Sage 50 Year-End Guide > Purge wizard > Troubleshooting the purge process

Troubleshooting the Purge Process

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Learn about what is saved and what is deleted during the purge process

If your computer freezes, your computer shuts down, or you run out of disk space during the purge process, you must restore a backup and begin again.

Below are some tips to follow to ensure that the purge process runs smoothly.

If you are on a network, make sure no one else is in Sage 50 at the time you want to purge data.
Close all other applications so that you have sufficient memory resources during the purge process.
Make sure you have plenty of free disk space available. Your company data can temporarily double in size during the purge process. After the purge process is complete, your data will return (or reduce) to its original size.
The purge process can take a long time to complete, so we recommend that you begin the process before leaving for the day so it will not interfere with your regular work day.
If your company data is large, you may want to consider purging the data in sections rather than selecting several options at one time. This allows you to purge in incremental sessions that you control, saving time and memory resources. For example, purge only three months of data at a time. Or, purge transactions first, then records.
The purge process is not intended to remove or fix corrupt data. If you are experiencing problems with your data or suspect it is corrupt, you must restore a backup of your company data.

What Happens if the Purge Process Doesn't Remove Data You Believe Should Have Been Removed?

Sometimes you may think that a particular transaction will be purged, but the Purge wizard did not delete the transaction or record. Therefore, Sage 50 provides the purge log, an aid to help resolve any questions you may have. The purge log file is a plain text report file that is automatically generated each time the wizard starts the purge process.

To help you troubleshoot a purge, the Purge wizard gives you a chance to see the log once the purge process is complete. You can also review the log after you exit the Purge wizard. Learn about reviewing the purge log .