Fix QuickBooks Cannot Open Company File in Multi-User Mode

Last Updated on December 2, 2025

QuickBooks cannot open company file in multi-user mode is an issue that many QB Desktop users face. This usually occurs due to the Firewall blocking the QBDT application or a damaged company file. This can hamper your workflow and important business processes. You can resolve it by making Firewall exclusions for the QB Desktop application. We’ll cover the in-depth troubleshooting methods you need to resolve the problem of the company file not opening in multi-user mode in this blog. First, let’s see the reasons why your QB company file won’t open.

Are you having trouble opening your company file in multi-user mode in QuickBooks? Contact our Accounting Helpline’s experts today to resolve your issue in no time!

Causes for the QuickBooks Company File Not Opening in Multi-User Mode

Given in the list below are the factors that can cause the company file not opening in multi-user mode issue to appear on your screen:

1. The Firewall is blocking your QB Desktop application.
2. A damaged company file.
3. An outdated QB Desktop application.
4. Program problems with the QB Desktop app.
5. Installation issues with the QB Desktop application.
6. Corrupted ND and TLG files.
7. Non-host workstations might have hosting mode on.

These were the causes why QuickBooks cannot open company file in multi-user mode.

Methods to Fix the Company File Not Opening in Multi-User Mode Issue

Listed below are the troubleshooting methods you can use to resolve the problem of the company file not opening in multi-user mode in QuickBooks:

Update the QB Desktop App

An outdated QuickBooks Desktop app can be the reason why you’re unable to open the company file in multi-user mode. You can update the QBDT app to fix it with the steps given below:

1. Open the QuickBooks Desktop app.
2. Navigate to the Help menu.
3. Click on Update QuickBooks Desktop.
   
4. Select Update Now.
5. Then, hit Get Updates.
   
6. Close and reopen the QBDT app to install the updates.

This would resolve the problem you were dealing with.

Use Quick Fix My Program

You can use the Quick Fix My Program tool from the QB Tool Hub in order to fix the problem of the company file not opening in multi-user mode with the steps given below:

1. Download and install the QuickBooks Tool Hub.
   
2. Open the QB Tool Hub app.
3. Navigate to the Program Problems tab.
4. Click on Quick Fix My Program.
   
5. Let the tool run.

Now, the problem should be fixed.

Utilize the QuickBooks File Doctor

You can use the QuickBooks File Doctor tool from the QB Tool Hub to resolve the issue of QB being unable to open the company file in multi-user mode, with the steps given to you below:

1. Open the QB Tool Hub app.
   
2. Navigate to the Company File Issues tab.
3. Click on Run QuickBooks File Doctor.
   
4. The File Doctor will take up to a minute to open:
   • If it doesn’t open, search for the QuickBooks Desktop File Doc and open it manually.
5. Choose your company file from the dropdown menu:
   • If you can’t find your company file, click on Browse and search to find your file.
6. Click on the Check your file option.
7. Hit Continue.
8. Enter your QB admin password.
9. Select Next.

Performing these steps would resolve the issue you were dealing with.

Make Firewall Exclusions for the QB Desktop App

You can make Firewall exclusions for the QB Desktop application to resolve the QuickBooks cannot open company file in multi-user mode issue with the steps given below:

1. Open the Start menu on your PC.
2. Search for and open the Windows Firewall.
3. Click on Advanced Settings.
   
4. Right-click on Inbound Rules:
   
   • You’ll create Outbound Rules after Inbound Rules.
5. Select New Rule.
6. Click on Port.
   
7. Hit Next.
8. Ensure that TCP is selected.
9. Go to the Specific Local Ports field.
   
10. Feed in the specific ports for your QB Desktop version:
    • QuickBooks Desktop 2020 and later: 8019, XXXXX
    • QuickBooks Desktop 2019: 8019, XXXXX
    • QuickBooks Desktop 2018: 8019, 56728, 55378-55382
    • QuickBooks Desktop 2017: 8019, 56727, 55373-55377
11. Press Next after entering the port number.
12. Click on Allow the Connection.
13. Hit Next.
14. Ensure all profiles are marked if you are prompted.
15. Click on Next.
16. Create a rule.
17. Name it something like QBPorts(year).
18. Hit Finish.

Now, just repeat the steps to create Outbound Rules. Select Outbound Rules after clicking on Advanced Settings, and perform the rest of the steps exactly the same.

Verify and Rebuild the Company File Data

You can verify and rebuild the company file data to fix the issue of the QuickBooks company file not opening in multi-user mode with the steps given below:

1. Open the QB Desktop app.
2. Navigate to the File menu.
3. Click on Utilities.
4. Select Verify Data.
   
5. Then, go to the File menu again.
6. Select Utilities.
7. Click on the Rebuild Data option.
   
8. QB will ask to create a backup before rebuilding your company file.
9. Hit OK.
10. A backup is needed to rebuild your company file data.
11. Choose where the backup would be saved.
12. Select OK.
13. Make sure not to replace an existing backup file.
14. Feed in a new name in the File name field.
15. Press Save.
16. You would get the message stating that Rebuild has completed.
17. Click on OK.

This should resolve the issue of QB not being able to open the company file in multi-user mode.

