QuickBooks Has Stopped Working – How To Fix It?

Users often encounter a problem with QuickBooks. In some cases, the error message “QuickBooks stopped working” is also displayed. The same error message appears if the user attempts to open QuickBooks again after the program quits. Sometimes, QuickBooks does not throw an error message and freezes on Windows. For detailed troubleshooting steps, see the entire article.

Although we have done our best to resolve the issue manually, QuickBooks contains sensitive company data. Are you willing to take that chance? Permanent damage can be done to your company file if you are unable to resolve the QuickBooks issue.

Quickbooks has stopped working Error: Symptoms

This error can also impact QuickBooks without displaying any error messages. It is important to recognize the symptoms and quickly fix it. Below are the symptoms that indicate that QuickBooks isn’t opening correctly or has stopped functioning.

QuickBooks Desktop 2020 has stopped working error

The QuickBooks Desktop freezes seconds after you open it.
The QuickBooks window starts to lag when the mouse pointer or keyboard is not working properly.
QuickBooks stops working immediately after you close the company file.
QuickBooks displays an error message and stops before the dashboard is loaded.
Other Windows applications may also experience slow response times and freeze issues.

Why Quickbooks has Stopped Working?

One of these reasons is most likely to be the reason you receive a “QuickBooks stopped working” or “QuickBooks won’t open” error message.

Windows operating system files may be damaged.
Your hard drive has corrupt or damaged sectors.
QB Desktop files damaged
QuickBooks cannot be correctly installed on Windows.
The QBWUSER.INI File, which is used for initialization information storage, is missing or damaged.
The maximum number of characters allowed for the name of QuickBooks company files is more than the limit.

Here are some things to consider before you attempt troubleshooting Quickbooks’s stopped working error

Make sure you have the most recent version of QuickBooks Desktop installed.
The maximum length of the company name must not exceed 35 characters including spaces.
Before you run QuickBooks, turn off your antivirus protection. If this does not resolve your problem, then you can exclude QuickBooks from your antivirus scanner list.
Log in using an account that has administrative rights to Windows.
Follow Step 5 to Reinstall QuickBooks with Clean Install Tool. If you still have problems opening QuickBooks, follow these troubleshooting steps.

Steps to Fix Quickbooks Is Not Working Error

The troubleshooting steps are listed in this order. You might find that the first step is sufficient to resolve the issue, but you may need to do all the steps to fix QuickBooks has stopped working.

Troubleshooting Step 1 – Download and run the QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool

QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool was specifically designed to address issues caused by faulty QuickBooks Desktop installations. The following instructions will assist you in installing QuickBooks Tool Hub and running QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool.

Click HERE to download QuickBooks Tool Hub. To run the Tool Hub installer file, go to the Download folder.
Double-click the QuickBooksToolHub.exe file to start the installation.
Accept the terms and conditions. Follow the prompts on the screen to complete the installation.
Close all running applications on Windows before you run the QB Installation Diagnostic Tool.
Double-click the icon to launch the Tool Hub once it is installed.
Click the Program Installation Issues tab, and then select QuickBooks Install Diagnostics Tool.
It may take up to 25 minutes depending on how fast your computer is, to repair any damage caused by the installation.
After the tool has finished fixing any errors in installation, restart Windows and then open QuickBooks again. If QuickBooks is still not responding, please follow the next troubleshooting steps.
You can’t use the downloaded file to launch QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool. Instead, download QuickBooks Tool Hub. Select the QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool tab.

Step 2 Troubleshooting: Scan and Repair Bad Sectors On Hard-Disk

Bad sectors on your hard drive can be a major cause of slow performance for applications on Windows. These instructions will assist you in identifying and fixing bad sectors on your hard disk to fix QuickBooks issues.

Windows File Manager can be opened by pressing Windows + E and then right-clicking on the C drive.
Select Properties and click on the Tools tab to check Now.
You can checkmark Automatically fix file system problems and scan for and try recovery of bad sectors.
Wait for Windows to complete the scan and repair.

Troubleshooting Step 3 – Edit QBWUSER.INI Name

QBWUSER.INI, a QuickBooks program file, stores product registration information. It is possible to have problems running QuickBooks if this file is damaged. We will repair the QBWUSER.INI using the instructions below.

Navigate to Windows File Manager, navigate to UsersUser name AppDataLocalIntuitQuickBooks, and locate QBWUSER.INI.
Click Folder and Search Options if you don’t find the file.
Checkmark the Show hidden folders or drives option under the View tab.
Click OK and then Apply.
Right-click on the file to choose Rename
The file name should be added with.OLD, such as QBWUSER.INI.OLD.
Check QuickBooks to see if the QuickBooks stopped working error has been resolved.

Troubleshooting Step 4: Reinstall Windows Operating System

Backup your company file before you reinstall Windows. Reinstalling Windows will erase QuickBooks and Company files from your computer. For assistance, you can contact us or ask your IT administrator.

You can also reinstall QuickBooks Desktop with QuickBooks Clean Install Tool, which you can find under QuickBooks Tool Hub.

This article should help you fix QuickBooks isn’t responding error. If the above troubleshooting fails to help and you still haven’t been able to resolve QuickBooks has stopped functioning error, we may need to do more advanced troubleshooting of your Windows computer.