QuickBooks Not Connecting to Server – Desktop, Online & POS

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Sometimes, while carrying out your accounting operations or creating an invoice, you will find QuickBooks not connecting to server. There are several issues you can face of this kind. Perhaps your QuickBooks can’t access the company file stored on the server, or the connection to it gets lost. Other times, you might find that QuickBooks can’t communicate with the email server. Similar issues happen in QuickBooks Point of Sale (POS) and QuickBooks Online (QBO) as well.

For QuickBooks Online, users might see an error message stating that QuickBooks can’t connect to the QBO server. However, there’s nothing to worry about, as we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we will explore different instances when QuickBooks is unable to connect to the server.

We will explore the possible reasons why you encounter these issues so that you can prevent it in the future. What’s more, is that we will walk you through the tested troubleshooting methods to ensure you can reestablish the connection to the server in no time and resume your work. Shall we begin then?

It might be time-consuming and tedious to troubleshoot the QuickBooks not connecting to server issue on your own. We recommend you reach out to a QB ProAdvisor and get your QuickBooks working right in no time. Dial 800-580-5375!

QuickBooks Can’t Connect to the Server – An Overview

When working on QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, or POS, you might find that QuickBooks can’t connect to the server.

Additionally, you might see one of these errors on your device screen:

These error messages imply that QuickBooks, due to some reason, cannot communicate with the server. Let us learn how to troubleshoot these issues.

Troubleshooting QuickBooks Not Connecting to Server Issue

As we saw above, you might see a variety of error messages when QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, or POS can’t connect to the server. Let us explore these issues one by one and know the reasons why they arise. In the same section, we will also learn detailed methods on how to fix these errors.

All right, then, let’s go about ensuring QuickBooks can connect to the server perfectly.

Error: Cannot Communicate with the Company File Due to Firewall

You see this error message when the Windows firewall interrupts the connection between QuickBooks workstations and the server. If this happens, QuickBooks Desktop will not be able to access the company file stored on the server.

Let us see how to fix this and ensure you can connect to the server.

1.     Update QuickBooks Desktop

Before you begin troubleshooting the connectivity issue with the QuickBooks server, update your QuickBooks Desktop to the latest release. This ensures you have the latest components and software fixes.

2.   Run QuickBooks File Doctor

QuickBooks File Doctor fixes common issues with company files and networks. Therefore, run QuickBooks File Doctor and check if you can now connect to the server. If the problem persists, continue to the next step.

3.   Configure the Firewall Settings

QuickBooks needs permission through the firewall of your operating system, i.e., Windows or MacOS. Therefore, configure your firewall to ensure the QuickBooks program has access to the network.

4.   Check for Antivirus Blocking

Once you have checked and verified the Windows or MacOS firewall, ensure no antivirus or security software is blocking QuickBooks. If you suspect that is the case, create QuickBooks antivirus exclusions for the antivirus or security software you use.

Now, restart your computer and check if your QuickBooks can connect to the server.

5.    Troubleshoot Multi-User Issues

However, if, even after carrying out the above methods, you find that the workstation can’t connect to the server, there might be issues with how the hosting is configured or how the folder permissions are set. Therefore, you will need to run comprehensive troubleshooting for multi-user issues to resolve such issues.

Error message: Connection to the Company File Has Been Lost

When QuickBooks Desktop faces an issue accessing the company file, it might display an error message like this below:

“The connection to the company file has been lost. QuickBooks must close immediately. Any unsaved data will need to be re-entered.”

QuickBooks might lose the connection to the company file in both single-user and multi-user mode

1.     If you are using QuickBooks in single-user mode

If you use QuickBooks in single-user mode and encounter the error message stating the connection to the company file has been lost, this could be due to these reasons:

• QuickBooks might not have sufficient permission to access the folder where the company file is located.
• An antivirus or security software might be blocking QuickBooks Desktop.
• There might be data damage to the QuickBooks company file.

Let us go see how you can resolve this.

a.     Restart QuickBooks Desktop

Sometimes, it might be a temporary issue that can easily be fixed by restarting your application. Thus, restart the QuickBooks application and sign into the company file. Check if the issue persists.

b.    Run Quick Fix my Program and QuickBooks File Doctor

QuickBooks Tool Hub has a dedicated section to fix company file issues. When you go to the Company File issues tab, you will see Quick Fix my Program and QuickBooks File Doctor.

