Troubleshooting QuickBooks company file not opening - Step-by-Step Guide
                     Steps to fix QuickBooks company file 
won't open issue
QuickBooks is an accounting software used all over the world for precise 
bookkeeping and increasing the profits of businesses. The software can 
sometimes run into internal issues, which is troublesome for the users. 
QuickBooks company file won't open if the software is under the 
influence of common errors that can appear on a daily basis. On the off 
chance you also lose access to the company file, continue reading further 
to figure out the causes of the issue and the methods to eliminate it from 
your PC.
Get this issue quickly rectified by a QB expert available for your 
assistance at 1.855.738.2784.

About the issue
We all know the company file is the collection of all the financial records in 
the software. It holds information on transactions, tax amounts, sale 
records, and other data generated during accounting. The company file 
might sometimes refuse to open due to minor glitches in the software. You 
will be locked of your financial data and cannot open the file until the issue 
is resolved. You don’t need to worry, as your financial data is completely 
safe, and the issue can be resolved by configuring some settings on your 
PC.
Reasons
Read below the reasons for the company file failing to run on your 
QuickBooks-
1. The company file you attempt to open is damaged and no longer 
accessible for the software.
2. The QuickBooks hosting settings on your computer are incorrect, due to 
which you fail to open the data file.
3. Windows Firewall can also restrict you from accessing the system drives 
to access your company file.
4. The company file might be missing from its default location, or if you 
transferred the file somewhere else, the new location isn’t specified in 
the software.
5. Database Server Manager malfunctions while running damaged network 
descriptor or the transaction log file.
Solutions
The methods applicable to rectify the company file error in your QB are 
discussed below-
Solution 1- Arrange the hosting settings of your QuickBooks
The company file might fail to open if your system cannot connect to the file due to 
incorrect hosting settings. This condition develops when one or more workstations use 
the multi-user mode while running. Only the server computer can run in the multi-
user mode to host the company file. Incorrect hosting settings lead to a breakdown of 
the multi-user network making the data file inaccessible to all the systems. Configure 
the QB hosting settings as shown in these steps to rectify the issue-
1. Open the QuickBooks File menu on a workstation and click Utilities.
2. Select the Stop Hosting multi-user access option to run it in single-user mode.
3. Repeat these steps on all the workstations to ensure they run in single-user mode.
4. Go to your server computer and click the File menu.
5. Select Utilities in the drop-down list and click Host multi-user access.
6. Reboot all the systems and try hosting the company file on your server computer in 
multi-user mode.
If you confront issues while hosting or opening the file, move to the next solution.
Solution 2- Prevent your QuickBooks from getting blocked 
by the Windows Firewall or any other security software
QuickBooks also faces problems opening the company file if the Windows 
Firewall or other security software restricts the software functions or blocks 
its background processes. You must open your antivirus settings and remove 
QB processes and files from the quarantine list. Windows firewall can also 
restrict the software from accessing the system drives to access the 
company file folder. You can resolve the issue by configuring the Windows 
Firewall setting as described in the steps below-
1. Type ‘Windows Defender’ and open its window using the search results.
2. Click the Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall option in the 
Windows Defender Firewall menu.
3. Single-click QuickBooks in the list of programs and mark the Public & 
Private checkboxes.
4. Save the Windows firewall settings and try accessing the company file in 
the software again.
If the issue persists and you fail to open the file, move to the next solution.
Solution 3- Repair the .tlg & .nd files to ensure 
Database Server Manager runs smoothly
QuickBooks depends on the transaction log and Network Descriptor file to 
store the transaction records and establish the multi-user network, 
respectively. In case these files get damaged and the network descriptor 
file fails to run, Database Server Manager will suffer a direct impact and 
stop running in the background. As a result, the multi-user network will not 
work, and the company file will become inaccessible to users. A way to 
resolve the issue is to recreate the damaged program files and scan them 
in Database Server Manager as shown in these steps-
1. Open the QuickBooks folder and look for files with an identical name to 
the data file and extensions .nd & .tlg.
2. Right-click any one of the files and click Rename.
3. Add ‘.old’ at the file name’s end and save the file.
4. Rename the other file using the same steps and launch the QuickBooks 
Database Server Manager.
5. Under the Scan Folders tab, select the QuickBooks in which you renamed 
the program files.
6. Click Start Scan to let the DBSM register the folder contents to the multi-
user network.
7. Reopen the company file in QuickBooks.
If the software still fails to access the company file, try the next solution.
Solution 4- Mend the company file with QB tool 
hub and run QB in Admin mode
A primary reason for the company file refusing to open is the unsupported 
format of the file caused by damage due to viruses or data corruption. The file 
will not open in the software, and you might receive different error codes on 
the screen. You can repair the data file using the QB tool hub as shown in these 
steps-
1. Go to the Company file issues menu in the QB tool hub.
2. Select Run QuickBooks File Doctor tool and select your company file using 
Browse.
3. Enter your QB Admin password to run the tool and wait until the file is 
repaired.
After the tool stops running, you must launch QuickBooks in Admin mode to 
prevent issues due to the unavailability of system resources or limited 
permissions of the Windows account. Use these steps-
1. Go to the QuickBooks folder and right-click the software launch icon.
2. Select the Run as Administrator option and try accessing the company file 
when the software runs in Admin mode.
Conclusion
You learned why your QuickBooks company file won't open on your PC. 
The effective methods to get rid of the issue are also mentioned in the 
blog, which can be used to fix the problem and get your access to the data 
file back in QuickBooks.
Consult a QB professional at 1.855.738.2784 to resolve any problems that 
occur while applying the methods.