Hi Meron Moroz ,

Thanks for reaching out about needing an installation code for Sage 50 2015 to access a previous backup. If you own a 2015 license, you can access your activation codes from our Portal. This will allow you to reinstall the software and access your files.

For your specific need to access a backup for a court case, it's crucial to ensure you follow the correct steps to avoid data loss. According to our resources, if your data files range from Simply Accounting 2008 to Sage 50 2013, you can directly convert these to Sage 50 2024 as long as you have Sage 50 2014 or Sage 50 2015 installed on your PC. There's no need for a pre-conversion to 2015-- or to activate it—just open the file in the latest version of Sage 50.

Here are some steps you might find useful:

1. Download and install Sage 50 2015.3, selecting the Trial Version when prompted for a serial number.
2. Choose the same edition your data was created in (First Step, Pro, Premium, Quantum), or if unsure, select the Accountants Edition with the 30-day trial option.
3. For data from 2008 - 2013, directly proceed to opening your old company file in the newer version of Sage 50 to prompt the conversion to Sage 50 2024.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the data conversion. You may be prompted to make a backup during this process. It's strongly advised to do so to safeguard your data.

Remember, migration and conversion of older formatted Sage 50 data is not included with your Sage Support plan. For assistance with data in version 2013 or older, you might need to contact Sage Expert Services, a fee-based service.

If you encounter any issues or have further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out for more specific guidance. If this helps please mark it as verified :)

Warm Regards,
Erzsi

What I'm getting from your answer is that I can't keep the Sage 50 2015.3 version (a version that is almost 10 years old now) that I just downloaded on my computer when the 'trial' version times out.  My intention is not to use this version, it's just a tool to help clients, it's necessary in these situations when you are trying to upgrade an older version or access older backups.  I've been a bookkeeper most of my long career; starting with ACCPAC in the '80s then Bedford/Simply Accounting/Sage.  It's the only program I've ever used.

So, if I need to do this again I need to re-download the 'trial' version again?  Like I said, I'm not using this version for daily entry I'm just using it to get to the current version, which I upgrade every year with my subscription.

~Meron