Diagnostic procedures (disable Dr. Watson)
Error codes - Introduction
Error codes - C =
Error codes - Other
File repair procedures
File incompatibilities
File upgrade procedures (QuickBooks upgrades)
Getting help from Intuit (QuickBooks)
Opening damaged files
Password Recovery
Speed Up QuickBooks
Your comments & questions

Dr.Watson is a useful part of Windows. It also can prevent you from seeing QB error messages. To disable it click Start | Run | Regedit | OK. Then browse or search to:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionAeDebug.

Export the AeDebug Key and then delete it from the registry. Reboot and Dr. Watson no longer loads when Windows starts. You may not get Windows error messages once you do this (so consider doing it only temporarily).

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Error Codes - Introduction:

Most QB error messages say Fatal or Unexpected Error and things like:
          V7.0D  R3P  M=1153, L=133, C=43, V=28 (FFFFFFF4).

Many such codes are only useful to computer programmers. They put codes and related tests in programs to stop program crashes and make it easy to correct crash problems. Thanks to good programmers, effective quality control and extensive pre-release (beta) tests by people like us (we repeatedly win #1 national Intuit prizes) QB usually has few bugs. Most errors relate to problems with your data or system. You can fix many o them once you understand some of this. See the table below to understand:

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Error Codes - C =

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Error Codes - Other:

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File repair procedures:

If your balance sheet is out of balance or QB ends with an error message you have a damaged QB file. You can easily repair some damage.

Enter Windows, Closeall, File, Utilities and Rebuild. That usually solves problems. If you discover problems right after upgrading, STOP. Go back and rebuild and repair the file in the earlier version as much as you can. Later versions may fix problems that earlier versions cannot fix, but they also may make them worse. Upgrades rarely work if there are any errors and you may soon be unable to open a file with errors if you keep using a damaged file.

The next error line is in accounts receivable. Change a duplicate to something
like 1 and save it. Then edit it again, giving it the same name as the other accounts receivable. When it asks you if you want to merge them, say yes. Do the same with the others.  If you don't mind having two A/R, A/P and Payroll Expenses, just name them something slightly different and do not bother to merge

If any entries are bad use the Audit Trail or Find to find THE FIRST bad entry. Write down its details before you delete it, so you can enter it later. Deleting one entry may
let QB Rebuild fix many entries, so only delete the first bad entry. Deleting several entries at once may make things worse by deleting later undamaged entries (even though QBWIN.LOG says they are bad). Repeat this procedure until there are no errors. 

If you have a payroll error in a recent version of QB chose Run Payroll Checkup in 
the Employees menu. On the Payroll Data Review page of the Payroll Setup, click Continue. QB first summarizes actual and possible problems with your employee    setup & your payroll item setup. When it does wage and tax verification, QB displays     a progress bar, indicating it is scanning your payroll data. When scanning is complete results appear on the Wage and Tax Verification Results page.

If you are having problems you should almost never delete list items, as opposed to transactions. They very rarely contain errors & you may need them for hidden QB audit trail and other transactions. Yes, I know QB should not let you delete a list item used or referenced elsewhere in QB, but I know many cases where QB let itself to get corrupted this way. 

In some cases errors do not show up in QBWIN.LOG until you rebuild, so do this. If none of this works either start a new file or pay Intuit to see if they can repair it. Once the Intuit Developer version (QB2002) helps create many more QB Add-ons we should be able to do more about repairing and condensing QB files. 

You can only upgrade an error free file. Many errors that occur on conversion relate to hidden damage in files that only appears when you upgrade. If your cannot read your partly converted data file you can usually use your old QB to restore the backup QB forces you to make before upgrading. Rebuilding this file, with the old version, fixes many problems that show up on upgrading. 

You also can import from Quicken, but not export to it. You must give later versions or releases that are not file format compatible permission to upgrade the format (say YES or OK). They make you make a backup in the old format. The QB2001 R2 format had to be changed to fix a bug, as Intuit knows such changes cause problems when clients and accountants cannot read each other's files. This made QB2001 R1P unable to read R2P and later files. You also can Restore a Backup copy of the file, like the one you had to make when you upgraded, provided it is not damaged.

