Keep in mind that this AI summary is not guaranteed 100% accurate...
"Sync between Inventoria and Express Accounts usually fails because of settings, network, or security software issues. Work through the steps below in order; in most cases, one of them restores syncing.
1. Confirm basic sync settings
On the Inventoria computer (the “server”):
- Open Inventoria → Options → Other → Advanced Settings.
- Make sure “Allow Express Invoice, Express Accounts or Copper to synchronize with Inventoria” is checked.
- Note the Access Authentication Code, IP address, and Port shown/used there.
On Express Accounts:
- Open Express Accounts → Options (Preferences on Mac) → Inventory.
- Check “Allow Express Accounts to synchronize with Inventoria”.
- Enter the exact same Access Authentication Code you set in Inventoria (case‑sensitive).
- Enter the IP address of the Inventoria machine (not including “http://”) and the same Port.
- Click Retrieve locations and pick the correct location, then click Update Now to test.
If this test fails, note any error message (authorization, host not found, etc.) because it points to the specific cause.
2. Check network and “same machine” requirements
Depending on how you set it up:
If you previously had both programs on the same PC, they still need to be on the same machine to link directly in the standard configuration.
If they are on different computers, both must:
Quick checks:
- Verify you can ping the Inventoria machine from the Express Accounts machine (if on different PCs).
- Ensure the port used by Inventoria for web access is not changed or blocked; the port number entered in Express Accounts must exactly match the one Inventoria uses.
3. Verify Inventoria web access is running
Inventoria must be actively accepting web connections:
- In Inventoria, go to Options → Web Access and confirm web access is enabled and listening on the port you are using.
- Make sure Inventoria itself is running when you click Update Now in Express Accounts.
- If you recently changed the port or turned web access off and back on, re‑copy the updated port/IP into Express Accounts to avoid stale settings.
If you see errors like “Server failed to respond to connection attempt” or similar, it usually means the web server in Inventoria is not reachable at the address and port you specified.
4. Check firewall / antivirus (very common)
Security software often silently blocks the connection between the two programs:
On Windows, temporarily disable Windows Defender or your third‑party antivirus/firewall and try Update Now again.
If it works with protection off, add exclusions for:
One user fixed repeated “not responding” and sync errors by adding these exclusions so Defender (MsMpEng.exe) stopped blocking the connection.
After adding exclusions, re‑enable your security software and test sync again.
5. Check items, locations, and data issues
Even if the connection works, some things can make syncing appear to “stop”:
- The location selected in Express Accounts must exist in Inventoria and match by name (case‑insensitive but otherwise exact).
- Items must exist in Inventoria; if you create items only in Express Accounts, item quantity updates may fail because Inventoria doesn’t know those items.
- Note that syncing primarily updates stock levels; detailed sales history, customers, and suppliers are still mainly managed in Express Accounts, not Inventoria, so you may not see those reflected as “reports” in Inventoria in the way you expect.
Try a simple test:
- Create a test item that exists in both Inventoria and Express Accounts.
- Do a small sale or adjustment in Express Accounts, then click Update Now and check if the quantity changes in Inventoria.
6. Version, OS, and upgrade issues
If syncing “used to work” and stopped after an OS or software update:
- Confirm both Inventoria and Express Accounts are on recent compatible versions from NCH’s site.
- If you upgraded the OS (for example, past users reported problems after macOS updates), older NCH versions sometimes have sync or crash issues until updated.
- After updating, re‑enter the Access Authentication Code, IP, and port, because upgrades can reset or change settings.
7. When to contact NCH support
If, after these steps, sync still does not work or fails with obscure errors:
- Gather:
- Program versions for Inventoria and Express Accounts
- OS version
- Exact error messages when you click Update Now
- Whether both apps are on the same machine or across the network
- Contact NCH support through their Express Accounts/Inventoria support pages; this is what NCH themselves recommend when standard sync troubleshooting does not resolve issues."