What to do when QuickBooks does not start?

Hi Rebecca,

If the program does not start or it disappears after a few seconds after clicking on the QuickBooks Desktop Icon. You can try to click on company file directly to open QuickBooks but it still give you the same issue there can be the number of reasons that preventing QuickBooks to open on your computer. In some of this case, a simple restart of the computer can fix this issue. But even after restarting computer QuickBooks is not launching you can perform following resolution steps to fix this.

Method 1: Close QuickBooks completely

If QuickBooks is not launching after clicking on the QuickBooks icon, sometimes the process of QuickBooks gets stuck in the background. You can end all the background process from the task manager. Following are the steps to end the process from task manager:

• Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and then choose Task Manager. Or you can right click on the taskbar and choose Task Manager
• Once Task Manager is up on the screen got to Details from the menu bar
• Scroll down and look for all process related to QuickBooks like exe, qbupdate.exe
• Right click on those process and choose End Process.
• Close Task Manager

Once all the background process of QuickBooks is ending try to reopen QuickBooks again. If you face the same issue again follow method 2.

Method 2: Open QuickBooks with the company file

If QuickBooks is not launching, Damage Company is also one of the main reason. If the company file is damaged, it will not let QuickBooks launch. You can try to open QuickBooks without the company file. You can follow the below steps to launch QuickBooks with company file:

• Press and hold Ctlr key and double click on QuickBooks Icon. Do not release Ctrl key until QuickBooks opens with No Company Open window or QuickBooks gives you an error message.
• Once the QuickBooks is launched, try to open the sample company file. If the sample file opens successfully it means that there is something wrong in your original company file. In this case, you can try to repair your company file and try to re-open QuickBooks.

Even after pressing Ctrl key if QuickBooks is not launching follow method 3.

Method 3: Restart the computer in selective startup mode

Sometime any unwanted application in computer effect QuickBooks to launch. The user can try to restart the computer in selective startup mode that will stop the process of all unwanted applications. You can perform the following steps to start the system in selective startup mode:

• Open run window and type “msconfig”
• System configuration window will appear
• Go to General tab
• Choose Selective startup and along with Load system services and Load startup
• Click Ok
• Restart computer

Once the system restarted successfully, you can try to open QuickBooks. If you still face the same issue please follow method 4.

Method 4: Run QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool

QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool is the most recommended tool to use if QuickBooks is not working. This tool fixes a wide range of errors that you may get while trying to open QuickBooks Desktop.

• Download QBInstall from internet
• Save it on the desktop
• Close all application running on the computer.
• Double click on QBInstall.exe from desktop to run this too. This may take about 20-30 minutes, depends on computer and internet speed.
• Once this tool ran successfully on the computer. Reboot your system and try to reopen QuickBooks.

Even after running QBInstall tool QuickBooks is not launching. Please follow the method 5.

Method 5: Repair QuickBooks

If QuickBooks is not launching you can try to repair QuickBooks. You can perform the following steps to repair QuickBooks:

• Go to Control Panel
• Select add and remove programs
• Choose QuickBooks xxxx (year) from the program list
• Right click on QuickBooks
• Click uninstall/ change
• Click Continue and then Next
• Choose Repair and then Next. This process will take some time, depends on computer speed.
• Click Finish
• Restart Computer.

Once the system comes back please run QuickBooks update to make QuickBooks release updated. Even after QuickBooks is not launching please follow method 6.

Method 6: Clean Install QuickBooks Desktop

After trying all the above steps, clean installation of QuickBooks is the last option to make QuickBooks working. You can perform the following steps in order to clean install QuickBooks:

• Go to Control Panel
• Select add and remove programs
• Choose QuickBooks xxxx (year) from a program list
• Right click on QuickBooks
• Click uninstall/ change
• Click Continue and then Next
• Choose Remove and then Next. This process will take some time, depends on computer speed.
• Click Finish
• Once uninstall is successful, Download QuickBooks Clean Install Tool.exe
• Save it on the desktop and the double click on it
• Choose your QuickBooks version and year in the drop down and then select Continue. This process will take some time.
• Click Ok
• Reboot computer
• Download QuickBooks Setup
• Install on the computer again
• Restore the company file.

You will be able to open QuickBooks after performing QuickBooks clean install. If you are not able to launch QuickBooks it means that there is something wrong in the computer. And you can try to create a new windows user with admin rights to check it. If you still face this same issue please call any QuickBooks ProAdvisor help number 1-877-263-2742.