Important: If you subscribe to HandiSoft Online, do not proceed. The Access Group handles your Installation and Rollover process.
Book a Rollover Service
If you prefer to have our Professional Services team install and rollover your HandiSoft software, book a rollover service.
Note: Complete item 8 on the booking form to submit your rollover request.
Alternatively, a support team member can guide you through this article or provide remote assistance. Note that this service is subject to our rollover service pricing. Before starting, you must confirm your agreement to this paid service.
HandiSoft Full Version
Full ODB version for standard non-SQL customers.
Full SQL version for SQL customers.
Important: Before following any steps below, you must identify whether you are using the ODB or SQL version of HandiTax. The file names and steps are different for each version; applying the wrong steps will not resolve the error. Do not proceed until you have confirmed your version.
Installation Prerequisites
Before you start
Ensure a suitable working backup has been made of the HSoft folder that holds the Applications and Data folders.
If you use HandiTax, log in to HandiTax 2025, then go to Client, Recalculate clients tax details, #All, Select. The window will close when complete.
Ensure you know the exact path to the HSoft folder on the computer where the HSoft folder resides.
Ensure that all users have exited out of all HandiSoft and Microsoft Office programs.
Note: If you install in the incorrect location, client data will not be available in the new products.
Recommended
Install on the Server computer for the quickest installation. (Not essential).
Install on a computer where HandiSoft has previously been installed from it. (Not essential)
If needed
The installation may require your antivirus protection to be temporarily disabled if a decompression error occurs.
Which version are you using?
ODB - Follow all steps below.
SQL - Follow steps 1-13, then skip to Confirm Rollover step 3.
Step-by-step installation guide for HandiSoft
HandiSoft Products can be downloaded and installed if you have purchased the licence for the new financial year. You can download the HandiSoft product installation program from the link in your email that you received or from the full version links above.
Note: Ensure that the installation path chosen is the parent directory holding the HSoft folder. Installing to the incorrect path will result in no client data rolling forward.
Navigate to the location of the downloaded file and double-click the HsSetupFull.exe - this can usually be found in your Downloads folder.
The installer screen pops up, click Next.
Confirm you have a recent working backup, then click Next.
Read and agree to the License Agreement before proceeding with Next.
If using a machine on which HandiSoft was previously installed, there will be an existing choice(s) for the installation location. Choose the correct installation location or click Change to browse to a different installation location.
Choose the installation type:
The Complete installation installs the application files and this is required on the computer where the HSoft folder resides.
The Workstation installation creates the necessary shortcuts to the location in the previous step and checks the SBR dependencies. This is useful for network workstation installations.
Choose the shortcut folder. Leave this as the default location. Shortcuts will be created in this location and on your Desktop.
At the Checking License Information point, the system looks for the prior year's index file in the HSoft folder and checks that your licence has been renewed for the new year. If the index file exists and you have renewed, proceed to step 8. If the prior year's index file is not found, the Product Licence Details window will display.
Enter your Customer Reference Code and Customer Identification Number to continue. This information can be found in any HandiSoft product under Help, About.
If you enter your customer ID details and an Attention message occurs, click Cancel, then OK.
Click the Renewals button to access the Access Renewals Portal or contact the Finance team for confirmation.
Your licenced products should be automatically pre-selected. If you are licenced for HandiTax 2026, ensure that HandiTax 2025 is checked, as this needs to also be updated to the latest version during the installation.
Note: Practice Manager - Contact is selected by default.
For SQL installations, skip to step 3 under the Confirm Rollover steps. For ODB installations, choose to Install Software, Perform Recalculation and Roll Over Clients to 2026, then click Next.
Review the designated install folder. Note: If the location does not contain HSoft at the end, review the path and instructions in step 5. Once confirmed, click Install.
Setup actions are performed for each program you are installing. This may take some time.
Allow the installation to install the files as necessary without cancelling the process. If errors appear during this phase, the most likely reason will be that the files being installed are currently in use by a user(s). To resolve this issue:
Ensure that all users are out of the programs and click retry.
