AccountRight PC Edition 2026.6 MSI
Hi MYOB
Now that you have axed AR Server Edition we have to use the PC version to run on our terminal servers for clients - however, only the .exe version is available and will only install as ...
Forum Discussion
Hi lwilden , the change to MSI was related to the underlying offline functionality which is no longer supported.
But we have updated AccountRight PC edition to support terminal server installation.
The Doc and others have been sharing their experiences using the -allusers install in PC edition, it is working for some but not all and we are supporting customers where possible.
Other members like The_Doc are very experienced as well and are likely able to offer advice if you are encountering any errors
Thanks for the reply, but I’m still not clear on the technical reasoning.
You said the change to drop MSI was related to offline functionality no longer being supported. That doesn’t really make sense from a technical standpoint.
Offline functionality is a product feature. MSI is just the installer packaging format. Removing a feature has no technical requirement to abandon the Windows Installer (MSI) format. Plenty of software drops features all the time and continues shipping as MSI.
MSI has clear advantages for multi-user and terminal server environments (standardised silent install, repair, proper uninstall, Group Policy/Intune deployment, etc.). Switching to EXE (even with -allusers) removes those advantages and forces a less reliable deployment method.
Can you explain the actual technical reason why supporting offline functionality required dropping MSI? Or is it simply that the new installer was built as EXE and MSI support was not prioritised?
Hi lwilden , thanks for waiting for my reply, I have been making sure I get the correct information here, please see below.
To clarify the reasoning behind the AccountRight installer changes:
MYOB needed to retire AccountRight’s offline mode because it relied on older technology that no longer met our standards for ongoing development, security and support.
We recognised that some customers, including customers using perpetual licences, might not be ready to move their company files online immediately. To make that transition easier, AccountRight’s installation options were separated to support the two different use cases:
- PC Edition for customers working with online company files.
- Server Edition and MSI as transitional options for customers who still needed to work with offline company files.
This distinction is particularly important for partners who support customers in both situations and need to deploy AccountRight in bulk/IT controlled enviroments.
- For customers working with offline files, the existing MSI installation process remained available as a temporary offline access path. This was a natural choice as most MSI installs used offline files already
- For customers working with online files, PC Edition was updated to support deployment in an IT-managed environment, including machine-level installation across multiple user profiles.
This gives partners a way to support both online and offline customer scenarios during the transition, while the recommended long-term path remains moving offline company files online and using PC Edition.
For the detailed installation guidance, see Deploying AccountRight in an IT-managed environment.
