Sage Pastel Error Code 20 – Fix It In Mac & Windows 10

By Antonio Garcia Mar 13, 2026 9 min

Many users meet Sage Pastel error code 20 when they manage accounting data on the software. One of the major reasons for this issue might be that the database is either unauthorized or not running. If you are also facing this issue, continue reading this post to the end to explore the major reasons, signs to watch for and troubleshooting methods.

This blog will help you fix Sage Pastel error code 20. For professional help, contact our team at +1-844-341-4437.

What Causes Sage Pastel Error Code 20?

Mainly users face Sage Pastel error code 20 message due to the communication failure between Sage Pastel and Pervasive PSQL database engine. Along with this, maybe the following factors are causing this error:

• Expired Pervasive or not licensed.
• Active Windows user account control settings.
• Inactive Pervasive/Actian engine.
• Windows firewall is blocking Sage ports 1583 and 3351.
• Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) ARM Conflict if running Sage on Mac.
• Incorrect installation of Pervasive database engine.
• Windows has set the Beta option to use.

How To Fix Sage Pastel Error Code 20 In Windows 10 And Mac?

After learning what mainly can cause Sage Pastel error code 20 in Windows 10 or Mac, now carefully follow the step-by-step methods below to fix the error:

Method 1: Manually Turn On Pervasive Engine

Restarting or turning ON the Pervasive engine can help you fix error code 20 in Sage Pastel. To do so:

• Open Windows Start menu and choose All Programs.
• After this, select Pervasive and choose Pervasive.SQL.
• Select Engines and then click on Start Workgroup Engine.
• Double-click on Taskbar to get the Pervasive Engine icon on screen.
• Ensure the red cross sign is changed to green.
• If the error still persists, move to the next method or contact our team at +1-844-341-4437.

Method 2: Verify The Correct Pervasive Licenses

As mentioned above incorrect or expired Pervasive licenses can cause Sage Pastel error code 20 in Windows 10. Now, verify the correct licenses using the steps below:

• Press Windows key or go to the bottom of your screen to get the task bar.
• Click the Pervasive Engine icon and note down engine details such as Database Service Manager for Workgroup Engine 9.60.
• Now open the Start menu and choose All Programs. Again click Pervasive and select Pervasive.SQL.
• Click Utilities and choose License Administrator from where you can get the list of applied licenses.
• Make sure you choose a permanent license type that matches with your Pervasive workgroup.
• Verify you are using the correct client or server engine version. Call us at +1-844-341-4437 for more on Sage Pastel error code 20.

Method 3: Disable User Account Control Settings

The User Account Control settings can automatically block the background process requests. These processes are responsible for running Sage with a licensed Pervasive database.

• To fix Sage Pastel error code 20 in Windows 10, disable UAC. Go to the Windows Start menu and enter UAC.
• Choose the Change User Account Control Settings option in the UAC tab.
• Move the slider to Never Notify and click OK to turn off UAC.
• Enter your Admin password if asked to confer the changed UAC settings.
• Finally reboot your computer and verify the resolved error code 20 in Sage Pastel.

Method 4: Enable Microsoft .net Framework

.NET Framework needs to be active as Sage Pastel relies on its core functionality to properly work with the Pervasive database engine. Follow the steps below to enable the framework and to properly run Sage services:

• Press Win + R, type optionalfeatures.exe and hit Enter.
• In the Windows Features list, locate:

• .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0)
• .NET Framework 4.8 Advanced Services

• Click the [+] icon next to both versions and ensure the sub-boxes for WCF Services are checked.
• Click OK. Windows will download the necessary files from Windows Update.
• Restart your computer. The Pervasive engine will not hook into the framework until a full reboot occurs.

Method 5: Configure Windows Firewall

This method carries two steps to fix Sage Pastel error code 20. First you need to add the pervasive database to the Windows Firewall exclusions list and then add the pervasive ports:

Add The Pervasive Database To The Firewall

• Enter control in the Windows search bar and select Control Panel.
• Ensure to set View by to Large or Small Icons.
• Now choose Windows Firewall and Advanced Settings.
• Here select Inbound Rules and click New Rule.
• Afterward click Program and choose This program path.
• Click Browse and move to C:\Program Files (x86)\Pervasive Software\PSQL\bin.
• Choose w3dbsmgr.exe and hit Open.
• Now click Next and select Allow the connection.
• Click Next twice and give a name to the created rule such as Pervasive Database.
• Hit Finish then perform similar steps for Outbound Rules.

Adding The Pervasive Ports

• First enter Control in Windows search and choose Control Panel.
• Here set the View by to Large or Small icons.
• Next open the Windows Firewall tab and click Advanced Settings.
• Afterward choose Inbound Rules and click New Rule.
• Now choose Port and Next. Make sure you select Specific local ports and enter 3351, 1583.
• Hit Next and choose All the Connection options and hit Next twice.
• Now name the rule and click Finish. Finally choose Outbound Rules.
• Again perform above steps for Outbound Rules.