Turn Off Hosting On Your Workstations

If your workstations have hosting mode on, you won’t be able to open the QB company file. The hosting mode should only be turned on on the host PC. To ensure the same, follow the steps given below:

1. Open QB on one of your workstations.
2. Do not open the company file.
3. Go to the File menu.
4. Click on Utilities:
   • If you see the Host Multi-User Access option, do not select it; this workstation isn’t causing the problem.
     
   • If you see Stop Hosting Multi-User Access, select it.
5. Repeat the steps on all your workstations.

Now, check the settings of your server (host) PC with the steps given below:

1. Open the QB Desktop app on your server system.
2. Navigate to the File menu.
3. Click on Utilities.
4. If you see the Host Multi-User Access option, select it.
5. Switch the multi-user settings off and on:
   • Go to the File menu, click on Utilities, and select Stop Hosting Multi-User Access.
     
   • Go to the File menu, select Utilities, and click on Host Multi-User Access.
6. Try to open the company file again.

Now, the QuickBooks cannot open company file in multi-user mode problem should be resolved.

Move Your Company File

If you can’t open the company file in multi-user mode, the company file’s location might be the problem. You can move your company file to see if it fixes the issue with the steps given below:

1. Open the File Explorer on your PC.
2. Locate the folder containing your company file.
3. Your company file might look like this: [Your company name].qbw.
4. Right-click on your company file.
5. Press Copy.
6. Go to your PC’s home screen (desktop).
7. Right-click anywhere on an empty area on your desktop.
8. Click on Paste.
9. Open the QB Desktop app.
10. Navigate to the File menu.
11. Click on Open or restore company.
    
12. Select the company file you copied to your desktop.
13. Press Open.

If you can open the company file from your desktop, then that means the location of the company file was the issue.

Check the Services On Your Server

You should check that the QuickBooks services are running on the server computer. Follow the steps given below to check QuickBooksDBXX:

1. Open the Start menu on your server system.
2. Search for and open the Run menu.
3. Type services.msc in the Run menu.
   
4. Hit Enter.
5. Locate and double-click on QuickBooksDBXX from the list of services:
   • XX represents the version of your QB Desktop app added by 10. For example, if your QB Desktop version is 21, the name would be QuickBooksDB31.
6. Go to the Startup type section.
7. Select Automatic.
8. Ensure the Service Status is either Running or Started:
   • If it’s neither, click on Start.
9. Navigate to the Recovery tab.
10. Click on Restart the Service from the following dropdown menus:
    • First failure
    • Second failure
    • Subsequent failures
11. Press Apply.
12. Hit OK to save the changes.
13. Repeat the same steps for QBCFMonitorService.

Now, the issue should be resolved.

Ping Your Server from a Workstation

You can ping your server from a workstation to check the connection if your QuickBooks cannot open company file in multi-user mode, with the steps given below:

1. Open the Start menu on your server and workstations.
2. Type Network.
3. Open the Network and Sharing Center.
4. Click on Change advanced sharing settings.
   
5. Ensure that Turn on network discovery is selected in the Network discovery and File and printer sharing sections.

Now, get the server name from your server:

1. Open the Start menu on your server system.
2. Search for and open the Run menu.
3. Type CMD in the Run menu.
4. Hit Enter.
5. The Command Prompt would open.
6. Type in ipconfig/all in the Command Prompt.
7. Hit Enter.
8. Go to the Windows IP Configuration section.
9. Find the Host Name.
10. Your server name would be on the right.
11. Write down the hostname somewhere.

Now, go to your workstation and perform the steps given below:

1. Open the Start menu on your workstation.
2. Search for and open the Run menu.
3. Type CMD in the Run menu.
4. Press Enter.
5. The Command Prompt would open.
6. Type ping [your server name]:
   • Don’t include the brackets in your server name.
7. Hit Enter.
8. Repeat the steps for each workstation.

This would resolve the company file not opening in multi-user mode issue that you were dealing with.

Use the QB Install Diagnostic Tool

You can use the QB install Diagnostic Tool from the QB Tool Hub to resolve installation issues with the QBDT app with the steps given below:

1. Open the QB Tool Hub app.
2. Navigate to the Installation Issues tab.
3. Click on the QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool.
   
4. Let the tool run.
5. The tool can take up to 20 minutes to finish working.

Now, the problem of QB not being able to open the company file should be resolved.

QuickBooks Cannot Open Company File in Multi-User Mode – A Quick View Table

Given in the table below is a concise summary of this blog on the topic of QB being unable to open the company in multi-user mode:

Conclusion

The QuickBooks cannot open company file in multi-user mode problem is one that many users deal with, and can hamper their workflow and have a negative impact on their business progress. We have covered the factors that can trigger this problem to appear on your screen, along with the methods needed to troubleshoot it, in this blog. If you are still dealing with the same issue, feel free to contact our Accounting Helpline’s experts at 1.855.738.2784 today, who can help resolve your problem in no time!

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Edward Martin

Edward Martin is a Technical Content Writer for our leading Accounting firm. He has over 10 years of experience in QuickBooks and Xero. He has also worked with Sage, FreshBooks, and many other software platforms. Edward’s passion for clarity, accuracy, and innovation is evident in his writing. He is well versed in how to simplify complex technical concepts and turn them into easy-to-understand content for our readers.