Thank you Liz. I appreciate your help. I was thinking about asking FGH Tables about that issue re hard coding the confirmation / lifetime issue which AI told me about. I'd be asking them specifically about this before paying them anything. For the sake of anyone else reading this, there are fixes on this site, but they only concern disabling the updates to MYOB. I'm doubting that MYOB's IT dept wouldn't have a contingency plan for this.
I've just asked AI again and this is what it said:
MYOB enforces software and licensing restrictions through hard-coded mechanisms, including internal expiry codes and forced auto-updates, to mandate paid subscription models (SaaS) and force the use of online-only files.
How the Hard-Coded Expiry Works
AccountRight relies on a locally built-in timer, confirmation checks, and regular update authentications. Even if you move your MYOB file to an offline, air-gapped PC, the hard-coded code triggers. Once the software detects that your subscription has lapsed or that you are attempting to use an outdated version past its allowed lifecycle, the system automatically shifts to "read-only" mode or locks access to your company file entirely.
So I doubt if anyone here, or even an IT expert, could come up with a fix for this if the code is in their servers. But if anyone does know, then please advise.
There is a post from Gavin here:
MYOB offline being phased out | MYOB Community
If you have trouble finding his response, then he said:
There are much simpler methods, and as long as they are implemented correctly, you can continue to use AR2026.5 SE or AR2026.4 offline as long as you like, provided you have a perpetual licence. With no risk to your computer. For those not familiar with the procedure, better to pay a small fee to a specialist to get it done properly, will save you a lot of time and angst down the track.
About confirmation, the requirement to confirm your MYOB file (any version) is hard coded in the software. And yes, each company file has an 'expiry' date. This expiry date is extended each time the file is confirmed.
Confirmation currently happens once every 12 months, so being able to access your file today is no guarantee you will be able to access it in 6 months.
FYI - if a company file has been upgraded to AR2026.5 (online or offline) it can be changed back to a AR2026.4 company file by a specialist - without any loss of data. And an online AR2026.5 file can be retrieved for offline use in either AR2026.5 SE or AR2026.4 - without loss of data. These options are not something MYOB would do for you.
Email me if you would like further information.
Regards
Gavin
I've been using the method Gavin described years ago about staying on v2020.1 to keep clients with Perpetual Licences on old versions and I know it works.
Cheers
Liz
