QuickBooks Not Connecting to Server – Desktop, Online & POS

Occasionally, QuickBooks won’t connect to the server when you’re doing accounting tasks or generating an invoice. You may run into a number of these kinds of problems. It is possible that the company file on the server is inaccessible to QuickBooks, or that the connection to it is lost. QuickBooks may not be able to connect to the email server at other times. The QuickBooks Point of Sale (POS) and QuickBooks Online (QBO) also experience similar problems.

Users may encounter an error message for QuickBooks Online indicating that there is a problem connecting QuickBooks to the QBO server. Still, you shouldn’t worry because we’ve got you covered. We’ll look at several scenarios in this guide where QuickBooks can’t establish a connection with the server.

In order to help you avoid running into these problems again, we will investigate the potential causes of your problems. To ensure you can quickly restore the server connection and get back to work, we will also guide you through tried-and-true troubleshooting techniques. When should we start then?

You may encounter the issue of QuickBooks being unable to establish a server connection when using QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, or POS.

In addition, the screen of your device may display one of the following errors:

The company file’s connection has been lost. QuickBooks needs to shut down right away. It will be necessary to reenter any unsaved data.
It is not possible to establish a connection with our service. Kindly give it another go later.
There is a network issue. Please try again.
Factory error: Unable to connect to the company file.
If you could not establish a connection to the email server.

These error messages suggest that there is a problem preventing QuickBooks from communicating with the server. Let’s investigate these problems and find solutions.

Troubleshooting of QuickBooks Not Connecting to Server Issue

If QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, or POS are unable to establish a connection with the server, as we have seen above, you may receive a range of error messages. Examining each of these concerns individually will help us understand why they come up. We will also find out in-depth solutions for these mistakes in the same section.

Okay, let’s check that QuickBooks can connect to the server flawlessly.

Failed to Connect with the Company File Owing to a Firewall

When the QuickBooks workstations’ connection to the server is broken by the Windows firewall, you receive this error message. In such a scenario, the company file that is kept on the server will not be accessible to QuickBooks Desktop.

While we look for a solution, let’s make sure you can connect to the server.

Make QuickBooks Desktop updates
- Install the most recent version of QuickBooks Desktop before starting to troubleshoot the connectivity issue with the QuickBooks server. This guarantees that the software and parts you have are up to date.
Open QuickBooks File Doctor
- QuickBooks File Doctor resolves common network and company file problems. As a result, launch QuickBooks File Doctor and see if you can now establish a connection with the server. Proceed to the following given steps incase you are facing issue.
Set up the Firewall Configuration
- Permission for QuickBooks must be obtained via your operating system’s firewall, whether it is MacOS or Windows. Thus, make sure the QuickBooks application has network access by configuring your firewall.
Verify if any antivirus software is blocking
- Make sure QuickBooks isn’t being blocked by antivirus or security software after you’ve examined and confirmed the Mac OS or Windows firewall. Make QuickBooks antivirus exclusions for the security or antivirus programs you use if you have any suspicions about that.
- After restarting your computer, see if QuickBooks is able to establish a connection with the server.
Diagnose and Fix Multi-User Problems
- But if, even after trying the aforementioned fixes, you still can’t get the workstation to connect to the server, there may be problems with the hosting configuration or folder permissions. As a result, in order to fix multi-user problems, thorough troubleshooting will be required.

Error: There was a loss of connection to the company file

An error message similar to the one below may appear in QuickBooks Desktop when it encounters difficulties accessing the company file:
“The company file’s connection has been lost. QuickBooks needs to shut down right away. It will be necessary to reenter any unsaved data.

In both single-user and multi-user modes, QuickBooks may lose connection to the company file.

If you are utilizing QuickBooks as a single user mode

Here are some possible causes for the error message “The connection to the company file has been lost” that appears when using QuickBooks in single-user mode:
The company file’s folder may not be accessible to QuickBooks due to insufficient permissions.
QuickBooks Desktop may be blocked by an antivirus or security program.
The QuickBooks company file may have data damage.

Come with us and we’ll see how you can fix this.

Restart QuickBooks Desktop
- Sometimes, the problem might just be momentary, and restarting your program will take care of it. In order to sign into the company file, restart the QuickBooks application. Verify if the problem still occurs.
Launch Quick Repair my Program and QuickBooks File Doctor
- For resolving company file problems, QuickBooks Tool Hub includes a special section. QuickBooks File Doctor and Quick Fix my Program are available when you select the Company File issues tab.
- To resolve the connectivity issue to the company file, run File Doctor and Quick Fix my Program.
- Open QuickBooks Desktop and log into the company file after you’re done. Verify that you are able to work without problems.
If you have a portable drive with QuickBooks on it
- If you keep the company file for QuickBooks on a portable drive:
  - Verify that your portable drive and computer are connected properly by checking.
  - Turn off and then turn on the drive again.
  - Let’s now see if you can locate your company file on the portable drive by looking through My Computer or My PC.
  - Make sure the drive has sufficient free space—at least the size of the company file.
  - To make sure it’s operating properly, you can also try saving another file to your drive. Your drive is having problems if it doesn’t work. You have access to another drive.
- If that still doesn’t work, you can try opening your QuickBooks company file from a portable drive or local drive.
- You can use these steps to fix the connectivity problem QuickBooks was having with the company file.

