Quick answer
Close AccountRight, then run the installer by right-clicking it and choosing "Run as administrator". If it still fails, temporarily pause antivirus, delete the download and grab a fresh copy of the full installer from MYOB, and make sure Windows and .NET updates are installed. Remember: everyone who shares the company file must end up on the same version.
WHY IT HAPPENS
Usually blocked, not broken.
An AccountRight update has to write program files, install components and reach MYOB's servers. Anything that gets in the way of those steps — Windows refusing the install because it wasn't run as an administrator, antivirus or a firewall quarantining part of it, or a download that didn't finish — will make the update fail or hang. Missing Windows and .NET updates on the PC can also stop the installer part-way. The good news is these are all straightforward to clear.
HOW TO FIX IT
Work through these in order.
- Close AccountRight and run the installer as administratorFully quit AccountRight first. Then right-click the update or installer file and choose Run as administrator. Missing admin rights is the single most common reason an install fails or errors out, and this alone fixes many cases.
- Temporarily pause antivirus and firewall, then retrySecurity software can block or quarantine parts of the installer mid-way. Turn off antivirus briefly, run the install, then switch protection back on. If you manage the firewall, allow AccountRight's update service through so it isn't cut off from MYOB's servers.
- Delete the download and get a fresh copyA file that didn't download completely will fail to install. Delete the file you have, then download the update again from MYOB — ideally the full installer rather than the small updater — and run that. This clears corrupt or partial downloads.
- Install the full installer manuallyIf the in-app update keeps failing, download the full standalone installer from MYOB's site and install it by hand. Uninstalling the current version first and reinstalling clean is safe — your company files and templates aren't touched by removing the software.
- Bring Windows and .NET up to dateAccountRight relies on Microsoft components. Install all outstanding Windows updates, including any that mention .NET Framework, then restart and try again. An out-of-date PC is a common reason an otherwise good installer won't finish.
- Restart and try once moreA pending Windows update or a locked file can quietly block an install. Restart the PC to clear anything half-done, then run the installer again as administrator before assuming it's broken.
- Update every PC that shares the fileEveryone opening a shared company file must be on the same AccountRight version. Once one machine is updated, roll the same update out to all the others so nobody is left unable to open the file — and plan network updates for a quiet time so the whole team lands on the new version together.
Rolling this out across a whole office? — updating one PC is easy; keeping every machine, server and shared file on the same version, at the right time, without downtime is where it gets fiddly. If AccountRight updates regularly cause a scramble, that's usually a sign the rollout should be managed centrally rather than PC by PC.