You may need to reboot the server machine to ensure that no existing application files are in use. Your Server Administrators can log in to Computer Management to release any open files.
If your practice is licenced for Access Practice Management or Access Ledger, and can receive an HSDA file in use error.
The following information applies to ODB only. For SQL users, skip to step 3 under the Confirm Rollover steps and then complete the Manual Rollovers section at the bottom of this article.
Prior year Client Recalculation: Highlight #All and click Select.
In the Tax Roll-Over from Prior Year window, leave the default choices and click OK.
Warning: Do not select Current clients only if you use other HandiSoft programs.
Confirm Rollover
Click Yes for the rollover process to commence. Allow the process to complete without cancelling.
On completion of the rollover, a report will display the total clients and total returns rolled over. It will also display a list of clients who have rolled over with a substituted accounting period. Print if required, then close this report.
The SBR Dependency info window will appear. Click Next.
Select Check SBR dependencies and finish installation, then click Next.
The installation process will check the machine to determine whether the required Microsoft Dependencies are installed to enable HandiTax to be SBR-ready. Then click Finish once the HandiTax SBR Dependency Checker process is complete.
Click Finish again to complete the installation. One user should then open HandiTax 2026 to verify the rollover results before any work commences.
Important: Ensure you are satisfied with the rollover before commencing any work. If you are not satisfied or concerned that your objectives have not been achieved, restore your backup immediately and attempt the installation and rollover again.
User Management and Limitations in Version Updates
When upgrading to a new version, such as HandiTax 2026, note the following:
User Rollover: Users cannot be rolled over manually after the upgrade.
Export/Import Functionality: There is no option to export or import users between versions.
Recreating Users: If users do not carry over during installation, they must be recreated individually in the new version.
Workstation Installations
For networked computers, choose the Workstation install from the Select Install Type window. This needs to be run on all workstations that access HandiSoft to ensure that they can use the current year's software.
Terminal Server - Remote Desktop Session Host Server Prerequisites
To install an end-user application on a Remote Desktop Session Host server, the Remote Desktop Session Host Server must first be switched into a special install mode called RD-Install to ensure that the application will be able to run in a multi-user environment. After your applications have been installed on your RD Session Host server, you must switch the server back into execution mode, RD-Execute, before users can remotely connect to your server. You can switch between the install and execute modes from the command line using these commands:
change user /install
change user /execute
To determine the current install mode of your RD Session Host server, use this command:
change user /query
Manual Rollovers
Follow the steps for your version below if you have chosen to manually rollover your clients from one year to the next for SQL version, or those using ODB version who did not select the automatic rollover option during the installation.
Note: The following manual rollover procedure needs to be done by SQL clients or ODB clients who didn't choose the automatic rollover above.
ODB Version
Start HandiTax 2025.
Go to Clients, Recalculate clients tax details.
In the Client Expressions window, highlight #All, then click Select to start the recalculation.
When the recalculation is complete, close HandiTax 2025.
Start HandiTax 2026 by logging in as the Administrator, especially if you use Practice Manager Security. The Tax Roll-Over From Prior Year window will automatically open if you did not complete Option 3 during the installation. If it does not, go to Tools, Roll-over files from 2025.
Complete the window fields. For more information, press F1 to display the online help. CAUTION: If you have other HandiSoft Products (HandiLedger, Practice Manager, etc.) installed, do not select the Current Clients only check box.
Click OK to start the rollover.
SQL Version
Start HandiTax 2025.
Go to Clients, Recalculate clients tax details.
In the Client Expressions window, highlight #All, then click Select to start the recalculation.
When the recalculation is complete, close HandiTax 2025.
On first opening of any of the HandiSoft programs after the installation, please ensure that all tables have loaded prior to any other program being opened or another user opening a HandiSoft program.
If clients do not appear after tables have loaded, go to Tools, Roll-over files from 2025.
Complete the window fields.
CAUTION: If you have other HandiSoft Products (i.e., HandiLedger, Practice Manager, etc.) installed, do not select the Current Clients only check box.
Click OK to start the rollover.
Confirm the clients have rolled over, then allow other users to log in.