-to-date data file, meaning your most recent data has been overwritten and has reverted back to the point in time that the backup was made.Whenever a “Restore from Backup” is done, the file that gets replaced is saved as a “.OLD” file as a safeguard. To recover the “.OLD” file, please search in “Help” for “Restore From Backup”.
  • You’ve opened an old copy of your Cashbook data file by mistake
    If you’ve somehow opened an older copy of your file, then it may seem like you’ve suddenly lost all your recent data when in fact, it’s just in a different file.The way to resolve this is to search your hard drive(s) for all “.CB” files. Open each one you find, one at a time, and if you find the file with your up-to-date data in it, you should make sure you copy that file to the “Data File Folder” then open it again from there. By default, the “Data File Folder” is found here:-

    C:\Users\<YourName>\Documents\Cashbook Data

Checking your Regional Settings

If your computer’s regional settings are not set up properly on your computer, then the wrong date/currency format may be displayed in the Cashbook for your particular country.  You may also see this message when starting Cashbook:  “It appears your Windows Regional Settings are conflicting with what has been set up in the Cashbook”.

To avoid date/currency problems, the Regional Settings need to be correct in TWO places:  your “Location/Country” and your “Language”.  See below:-

  • Windows 10
    1. In Windows, click the “Start” button, then “Settings”, “Time and Language”, “Region and Language”
    2. Make sure that the “Country or region” is set to “Australia”
    3. Under that, make sure that the “Languages” list includes “English (Australia)”. If there are other languages listed, you should click on them and choose “Remove” so that you’re left with just “English (Australia)”
    4. Under “Related settings”, click “Additional date, time & regional settings”
    5. Click on the “Region” heading
    6. On the “Formats” tab, select “Match Windows display language (recommended)” from the dropdown menu
    7. Click “OK” to apply your changes
  • Windows 8 and 8.1
    1. In Windows, go to “Settings”, “Control Panel”, “Clock Language and Region”, “Change Location”
    2. Make sure that the “Home location” is set to “Australia”
    3. On the “Formats” tab, select “Match Windows display language (recommended)” from the dropdown menu
    4. Click “OK” to apply your changes
  • Windows Vista and Windows 7
    1. In Windows, click the “Start” button, then “Control Panel”, “Clock Language and Region”, “Change location”
    2. Make sure that the “Current location” is set to “Australia”
    3. Click on the “Formats” tab, and make sure that it is set to “English (Australia)”
    4. Click “OK” to apply your changes
  • Windows XP
    1. In Windows, click the “Start” button, then “Control Panel”, “Date, Time, Language and Regional Options”, “Regional and Language Options”
    2. Under “Standards and formats”, make sure the language is set to “English (Australia)”
    3. Under “Location”, make sure that the country is set to “Australia”
    4. Click “OK” to apply your changes
I can’t type a date in

This may be for one of the following reasons:-

  1. The date format is incorrect/not correctly stored in Windows (see above about Regional Settings)
  2. You are entering the date using dots instead of slashes
  3. The Num-Lock key on your keyboard is not turned on. Push the Num-Lock key and try again
A date reverts back to its original value when I try to change it

This is because the Regional Settings are not saved correctly.  To correct them, follow the “Checking Your Regional Settings” steps above.

Cashbook opens up in “Read Only” mode

If a file opens as “read only”, it means that the data in the file can be viewed but not changed.  There are typically three reasons why you might see a “read only” message when starting Cashbook:-

  1. If you are opening a backup file – this is normal
    Let’s say that your main Cashbook data file is called “Example.cb” and it’s kept in the default location, which is the “Cashbook Data” folder in your “Documents” folder.  Now let’s say that you also have a backup copy of your “Example.cb” file in some other folder.  When you open the copy, Cashbook will detect that you already have a file called “Example.cb” and it will say “This file is a copy and will therefore not be editable!”.   In this situation, you should close Cashbook and open the master copy of the file from the “Cashbook Data” folder instead.
  2. If you are opening an Automated Backup file – this is normal
    If you open a file such as “.OLD”, “.BK1”, “.BK2”, or “.BK3” from the “Automated Backups” folder, Cashbook will detect that you’re opening an Automated Backup file and it will say “This file is in the Automated Backups folder and will therefore not be editable!”.  Automated Backups can be viewed but not changed.  If you need an Automated Backup to become your main working file so you can make changes to it, please go to “Help” in the software and search for “Automated Backups”.
  3. If Cashbook is not installed in the correct location – this is a problem
    If you’ve installed Cashbook to a folder other than the default location, we recommend that you uninstall the software, then reinstall it again to the default location on your “C Drive” that comes up automatically during the installation process.  Uninstalling and reinstalling the software is safe to do, and your data/registration remain intact.