Method 6: Reinstall Pervasive Engine

It is suggested to reinstall the Pervasive database engine if facing Sage Pastel error code 20 in Windows 10. This approach helps repair corrupted installation files and correct licensing issues.

• Begin uninstallation by first choosing the Start button and then Control Panel.
• Next click Programs and Features and search for Pervasive PSQL v10 or Actian PSQL v13 and choose the Uninstall button.
• Now close the Control Panel.
• Visit the official site to begin reinstallation. Go to the Pervasive PSQL tab and choose the Download option.
• Open the downloaded file and right-click the zipped folder and choose Extract All.
• Afterward move to the local file folder. Here search for setupworkgroup, setupserver, or setupclient exe files.
• Once you get them, double-click setupxx.exe file and choose Next.
• Now accept the license agreement and choose Next.
• Here opt for Install as a Service type and click Next. Keep clicking Next until you get the Install option.
• Click Finish to confirm the successful installation of Pervasive.

Method 7: Verify Map Drive Connection

To ensure that workstation icons point to the correct server data path, users must verify the map drive connection in Sage Pastel. For this:

• Firstly go to My Computer and here you can see the mapped drives right after the local drives.
• Double-click the mapped drive and ensure that the connection is properly set up and running properly.
• You can recreate the map network drive if there is no mapped drive on your computer. For any help communicate with us at +1-844-341-4437 and fix Sage Pastel error code 20.

Method 8: Disable Beta: Use Unicode UTF-8 In Windows

Often Windows sets the Beta: Use Unicode UTF-8 as a global language. Make sure you disable this when using Sage 50 Pastel.

• Open Windows Search bar and type control.
• Select Control Panel and set View by to Large or Small icons and select Region.
• Now choose the Administrator tab and then change system local.
• Make sure you deselect the Beta: Use Unicode UTF-8 for worldwide language support.
• Finally, choose OK to successfully disable this Windows default language setting.

Get An Expert’s Help To Fix Sage Pastel Error Code 20

Even if you fix the Pervasive database issues, you are still facing the same Sage Pastel error code 20. Call our experts at +1-844-341-4437. Our professional team will guide and help you permanently get rid of this error.

Fixing Sage Pastel Error Code 20 in MAC

Running Sage Pastel on a Mac is already a drawback, as it is natively designed for Windows. Often, Mac users face Sage Pastel error code 20 in Mac due to Printing Engine or Pervasive initialization failure. Below we have listed a few methods to fix this issue:

1. Configure Printer Driver Settings

• Go to Settings and select Devices and then choose Printers and Scanners.
• Now uncheck the Let Windows manage my default printer option.
• Afterward choose a physical printer or Microsoft Print to PDF option and set it as Default.
• Finally restart Sage and check for fixed error code 20 in Sage Pastel.

2. Verify Mac-To-Windows Integration

• Sage Pastel error 20 often occurs in a shared Mac printer environment when users use Parallel.
• For this users must disable printer sharing between Mac and Windows.
• Try to install the Windows-specific driver for your Printer directly inside the Virtual Machine using the .exe driver.

3. Register The Crystal DLLs Again

• Open Command Prompt as an Administrator within your Windows environment.
• Here enter regsvr32 C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Sage Pastel\PastelPrint.dll and click Enter.
• Choose Finish when you see the “Succeeded” message.

We hope the above information has helped you fix Sage Pastel error code 20 in Windows and Mac. Carefully perform the above steps and make sure your Pervasive is licensed and running properly. For any further help you can contact our Sage support team at +1-844-341-4437. Our team is 24*7 available to assist you when facing any type of Sage software issues.

You May Also Read:

Fix Sage 50 Error 3032

Sage 100 Printer Not Activated Error Code 41

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do I Face Sage Pastel Error Code 20?

One of the main reasons why you are facing Sage Pastel error code 20 is the connection failure between Pervasive and Sage Pastel. Fix it and ensure Pervasive is running with the correct license.

How To Turn Off UAC In Windows 10?

To turn off UAC in Windows 10, look for Change User Account Control Settings from the start menu and move the slider to Never Notify.

What Does Sage 50 Error Code 20 Printer Mean?

Sage 50 error code 20 printer is related to the same communication failure when Sage fails to use the valid default printer or Pervasive database engine.

What To Do If Sage Pastel Error Code 20 Is Still Unresolved?

To resolve Sage Pastel error code 20, perform the above-mentioned methods in the blog or directly contact our team at +1-844-341-4437 to get expert help.