Error Codes - C =

1	For example, M=1028, L=1743, C=1,V=0  [0], in QuickBooks V5.0/R4, after a backup and  restore to a new system. This may involve non-standard video settings. Check to make sure you are in a standard set (e.g. 640x480 or 800x600) and 256 colors. It also may involve custom invoice form that must be copied in addition to the data file.
3	According to one report this means the program is unable to open a Quicken file on a Mac. This should happen only on Mac versions. Free up HD space. Reopen and close the file using Quicken for the Mac. Then try again. However, a second source says this relates to QB having a full or nearly full hard drive.
9	Unable to read from an auxiliary file at the OS file system level.  Copy the data file to another disk or drive. Possible damaged disk.
10	Unable to write to an auxiliary file at the OS file system level. Should only happen during backup/restore, export, mail merge or other operation which write to a data file. Free up hard disk space and try again. Possible damaged disk.
19	Unable to delete a transaction, because it is incomplete (probably data error). Happens during Condense Data. In later versions, rebuild the data file.
21	QB is trying to close a data file while the program thinks it is in the middle of recording a transaction, but probably isn't. Check to see that the last data you recorded is still in the file. Get the latest release of QB for your version.  Moving data, reinstalling, and rebuilding has no effect on this.
32	Also Error -35. The file was used in a newer version of QB and cannot be used in an older one.  Each new version (and some Releases) of QB has an updated data structure. QB files can�t be used after conversion in a new version of the program.  (not used since version 4.0).
38	Unknown, but related to backup, as in V7.0D R1 (M=1352 L=968 C=38 V=30 (FFFFFFE2)
43	Error reading a transaction or memorized transaction. This can be caused when QB is trying to navigate a report or report-like data, or by data damage. If restarting QB and repeating the action causes the error again, it is probably damaged data. Then rebuild. C=43 also occurs when printing 1099 and W2 forms (V6.OD R1 [M=1477, L5203, C=43, V=2(2)). If the font looks like Russian letters it often relates to losing the OCR-A font is by installing TurboTax (also from Intuit). You must delete all OCR-A fonts and reinstall QB.
44	Error writing a transaction. Possible data damage or out of memory.  Restart Windows and try again. If error persists, Rebuild.
47	Trying to remove a transaction from a report or report like feature.  Trying to locate a transaction that has been modified, but could not find it. Harmless. Close all windows and continue. If this does not work, try Verify and Rebuild.
51	Appeared in QB 3.0 and was described as a benign error (keep going) or: exit QB, exit Windows, and start again; verify in release 7 or later; or Rebuild data.
53	Some entry in a list should be deleted, but for some reason was not deleted. Rebuild data may be tried, but don't expect much.  If it does not work, Restore last backup. If you get this on a regular basis it may be time to upgrade to a new version.
55, 64	The network temporarily went down. It then probably came back before it was noticed, except for  QB, which cannot handle that.
88	Error writing to the QB file on the QB file level. Rebuild. If the problem persists try to free memory and try again.
147	Benign error ( keep working).
184	Unexpected Error - February report days mismatch (28 & 29)
210	Appears in files with Error C=53 (also Error 210, -210)
212	File has been used in later version.  Comment at C=32.
224	QB tried to read an invalid split line for a transaction or memorized transaction. The data file may be damaged or QB may be confused. Delete the first split transaction error, in the QBWIN.LOG file.
225, 260, 265	Try Rebuild. You will probably have to call the QB Support Network.
304	QB could not create an image (.qbi) file, due to lack of disk space or network limitations. QB creates this file when a company file is opened and deletes it when the file is closed.
315	Assertion failed miscellaneous error. The program should not be here and is not sure what to do.  It is used lots of places so it is hard to say how bad it is or what is the root cause. If you get it in list activities or reports it indicates a list problem. Try to Re-sort the list. It also can be low memory or conflicts with other programs.  Shut down other programs & see if problems disappear.  This error appears in older versions of QB and Windows.
339	Memory is too full to send any other message.  See C=47.

Error Codes - Other:

117 or 146	Unknown Client-Specific Tax Form Printing Error. Uninstall and reinstall QuickBooks
80004003	This is a Windows error number. It means Invalid Pointer. In QB2000 it related to an error when clicking an icon in the opening splash screen. All 8xxxxxxx numbers are Windows error codes (in hex).
Balance sheet out of balance	This is always due to data corruption. See the above File recovery procedures.
Balance sheet net income not equal to Profit & Loss net	If the balance sheet alone is in balance then one statement is on the Cash Basis and the other is on the Accrual Basis. Modify or Customize memorized reports, depending on the version of QB. Also Edit (File) | Preferences | Reports | Cash (or Accrual) to set the default Preference for future reports.
Chart of Accounts delete error	See list item delete error below.
Cursor, letters in title bar yellow, faint, hard to see	Some say the Windows color definitions change. Due to WordPerfect 6. Apparently fixed in WordPerfect 7.  The solution is to exit and re-start Windows without using WordPerfect or to use WordPerfect 7.
Data from new QB version, cannot use	This big problem is easy to fix. Each QB (QB 4, 5, 6, 99, 2000, 2001...) upgrades data files so you cannot use it with older program versions. All you need is the new QB version. Users who think they have the same QB version may be very confused by this. That is because free Releases may update formats in a version. QB6 R3, QB99 R3 and QB2001 R2 upgraded file formats. This causes problems for QB Pro Advisors who deal with many QB versions, releases and clients, so Intuit tries to minimize it.
Erroneous credits in A/R Aging report	See Unexplained Errors below.
IE (Internet Explorer problems)	Installing some versions of QB try to get you to install a version of IE earlier than the one you have. You can add this to the top of the qbw.ini file for some systems and operating systems: [Misc] IE5Override=-1 It works
Illegal operation	For example, "This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. Details: QBW caused a general protection fault in QBWPR.DLL.� The Windows, Closeall, File, Utilities, Rebuild procedure may help. However, you also may get more information if you disable Dr.Watson (see top of this page). You also might uninstall and reinstall QB.
Invalid page fault	For example, "QBW32 caused an invalid page fault in module QBTXN32.DLL at 017f:0042f188." See above.
Link Error Code: 00001	This appears in messages like: Link Error Code: 00001(HEX), UNKNOWN (15), linkRecNum = 48387, sibling = 48386, key (m1) = 40518, tOne = 40524, mTwo = 48378, tTwo =48382 It usually relates to transactions to be found and deleted to fix QB files.
List Item delete error	The error says something like, "This account is associated with an item. It cannot be deleted." This applies to Items, Customers, Vendors, Employees, Payroll Items and the Chart of Accounts. You cannot delete such items if referenced by transactions or other items. For example, you cannot delete an account that is referenced by an Item or Payroll Item, even if no transactions reference it. You can only delete or change such items (accounts, etc.) after removing all references to them.
OL-2XX	These errors relate to remote network/server problems (despite saying contact Intuit). QB2000 correctly says contact Financial Institution. The key is how often they occur. It may be a transient problem (delays in the Internet between you and your bank or a problem with the bank server). Try again, preferably at a "less busy" time. QB2000 OL-206 says "try again later. If it still fails, contact the financial institution.
Other program busy	For example, "This action cannot be completed because the other program is busy. Choose 'Switch to' to activate the busy program and correct the problem. Doing so may result in this error message, "QBDagent.exe, MrtInitialize failed - 7." Clicking OK makes this go away for the moment. It relates to QB Marimba  automatic background download capability, criticized as an invasion of privacy. Remove QBDagent from the Windows startup menu. Turn off automatic downloads in QB.
Printing	Make sure the printer works with Start | Settings | Printers | right click printer | Properties, Print Test Page (lower right). Then check print spool setting. If this fails install a new printer driver from Windows or e Internet sites.  If you still have problems  check File | Print Setup and Print Forms settings in QB. Also see errors 117 and 146 and next.
QB freezes when printing	You may have a Print Reports or Print Lists window ( with a printer name & Portrait/ Landscape, etc.) off the screen. QB does not respond to a mouse after you print or Printer Setup. Rebuild has no errors and other programs run OK. The W2000 Task Manager does not show QB as Not Responding. A Processes view shows 9%+ idle and no CPU time for qbw32.exe. Reports that Preview will Print. The solution: hold down Shift & click File, Printer Setup. Print Reports, etc., screens are centered on the screen. Move them slightly by dragging the top blue bar to create a new on-screen default.
Server busy	QB does not release its file lock as soon as you exit, so anyone trying to use the file too soon gets this message. To avoid it use the Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Del) and Process  to End these processes: QBW32, QBDagent and Axelbridge. Alternatively, open a Sample or dummy file before exiting. A fix should be available soon (2/15/02).
Spool32	This may occur when printing. Someone suggested typing Ctrl -1 in QB to get version and miscellaneous information. However, it probably relates to a printer not being properly set up.
Trans #	This appears in messages like: Trans #  Type  Date  Num   Name   Payroll Item   Wage Base   Amount 37922   Paycheck   03/30/2001    9093    ... (cont.) It usually relates to transactions that must be found and deleted to fix QB files.
Unexplained Errors	Many unexplained errors relate to corrupt data, which you (or we) can usually fix. See File Repair Procedures and Comments below.

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.

If the problem is not fixed then delete QBWIN.LOG in the QB program folder. If the backup required by Rebuild causes a fatal error copy the data with Explorer after closing QB. Then run Rebuild while holding down the control key. This does the Rebuild without backup. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS WITHOUT FIRST MAKING A COPY (OR TWO) OF YOUR QB FILE.

After the Rebuild, check the new QBWIN.LOG with WordPad to see if there are errors like these:

=====================* BEGIN REBUILD LOG *====================

 Rebuilding data, file name: J:\My Documents\Quickbooks\Boat.QBW
 Tue Mar 06 12:46:41 2001

 Error: Verify Account list.  Duplicate name encountered.  Name: Accounts
 Payable  Records 70 (4) and 136 (5).
   To fix, edit this element in the list and change its name.
 Error: Verify Account list.  Duplicate name encountered.  Name: Accounts
 Receivable  Records 74 (7) and 137 (8).
   To fix, edit this element in the list and change its name.
 Error: Verify Account list.  Duplicate name encountered.  Name: Payroll
 Expenses  Records 68 (86) and 1 (87).
   To fix, edit this element in the list and change its name.
 Verify TARGET: Major not followed by minor.  Rcrd = 105917.
    Type: paycheck   txn#: 08905  date: 01/26/2001   doc#: 102982
    Distrib accnt: Uncategorized Expenses   $: -197.68

=======================* END REBUILD LOG *=======================

The above messages indicates chart of accounts duplicates.  Go to the chart. Make sure Show All is checked if you have inactive accounts. Then edit one of the affected accounts and change its name. 

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).

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). 

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

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.

In QB99 and earlier, enter File, Preferences (In QB2001 enter Edit, Preferences). Then enter General Preferences, My Preferences and then Don't Save Desktop. Then click OK. Next, in the Reminders preference on the left, enter My Preferences and clear the check Show Reminders List when opening. Then click OK.

Then click File, Close Company and Open Company. Click your company file once.  Hold down the ALT key and click OK. With a password, release the ALT, enter the password and then hold down ALT again before clicking OK. This opens the company

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. 

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, but for $39.95 you can avoid passwords with Qpass from our QB Add-ons.

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.