Run Quick Fix my Program and File Doctor to fix the connectivity issue to the company file.

Once done, open QuickBooks Desktop and sign into the company file. Check if you can work without facing an issue.

c.     If your QuickBooks is located on a Portable drive

In case you store the QuickBooks company file on a portable drive:

• Check and ensure there are no connectivity issues between your portable drive and computer.
• Disconnect and reconnect the drive
• Now, check if you can find your company file stored in the portable drive by searching in My PC or My Computer.
• Ensure the drive has enough free space, at least as much as the company file size
• Another thing you can do is try saving another file to your drive to ensure it is working fine. If it doesn’t work, there is an issue with your drive. You can use another drive.

If nothing works, you can try storing your QuickBooks company file on a local drive or another portable drive and opening it from there.

These steps will help you resolve the connectivity issue QuickBooks earlier faced with the company file.

2.   If you are using QuickBooks in multi-user mode

If your QuickBooks company file is stored in another computer and you are using QuickBooks in multi-user mode, you need to troubleshoot for multi-user issues. This involves carrying out multiple steps to ensure you can work in a multi-user environment without getting an error.

QuickBooks POS not connecting to Server: Detailed Troubleshooting

Is your QuickBooks POS unable to connect, although you are able to ping back and forth and have opened all the recommended firewall ports? Even when you disable the firewall ports and check, you find that the QuickBooks POS can’t connect.

Let us see why QuickBooks POS can’t connect to the server and how to troubleshoot it.

Why is QuickBooks POS Unable to Connect to the Server?

There are a few reasons why QuickBooks POS cannot connect to the server. For example:

• The server might not be in multiuser mode
• The company file might be damaged.
• The workstation might not be able to find the server on the network.
• The Windows security does not allow the connection.
• There is damage in the QuickBooks Point of Sale (POS) installation.
• The subnet mask between the workstation and the server might be different.

Ensuring QuickBooks POS Can Connect to the Server

Now that we know the reasons why POS won’t connect to the server let’s look at the solutions that will fix it.

a.     Turn on Network Discovery on your Workstation

Let us check and make sure the network discovery is turned-on on the workstation.

• Login to Windows as administrator.
• Open the Control Panel.
• Tap on Network and Sharing Center. Now, tap on Change advanced sharing settings
• Head to the Network Discovery section.
• Ensure that Network Discovery is turned on.

Once you are done, continue to the next step.

b.    Ensure the Server and Workstation are in Multi-user Mode

We need to ensure that the server and workstation are in the multi-user mode. Perform these steps first on the server computer and then on the workstation where you faced the issue:

• Open QuickBooks Desktop.
• Tap on the File menu.
• Now, choose Switch to multi-user mode. (If you don’t see the option to switch to multi-user mode and only see switch to single-user mode, you are already in multi-user mode.)

Now, check if Point of Sale can connect to the server. If the problem persists, continue to the next step.

c.     Manually Configure the Windows Firewall

The Windows Firewall might block the POS connection to the server. Let us see how you can manually configure the Windows Firewall to allow communication to the server.

• Press the Windows + R keys together. This will open the Run command.
• Enter control, and press Enter. This will open the Control Panel.
• Click on View by and choose Small Icons.
• Now, look for Windows Firewall and select it.
• Tap on Advanced Settings and select Inbound.
• Choose the New Rule.
• Tap on Port followed by Next.
• Provide the port numbers.
• Select Next.
• Select Allow Connection, followed by Next.
• Provide a name for this firewall rule. For instance, you can name it POS to make it easy to remember.
• Finally, tap on Finish.
• Now, follow the same steps to create an Outbound Rule. When you chose Inbound the last time, choose Outbound instead.

Firewall Ports for QuickBooks Desktop POS

d.     Empty the Entitlement Client folder

You will need to go to the Entitlement Client folder and delete what’s in it.

• Open File Explorer by pressing the Windows + E keys together.
• Navigate to C:\Program Data\Intuit\Entitlement Client\v8.
• Press the Ctrl + A keys on your keyboard to select all the files in the folder.
• Now, press the Delete button on your keyboard.
• Tap on Yes to confirm.
• Once done, relaunch QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale.
• Register the application once again.

