Errors while using QuickBooks are pretty common, and while these errors can be dynamic and diverse and include many signs and impacts, they can often prevent you from accessing the program altogether. If you are a regular user of QuickBooks for your financial tasks and processes, then such errors can cause immense disturbance in the way you carry out such essential daily operations and tasks. And while the signs of the error are not difficult to notice, it is crucial to note that such errors in QuickBooks can affect your other programs as well. So, here we will tell you all about what to do when you are faced with error messages stating “QuickBooks has stopped working,” “QuickBooks is not responding,” or “There was a problem with opening QuickBooks.” get to know the causes of the error, the signs as well as multiple solutions that can help you resolve the error successfully.
What Causes The QuickBooks Has Stopped Working Error
There may be multiple causes for your QuickBooks not opening or responding when you try to open it. Here are some of the most probable reasons and root causes for you seeing the error messages telling you that QuickBooks cannot be opened:
- The QBWUSER.ini file has become damaged or corrupt or is entirely missing from the system.
- Files created during your QuickBooks installation have become damaged or corrupted.
- There are issues with other programs.
- Program files have become damaged or corrupted.
- Your company file name is longer than is allowed.
- The hard drive in your computer has become corrupt unexpectedly.
- The Windows operating system installed in your computer has become corrupted.
- If you have recently installed QuickBooks, then there are some issues with the installation.
Signs and Symptoms of QuickBooks Stopped Working Error
Knowing the signs and symptoms of the error can help you to identify when this specific error is occurring, helping you to take prompt action to resolve it. With regard to this, there are some distinct signs and symptoms associated with the error to help you identify when it actually occurs. These signs are mainly associated with changes in how your QuickBooks functions but may affect your system as well. These signs are:
- QuickBooks shuts down automatically.
- QuickBooks is unable to open at all.
- QuickBooks has frozen and you cannot click on any features or make any input commands to carry out any tasks.
- Your screen has completely frozen and you cannot interact with it at all.
If the error occurs, it is common for it to permeate to other open applications and make them stop working as well. So, it is crucial to treat the error promptly so that there is no data loss in your QuickBooks company files or other applications affected due to the error.
Read More About “QuickBooks Error Code 6010“
How To Fix QuickBooks Not Working Or Not Responding Error
Multiple solutions can help you with resolving this error of your QuickBooks which has stopped responding. Apart from the very basic solution which you may have already tried yourself, namely closing all open applications and restarting your computer, here are the six solutions you can try out to resolve this error.
- Troubleshoot using the QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool: Using the diagnostic tool can be a solution for many errors that you face while using the program on your system. So, to use the tool for this error as well, follow the below-listed steps:
- Step 1: Start the process by downloading and installing the diagnostic tool for QuickBooks.
- Step 2: Close all open applications and programs on your computer.
- Step 3: Run the diagnostic tool.
- Step 4: Once the tool has completed the process, close it, and restart your computer to check whether the error has been resolved.
- Temporary disabling your antivirus and reboot the computer: Your anti-virus generally blocks multiple components and programs from making changes that can lead to virus attacks. While the purpose is beneficial for the computer, it can also interfere with many QuickBooks functions, leading to errors like these. So, to address the error using this solution, follow the below steps:
- Step 1: Start by rebooting your computer.
- Step 2: Once the rebooting is done, open QuickBooks.
- Step 3: If the issue is not resolved through rebooting, disable your antivirus temporarily and check again.
- Renaming the QBWUSER.INI file: Another solution can be by renaming the QBWUSER.INI file on your drive. This can help if the file has been damaged in some way. However, while this can be an effective solution, beware that the list of company files you had worked on previously will be deleted and you will be required to open each company file individually. If you still want to proceed with the process, then follow the steps below:
- Step 1: Locate and access the folder which stores the QBWUSER.INI file.
- Step 2: Once located, right-click on the file and click on rename by adding “.OLD” at the end (QBWUSER.ini.old).
- Step 3: Follow up by renaming the EntitlementDataStore.ecml file.
- Step 4: After this process, if you find the company file opening from a new location, it may indicate a damaged folder.
- Step 5: If issues persist, check for any damaged company files. If so, then try and restore any previous version of the same company file.
- Using the Clean Install tool to reinstall the QuickBooks program: Often, the entire program may be corrupted, damaged, or may have just become outdated. For such installation-related causes of the error, you can follow the below steps to resolve them:
- Step 1: Download and install the Clean Install tool for QuickBooks.
- Step 2: Uninstall your existing copy of QuickBooks.
- Step 3: Reinstall the program with the help of the Clean Install tool, choosing the QuickBooks version and the product version from the given options.
- Creating a new Admin user to access QuickBooks: When accessing programs on your system, often issues like corrupt applications and programs only remain limited to the specific user using it. In this case, you can resolve the issue by creating a new admin user account on your Windows system that is to be solely used for accessing QuickBooks in a clean and safe manner. Similarly, you can also create a new admin user on Chrome, especially if you are accessing your QuickBooks online. These can be done using the following steps.
- Step 1: Go to the Control Panel.
- Step 2: Then access the ‘User Accounts’ option.
- Step 3: Then select ‘User Accounts’ again and click on ‘Manage another account.’
- Step 4: Follow the on-screen directions to create a new user account.
- Step 5: Try to access QuickBooks from this new user account.
- Step 6: For a new Chrome user, go to the round user icon on the top-right of your Google Chrome browser.
- Step 7: Here, create a new account using a new Gmail account and carry out all functions from here.
- Accessing company file from a different folder location: Issues with the location of your QuickBooks folder can also be the root cause for the issue leading to your QuickBooks not working anymore. So, if you wish to implement solutions through this method, then you will need to follow the below steps:
- Step 1: Go to “My Computer” or “Computer” after locating it or choosing it after pressing Windows + E.
- Step 2: Go to the ‘Find’ tool on the top right, look for the .qbw file, and copy it.
- Step 3: Then, go to the C:/ Drive and create a new folder in this drive, renaming it as “QBTest.”
- Step 4: Paste the copied .qbw file into this folder.
- Step 5: Press the Ctrl key and launch QuickBooks.
- Step 6: Click on ‘Restore an existing company’ and restore the file you copied onto the QBTest folder.
- Step 7: Now, open this file to see if it works.
Conclusion
Errors associated with being unable to open QuickBooks can be detrimental in the sense that they can severely hinder your ability to get the most out of the program. And not only the program, but such errors can affect the efficiency of your entire system depending on the root cause of the error. In this regard, if you face any of the signs listed here associated with the error, you can diagnose it as a case of the error occurring on your QuickBooks program. For this purpose, the six solutions provided here can guide you on how to navigate through the error and get the functionality of the system back to regain productivity with QuickBooks. If you have already implemented the solutions but the signs and symptoms persist, then you can contact our in-house QuickBooks experts to help you with the issue and gain back the efficiency and productivity you lost due to the error.