If the QuickBooks multi-user mode is being used

If you are using QuickBooks in multi-user mode and your company file is on a different computer, you will need to troubleshoot multi-user issues. This entails taking several actions to guarantee that you can operate in a multi-user setting without encountering an error.

Troubleshooting of QuickBooks POS is Not Connecting with the Server

Reasons of QuickBooks POS unable to connect to the server

There are several causes for the server connection issue with QuickBooks POS. For instance:

Possible non-multiuser mode on the server
The company file could be broken.
The server may not be reachable by the workstation over the network.
Windows security prevents the connection from being made.
The installation of QuickBooks Point of Sale (POS) is damaged.
There is a chance that the workstation and the server have different subnet masks.

Even though you can ping back and forth and your firewall is open on all recommended ports, is your QuickBooks Point of Sale not connecting? There’s still no connection between the QuickBooks POS and the firewall, even after you disable the ports and check.

Let’s investigate the issue and learn how to fix it so that QuickBooks POS can connect to the server.

Verifying the Server’s Connectivity for QuickBooks POS

Having ascertained the causes of POS’s failure to establish a connection with the server, let us examine potential fixes.

Activate the Workstation’s Network Discovery

Now let’s verify that the workstation’s network discovery is activated

Establish an administrator login in Windows.
To access the Control Panel, open it.
Hit the Network and Sharing Centre button. Press the Adjust advanced sharing settings button now.
Go over to the section for Network Discovery.
Make sure that you will enable the Network Discovery.

Navigate to the next step once you are done with above all.

Ascertain that the workstation and server are in multi-user mode

Making sure the workstation and server are in the multi-user mode is necessary. First, on the workstation where the problem occurred, follow these steps on the server computer:

Start the QuickBooks Desktop application.
Click the File menu.
Select the Multi-user Mode option now. In the event that you only see the option to switch to single-user mode rather than to switch to multi-user mode, you are already in multi-user mode.

Now verify that Point of Sale and the server can establish a connection. Now you have to proceed to the following steps if you are still facing the issue.

Manually configure the windows firewall

A Windows Firewall block could prevent the POS from connecting to the server. Let’s examine the manual process of configuring the Windows Firewall to permit communication with the server.

Press the Windows and R keys simultaneously. The Run command will now be available.
Input control and hit the Enter key. In doing so, the Control Panel will open.
After selecting Small Icons, click View by.
Locate and choose Windows Firewall now.
Choose Inbound after tapping on Advanced Settings.
Decide on the New Regulation.
Next is tapped after Port.
Please supply the port numbers.
Choose Next.
Click Allow Connection, and then click next.
Giving this firewall rule a name is required. To make it easier to remember, you could call it POS.
Ultimately, press the Finish button.
Proceed with the same steps to generate an Outbound Rule now. Select Outbound from the options you previously selected, Inbound.

Firewall Ports of the QuickBooks Desktop POS

Port	Port No.(s)
TCP	8035, 8025, 8024, 8040, 8443, 8036, 46216-46220, 46203, 46228, 46225, 2638, 443
UDP	2638, 8036, 8035, 8024,

The Entitlement Client folder should be empty

It is necessary for you to access the Entitlement Client folder and remove all contents.

To launch File Explorer, hit the Windows + E keyboard shortcut.
Go to C:\Program Data\Intuit\Entitlement Client\v8 in your browser.
To select every file in the folder, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A.
Now, use your keyboard to press the Delete button.
To make sure, tap yes.
Open QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale after you’re done.
Reregister the application.

Check to see if the POS can now successfully connect to the server. In the event that the issue persists, take the following actions.

Rename WSActivity

Turn on the Display the hidden files and folders option on your computer before proceeding with the steps below. When you’re finished,

To launch File Explorer, simultaneously press the Windows and E keys.
Access QuickBooks Point of Sale XX\Ini by going to C:\Program Data\Intuit.
Simply right-click WSActivity. Go with Rename.
After renaming the entity to OLDWSActivity, save the modifications.
Put an end to file explorer.
Launch QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale.

The QuickBooks Point of Sale (POS) should no longer experience connectivity problems as a result.

