If you cannot open the program or receive an error such as the following 'failed to execute script payroll' when trying to open Lightning Payroll, you can resolve this by restarting your computer and reinstalling the program. This solution is fairly simple and reliable however, and best of all your pay data is safe and won't go anywhere.
Windows
Restart your computer first and then download and reinstall Lightning Payroll from here (Windows 8.1 and above).
Mac OSX
Restart your computer first and then download and reinstall Lightning Payroll from here (Mac OSX versions 10.14 and above).
Supported Operating Systems
If reinstalling still does not fix the issue, you're likely on an outdated operating system. On Windows this may look like the DLL errors below, whereas on Mac, you may not even see an error, the app icon will bounce in the dock but nothing will open.
We support Windows 8.1+ and Mac 10.14+. For older systems we do have a legacy release available which includes critical bug fixes and tax tables, etc.
Legacy Versions are no longer receiving updates and should not be used after June 2024. Please update your pc to use a modern version of Lightning Payroll, or switch to using Lightning Payroll online.
Download legacy installer for Windows
Download legacy installer for Mac
Some Windows users can encounter issues when opening Lightning Payroll due to insufficient privileges on their Windows User Account. Lightning Payroll requires Administrator privileges to function fully.
While uninstalling and reinstalling Lightning Payroll is a reliable fix if the program is not opening, this issue is commonly related to user rights. Simply running Lightning Payroll as Administrator may fix the issue. Please see below for info on how to run Lightning Payroll as admin.
To run Lightning Payroll as administrator simply right-click the Lightning Payroll shortcut on your desktop or taskbar and then click 'Run as Administrator'. This can look a little different depending on your version of Windows, and on Windows 10 you'll have to right click the shortcut, and then also right click on Lightning Payroll within the shortcut.
Created: 2019-03-26 23:51:35
Last Edited: 2023-11-10 10:32:40
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