Now, check if the POS can connect to the server without an issue. If the problem continues, follow the steps listed below.

e.     Rename WSActivity

Before you go ahead with the steps below, enable the Display the hidden files and folders option on your computer. Once you are done:

• Press the Windows + E keys together to open File Explorer.
• Go to C:\Program Data\Intuit\ QuickBooks Point of Sale XX\Ini.
• Right-click WSActivity. Choose Rename.
• Enter OLDWSActivity as the new name and save the changes.
• Close file explorer.
• Open QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale.

This should resolve the connectivity issue faced by the QuickBooks Point of Sale (POS).

Error: Unable to connect to our service. Please try again later. (QBO)

Do you see this error message when you attempt to create an invoice or an estimate in QuickBooks Online:

“Unable to connect to our service. Please try again later.”

This usually indicates a temporary problem with your QuickBooks company and QBO servers.

A few possible reasons why you see the above error message are:

• A network connection issue or an issue with the internet service provider
• A browser issue that might arise due to stored data or cache or outdated browser
• The QuickBooks Online server is down for maintenance.

However, the last one is a rare scenario. Let us see some quick fixes to carry out when your QuickBooks Online is not connecting to the server.

• Change the internet connection you are using (varies by device).
• Now, close and restart QuickBooks Online in the browser or QBO app.

If you are using QuickBooks Online on a browser, open it in a private window and sign into your company file.

Here is how you can open the private or incognito window in your browser:

• Safari: Command + Shift + N
• Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge: CTRL + Shift + N
• Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer: CTRL + Shift + P

If you are able to connect to the QuickBooks server, go ahead and clear your browser cache and update the browser if you haven’t updated it in a while.

• If you are using a QBO app, clear its data. Now, check if you can connect to the QBO server.
• If that doesn’t work, shut down and restart your application.
• If you are using the QBO Windows app, you can uninstall and reinstall the application.

This should ensure you can connect to the QuickBooks server.

Error: Could not connect to the email server

While using webmail in QB Desktop, sometimes you might see the following messages after you enter the login credentials.

“Couldn’t Connect to Email Server: We were unable to connect to the email server for your email provider”

or

“QuickBooks was unable to send your form for the following reason: QuickBooks was able to connect to the remote server but could not understand the server’s response. Please try again to see if the problem has been corrected on the server.”

Let us see how to fix it when QuickBooks can’t connect to the email server.

1.     Update QuickBooks Desktop

First, you need to update QuickBooks Desktop so as to ensure your application has the latest features and bug fixes. You can also schedule automatic updates to ensure your application remains up-to-date.

2.   Verify WebMail Preferences and Settings

Let us see how to check and ensure the webmail preferences are set correctly.

• Go to the Edit menu in QuickBooks Desktop
• Choose Preferences.
• Click on Send Forms in the left pane.
• Go to the My Preferences section and choose the email account you are using.
• Tap on Edit.
• You will be taken to the Edit Email Info screen.
• In the SMTP Server Details field, set the server name and port to your email provider settings.

These details will depend on the internet or email provider you are using.

3.   Restore Default Explorer Settings

Another thing we need to check is the internet settings. You see, Windows uses Internet Explorer to facilitate different tasks. Follow the steps to open Internet Options and restore default settings.

• Open the Start menu.
• Search for Internet Options.
• Now, tap on the Advanced tab.
• Click on Restore Advanced Settings.
• Once done, close the window.

Once done, check if QuickBooks can now connect to the email server.

4.   You Don’t Use WebMail

If you don’t use Webmail yet, you get an error message stating, “can’t connect to the email server,” it might be a system issue. Create a new Windows admin user and check if it fixes that.

5.    Some Specific Issues

We have listed down some tips to address a few specific issues you might face while using WebMail in QBDT.

●       You are not connected to the internet, or your firewall is blocking the connection

Open your Microsoft Internet browser (Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge), open any website, and check if it works.

●       Your email server settings are incorrect 

Follow the instructions in step 2 for setting webmail preferences.

●       You entered an incorrect email address or password

Open your email service in a web browser and log in with those credentials to check if it works.

Final Words

This was all on the troubleshooting methods to follow if you find your QuickBooks not connecting to server. With these solutions, you can resolve such issues in QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, and Point of Sale (POS). However, if you find that the issue you faced persists or QuickBooks is not working fine, reach out to a QB ProAdvisor. A ProAdvisor will ensure your QuickBooks work flawlessly in no time. Dial 800-580-5375!

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