Error: There was a problem connecting to our service. Kindly give it another go later. QBO

When attempting to create an estimate or an invoice in QuickBooks Online, do you encounter this error message?

It is not possible to establish a connection with our service. Kindly give it another go later.

This usually means that there is a short-term issue with the QBO servers and your QuickBooks Company.

You may be seeing the above error message for a number of reasons, including:

A problem with the internet service provider or the network
An outdated browser, cache, or stored data could be the cause of a browser issue.
For maintenance, the QuickBooks Online server is unavailable.

The final case, though, is an uncommon one. In the event that you are unable to connect to the server using QuickBooks Online, let’s look at some quick fixes.

Depending on the device, switch the internet connection you are using.
Now, exit the browser or QBO app and launch QuickBooks Online again.

Open QuickBooks Online in a private window if you’re using a browser and log into your company file.

The following instructions will help you open your browser’s private or incognito window:

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

If the QuickBooks server is reachable, proceed to delete any temporary files from your browser and update it if it hasn’t been updated in a while.

Clear the data on any apps you are using that are QBO. Check to see if you are able to connect to the QBO server now.
Try restarting your application after shutting it down if that doesn’t work.
You can remove and reinstall the QBO Windows application if you’re using it.

You should be able to connect to the QuickBooks server as a result of this.

The email server could not be accessed

When logging in with your login credentials in QB Desktop webmail; you may occasionally see the following messages.

"We were unable to connect to the email server for your email provider. Couldn't Connect to Email Server"

QuickBooks was unable to send your form as it was unable to comprehend the response from the remote server, but it was able to connect it. To check if the server issue has been fixed, kindly connect again.

Seeing as how QuickBooks cannot connect to the email server, let’s see how to resolve it.

Make QuickBooks Desktop Updates

To make sure your program has the newest features and bug fixes, you must first update QuickBooks Desktop. In order to make sure your application is always up to date, you can also schedule automatic updates.

Check your Webmail settings and preferences

Now let’s see how to make sure the webmail preferences are configured correctly.

Open QuickBooks Desktop and select the Edit menu.
Select Preferences.
In the left pane, select Send Forms.
Navigate to the My Preferences area and select the email account that you are currently using.
Press the Edit button.
The Edit Email Info screen will be displayed to you.
Assign the server name and port to the email provider’s settings in the SMTP Server Details field.

The specifics will vary based on the email or internet service provider you are using.

Restore the original Explorer settings

The internet settings are something else we should check. You see, Internet Explorer is used by Windows to make various tasks easier. Open Internet Options and follow the instructions to return to the default settings.

Launch the Start menu.
Look up “Internet Options.”
Press and hold the Advanced tab.
Press the Restore Advanced Settings button.
Once completed, shut the window.
Verify that QuickBooks can now connect to the email server after finishing.
There’s No Webmail Usage

If you’re not using Webmail yet and you receive an error message saying that you “can’t connect to the email server,” there may be a problem with the system. Check to see if that is resolved by creating a new Windows admin user.

A Few Particular Concerns,

In order to help you with a few specific problems you might run into when using Webmail in QBDT, we have put some advice below.

Your firewall is preventing the connection or you are not connected to the internet.
- Launch any webpage in your Microsoft Internet browser (Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer), then see if it functions.
The settings for your email server are not correct.
- To set webmail preferences, proceed as directed in step 2.
Either your email address or password was entered incorrectly.
- To see if it functions, open your web browser, go to your email service, and log in using those credentials.

Conclusion

That concludes the list of troubleshooting steps to take if your QuickBooks isn’t connecting to the server. You can fix these problems in Point of Sale (POS), QuickBooks Desktop, and QuickBooks Online. However, get in touch with us if you discover that the problem you encountered still exists or if QuickBooks isn’t operating properly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: How can my server be connected to QuickBooks?

Ans. There are a few things you should check before connecting the workstation to the server if you use QuickBooks in multi-user mode. First things first: make sure Database Server Manager is running, network discovery is enabled, hosting mode is properly configured, and folder permissions are set appropriately on your server computer. Activate multi-user mode, enable network discovery on your workstations, and access the network-stored company file.

Q2: How can my QuickBooks server be reset?

Ans. You can reset the QuickBooks server by either resetting the hosting mode or reconfiguring QuickBooks hosting. Try this tutorial to find out why QuickBooks multi-user mode isn’t functioning if that doesn’t work.

Q3: Why is Chrome unable to access QuickBooks Online?

Ans. Try opening QuickBooks Online (QBO) in an incognito or private window if you are experiencing issues with it not functioning properly on Chrome or another browser, or if you are unable to connect to the server. If it does, try clearing your browser’s cache. The browser must be up to date.