See also:  Error: “Database is opened exclusively or has the read-only switch set“

Some totals are not displaying (applies mainly to Splits and Invoices Outstanding)

This problem is caused by not having the most recent updates installed for the Microsoft Access 2010 Runtime that Cashbook requires. The problem will actually correct itself if you have Windows Update turned on and set to “Update other Microsoft products” too. After you’ve enabled that setting and asked Windows to check for new updates, Windows will apply any fixes available for the Microsoft Access Runtime and the problem will be resolved.

For an immediate fix, you can simply uninstall the “Microsoft Access 2010 Runtime” from your computer, then simply download/reinstall Cashbook and Cashbook will automatically reinstall the Access Runtime and any additional fixes it requires.

Error: “Microsoft Access was unable to initialize the Windows Registry”

The full error message often looks like this: “Microsoft Access was unable to initialize the Windows Registry.  Rerun Microsoft Access or Microsoft Office Setup to reinstall Microsoft Access.”

This error can occur after you install or upgrade Microsoft Office or Microsoft Access, or after applying a Windows Update.  To fix it, simply right-click on the “Cashbook Complete” icon on your desktop and choose “Run as Administrator”.  Cashbook should then start up as normal and you should be able to continue accessing Cashbook normally from then on.

Error: “The application has encountered an error writing to the registry”

The first thing to do is to right-click on the “Cashbook Complete” icon and choose “Run as Administrator”.  If the problem continues after that, please do the following:-

  1. In Windows, go to your list of installed apps/programs
  2. Find “Microsoft Access Runtime 2010”, then click on it and choose “Repair”

The above steps will repair the Microsoft Access Runtime 2010 installation and the problem should be gone after that.

Error: “Bad login or password” (when emailing)

This error message simply means that your username or password for your email account is incorrect in the “Email Setup” screen.  Double-check both your username and password under the “Advanced” section on the “Email Setup” screen.

Additional Information for Gmail Users

If you’re using “Gmail”, then as well as double-checking your username and password, it might be that you need to change a security setting in Gmail. You can do that as follows:-

  1. In your web browser, go to Gmail.com and log into your Gmail account
  2. When logged into Gmail, click this link:  Google Settings
  3. Under the “Access for less secure apps” heading, select “Turn on”
  4. After that, you should be able to send emails from Cashbook using Gmail

Watch a video tutorial on Email Setup.

Error: “gfx.dll is missing”

This error should only apply to Version 6 users and it can occur after you install or upgrade Microsoft Office or Microsoft Access, or after applying a Windows Update.

To fix it, you need to do the following:-

  1. In Windows 10, go to “Start” > “Settings” > “System” > “Apps & features”. In previous Windows versions, go to the “Control Panel” > “Add/Remove Programs”
  2. Click on “Microsoft Access 2010 Runtime” among the list of programs and choose “Uninstall”
  3. Reboot your computer
  4. Download and reinstall Cashbook Complete. Note: this will reinstall the required “Microsoft Access 2010 Runtime” file automatically

After the above steps, Cashbook should be able to run normally.

Error: “Error 6: Overflow”

To prevent this error, you should do the following:-

  1. Reboot your computer. If the problem continues after that, then…
  2. Download and reinstall the latest version of the software (even if you’ve just recently done so)

If you still have the same error after the above, you should do the following:-

  1. Uninstall the “Microsoft Access 2010 Runtime” from your computer
  2. Reboot your computer
  3. Download and reinstall the latest version (this will automatically reinstall the Access Runtime)
Error: “Device Unavailable”

This error usually indicates that you have recently opened your Cashbook data file directly from a removable drive (eg. USB flash drive) and that removable drive has since been removed or it’s drive letter has changed.  When this happens, Cashbook can’t locate your data, which results in the error.  Removable devices should only be used for backing up to — not for working from directly.

To fix this, please find your master Cashbook file on your hard drive and open it instead. You can do that as follows:-

  1. Exit the software first
  2. Browse to the “Cashbook Data” folder (which is in your “Documents” folder)
  3. Find your data file (which has a .CB file extension – eg. MyCompany.CB)
  4. Double-click your .CB file to start Cashbook Complete and your data file should open up as normal
Error: “Runtime Error: Form.SU Regional”

This error is caused by a problem with your “Regional Settings” in Windows.  To fix it, please exit out of Cashbook Complete, then follow the steps on the “Checking Your Regional Settings” page.

