Year-end step 2: Updating Payroll Accord software and database version (on-premise only)

• This article forms part of the Payroll (Accord) year‑end: complete process overview. It applies to on‑premise customers only.
• On‑premise customers must complete this step after completing Year-end step 1: Payroll Accord application and database backup (on‑premise only), and before beginning any year‑end processing tasks.
• There is a checklist linked here which will help you to follow the procedure in the most effective way and prevent any important steps from being missed for the overall End of Year process.

Step 2. Updating Payroll software and database version

This step includes:

• 2.1 Updating the Payroll software
• 2.2 Upgrading the Payroll database version

2.1   Updating the Payroll software

2.1.1 Close all other applications running on your computer before you start the update procedure: e.g. Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook etc, Ciphr Payroll and all its components must be closed on all workstations.

2.1.2 Unzip all files from downloaded Ciphr 2026.1.0 Update.zip file to a folder Ciphr 2026.1.0 Update.

2.1.3 Run the ‘Setup’ application from the folder created. You can do this by double clicking on the Setup.exe application file in the folder in Windows Explorer.

2.1.4 The Setup program will start. After loading you will see the following screen. Click Next

2.1.5 Select I accept the terms of the licence agreement radio button and click Next.

2.1.6 The following screen will be shown. Click Install.

2.1.7 The software update process will start. Wait for completion.

2.1.8 After receiving the successful installation confirmation, click on the Finish button and restart your computer if prompted.

2.1.9 Go to the Payroll application folder and check in Windows Explorer that the following files have a recent date modified equal or later than 23/02/2026.

• AccCmd.exe
• AccExtra.dll
• AccLogViewer.exe
• AccMFC.dll
• AccordSearch.exe
• AccUtils.exe
• DBUpgrade.exe
• Diary.exe
• DPS.exe
• Gl.exe
• Injector.exe
• Payroll.exe
• UpdateDB.exe

2.2   Upgrading the Payroll database version

• This step should be run on a PC where Payroll is installed and currently fully functional.

2.2.1 Go to Payroll application folder

2.2.2 Double click on the DBUpgrade.exe application. When started, the program’s first screen will display as follows:

2.2.3 Click Yes. The next screen will be shown.

2.2.4 Click the Upgrade button. The database upgrade process will start, and you will see the progress of the update process in the scrolling window.

• When the upgrade process finishes the last line of the window will show an error summary. You should see the summary line “End of upgrade procedure. 0 error(s) found.”

2.2.5 Click Close on the screen shown above. The last Window to be shown will be as follows:

2.2.6 Click OK. The log file will be saved to your Payroll application directory\Temp folder.

• Well done the software update process is now complete.  
• Well done that's another step completed. Now go to Year-end step 3: Data validation, reconciliation of year to date totals, printing year end reports