You cannot get around file problems by exporting QB to Access. It is relatively easy to use http://datablox.com/ to do so. The problem is a scrambled QB files would probably provide a scrambled Access file and you can fully get Access back into QB. You also may use my website link to go NetLedger. Once there you can pretend to be a trial prospect and import your QB file into NL. If they cannot read it, after human intervention, you are unlikely to be able to fix it.

If these instructions are too complex you can contact us for fast inexpensive help. If we cannot help your last chance is a QuickBooks Data Services specialist (see next section).

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File incompatibilities:

QB lets you download interim releases free. To see your version AND release enter Windows, Closeall, Ctrl 1. Look right near the top of the window. QB5, 6, 99, 2000, 2001 and 2002 are incompatible with older versions. You can go up, not down. In addition, some interim releases are not file compatible with earlier releases. For example, QB 2001 Release R2P files are not compatible with the R1P Release initially sold. This also applies to QB6 R3 and QB99 R3 (not file compatible with QB6 R2 and QB99 R2). 

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File upgrade procedures (QuickBooks upgrades):

You often cannot upgrade damaged QuickBooks files. However, QuickBooks upgrades often improve error checking. You may then need old versions to fix the problem. This is one of several reasons to install new versions of QuickBooks in new folders (despite the contrary standard install procedure)..

If an upgrade does not properly install you may not be able to use your data with your program. This is because each QuickBooks version (and some free interim releases) upgrade your data file format so you cannot use the files with the older program. This includes QB6 R3, QB99 R3 and QB2001 R2. This type of interim upgrade can cause big problems for QB ProAdvisors, who deal with many QB versions, releases and clients, so Intuit tries to minimize them. 

Once you upgrade a QuickBooks network data file you may not be able to get into it to upgrade all workstations. To see if this is the problem, check the QuickBooks data file in the program with Ctrl -1 (hold down Ctrl while tapping the #1). Also do this in any system that cannot access the network file. The version and release appear on the top line. Also do this with a Sample file, on a workstation unable to access the  network file. If you have differences you must upgrade everyone to the latest version.

Open the QuickBooks Sample file in your local Intuit Program Files folder. Try doing the upgrade while in this Sample file. If you still have a problem then try a Windows, Closeall, File, Utilities, Rebuild and any needed File Repair Procedures. You next step is exit QB and delete the INET folder beneath the data file folder. Then return to QB and try the upgrade in the Sample file again.

If even after this you cannot upgrade go to:

This lets you download and apply the update without .using QuickBooks, which almost always works. If it does not work your last step is to uninstall and reinstall QuickBooks, followed by an upgrade.

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Getting help from Intuit (QuickBooks):

For QB Data Services call (888) 320-7276 weekdays (6 A.M. to 4 P.M. Pacific) or click www.quickbooks.com/support/programs/data_recovery.html (Premier members call the for a Data Recovery Support Engineer). There is a  non-refundable $75 minimum, plus:

Standard          $250      10 business days
Express            $750        2 business days

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Opening damaged files:

Hold down the CTRL key while double-clicking the QB icon. Keep holding it down until the program completely opens. This opens the program without opening the bad file. Then open the sample.qbw company (in the QB program folder) or some other working QB file. Switch to single-user mode if necessary.

so you can run Verify or Rebuild or delete a transaction. If even this will not let you delete a transaction, as opposed to a list item, only the QB file recovery service can help. 

For 10+ years none of our QuickBooks expert friends were able to do anything more than this to open damaged QuickBooks files. However, here is a very well documented systematic approach. It often works when other methods fail.

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Password Recovery:

Intuit charges $65 to $150 for this, depending on how fast you need them to do it. See http://www.quickbooks.com/support/programs/password_removal.html. We do it for  $20 for QB6 - 2001 with Qpass or other programs at http://www.quickbooks-add-ons.com/

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Your comments and questions:

We are always look for new QB error recovery procedures and codes. If you did not find an answer please post to news:alt.comp.software.financial.quickbooks. If these instructions are too complex or do not solve your problem (or if you have corrections or suggestions), PLEASE contact us for fast inexpensive help.

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