Error: “Microsoft Access Has Stopped Working”

Please follow the steps on the “Cashbook Complete won’t start” page.

Error: “Runtime Error 70”

This problem is typically caused by Windows preventing Cashbook from accessing system resources.  To fix it, simply right-click on the “Cashbook Complete” icon and choose “Run as Administrator”.

NOTE:  If you’re using Version 5 on Windows 10, then you must upgrade to Version 6 because Version 5 is not supported on Windows 10 and you will continue to experience the problem until you upgrade.

If the problem is always happening, even after choosing “Run as Administrator”, follow these additional steps to disable “User Account Control” (UAC):-

  1. Click on the Windows “Start” button
  2. In the search box (on the Start menu), type in this: UAC
  3. Click the “Change User Account Control Settings” option when it appears
  4. On the “User Account Control Settings” screen, drag the slider to the lowest position, “Never Notify”
  5. Click “OK” to apply the changes
  6. Reboot your computer

This will disable “User Account Control” and should prevent “Runtime Error 70” from recurring.

Error: “msvcrt40.dll”

Msvcrt40.dll errors are caused by situations that lead to the removal or corruption of the “msvcrt40.dll” file in Windows. In some cases, msvcrt40.dll errors could indicate a registry problem, a virus or malware issue, or even a hardware failure. To fix it, please try the following:-

  1. Download the latest version of Cashbook Complete
  2. Right-click on the setup file you downloaded from our website and choose “Run as Administrator”

If you still have trouble after the steps above, please try the steps in this article which help with restoring a corrupt “msvcrt40.dll” file.

Error: “Screen resolution is too low”

This message occurs if your screen resolution is set too low.  The minimum resolution for Cashbook Complete to operate is 800 x 600 pixels.  Increase the resolution to 800 x 600 pixels or higher to fix the problem.

If your screen resolution is already set to 800 x 600 pixels or higher then check that your “DPI” setting is set to “Normal” within Windows “Display Properties”, under the “Advanced” options.

Error: “Database is opened exclusively or has the read-only switch set”

This message can appear after a Windows Update, or after upgrading to Windows 10.  To fix the problem, you can:-

  1. Right-click on the “Cashbook Complete” icon
  2. Choose “Run as Administrator”
  3. If you see a message that says, “Do you want this program to allow changes to your computer”, click “Yes”

If the problem continues after that, or if you can’t start Cashbook Complete without having to choose “Run as Administrator” each time, then make sure you’ve installed Version 6 or newer.  It’s free to upgrade.

Error: “A run-time error occurred in module: You don’t have permission to view this module”

Please select “Repair & Compact” from the “File” menu.  If that doesn’t fix it, download and reinstall the software.  Reinstalling doesn’t affect your data or registration.

Error: “Runtime Error 429 – ActiveX Component Can’t Create Object”

This is caused by the “VEENLR3.HLP” file (a Microsoft Shared file) being corrupt or missing from your system.  To fix this problem, simply download and reinstall the software.

Error: “Cannot Find VEENLR3.HLP”

This is the same problem as the error above.  It is caused by the “VEENLR3.HLP” file (a Microsoft Shared file) being corrupt or missing from your system.  To fix this problem, simply download and reinstall the software.

Error: “SetAcl.exe”

If you see a message like “Could not execute the external program:  C:\Docume~1\<username>\Locals~1\Temp\SetAcl.exe”, and you are using a program called BitDefender, disable or uninstall BitDefender and then try installing Cashbook again.

Cashbook won’t start after a Windows Update (XP Only)

As of April 2014, Microsoft no longer support Windows XP.  As a result, when Windows Updates are applied to some Office apps, it can cause them to fail on XP machines.  As a result, we no longer support Cashbook on Windows XP.  If you have encountered this problem, you can remove the problematic update to get up and running again, as follows:-

  1. Go to “Control Panel”
  2. Go to “Add/Remove Programs”
  3. Make sure “Show updates” is ticked (near the top)
  4. Find “Microsoft Access Runtime 2010” in the list
  5. Under that heading, find an update listed with either of these numbers in their description:  KB4461614 & KB4461522
  6. Click on each one you find that matches, then choose “Remove”

After that, you should be able to get back into Cashbook again.  However, it may continue happening with future Windows Updates.  Therefore, we’d recommend that all XP users upgrade to a more recent operating system, such as Windows 10.