A Guide to Use QuickBooks File Doctor and Fix Errors

However, the program users aren’t strange to various errors and technical glitches that arise at various points of time while they are working on it. But with the release of QuickBooks File Doctor, resolving damaged company file issues has become a breeze. Intuit has launched it to enable QB users to repair or recover deleted company files.
The tool will also help you fix network problems. If you are planning to use it, you must know how exactly it can help you. Knowing about QB File Doctor in detail and the problems it fixes will allow you to get the maximum from it.
What Is QuickBooks File Doctor and How Can It Help You?
The QuickBooks File Doctor (QBFD) is a user-friendly tool that detects different glitches and troubleshoots them in a few minutes. You can access it anytime you encounter any issues in your QB software. It is the perfect blend of the QuickBooks Network Connectivity Diagnostic Tool and the Company File Diagnostic Tool.
Put simply, the QB File Doctor has the power of both these tools, and so every QB user must be well aware of it. QBFD will turn out to be incredibly helpful in the following cases:
- When you face company file issues.
- When you cannot open a company file or encounter error-6150.
- Complex H series errors like H101, H303, or H202 can also be resolved.
- You can also the fix error-6000 series with QBFD.
- When the client has failed to receive some important databases.
- Network issues
- Damaged company file problems.
How Many Types of QuickBooks File Doctor are There?
Many people are under the assumption that there’s only a single QBFD. But there are chiefly two versions of this tool. You can download both of them by going to the official Intuit website.
The two versions of the file doctor tool are:
- In-built – This version of the tool has some basic requirements. You can only access it in the QuickBooks 2016 Desktop and its later updates. So if you currently have QuickBooks 2016 Desktop, you must update it regularly to use it with the in-built QuickBooks Desktop File Doctor.
- Stand-alone – You can access the stand-alone version only after activating the QuickBooks Database Server Manager. This version is mainly for hosting servers and network problems.
Out of the two versions mentioned, the stand-alone version of the tool is recommended if you want to resolve different errors while working on QuickBooks.
How Can You Download QuickBooks File Doctor and Install It?
You don’t need to follow a very complex process to download QBFD and start using it. To carry out the QuickBooks File Doctor download, head over to Intuit’s website and navigate to its ‘Tools’ section.
There you will find a link to download the tool. As of late, people are also able to access it on QuickBooks Tool Hub.
After hitting the ‘Download‘ button, wait for some time till the tool’s file gets downloaded. Next, install it by following these points.
- Sign in as administrator on your computer.
- Now double-tap on the Qbfd.exe installer file.
- Next, let the program get installed. You must click the ‘Run’ button.
- A set of instructions will appear on your screen. Follow them to complete the installation process.
- Next, tap the ‘Finish‘ button to end the installation procedure.
- Open QBFD and type your QB credentials.
- You will see two options, host PC or workstation. Choose one of them.
- The File Doctor Tool is ready to be used by you.
Use Of QuickBooks File Doctor (Stand-Alone Version)?
If you are using the stand-alone version of QB File Doctor, remember that the steps to use it will be different than the in-built version. Follow these simple steps to use stand-alone QBFD.
1. Ensure that the tool is fully installed. Once you are sure of it, open it.
2. When the tool opens, look for your company file. Click ‘Browse’ to find the file.
3. Next, choose the option of ‘Check file damage only.’
4. Then tap ‘Diagnose File.’
- If your file is damaged or has encountered 6xxx errors, choose ‘Check your file‘ and ‘Network.’
- If you use QB in multi-user mode and encounter H series errors, select the ‘Check Your Network’ option.
5. Input the admin password.
6. The File Doctor Tool will start fixing company file QuickBooks payroll issues.
7. After the process ends, you’ll be asked to open the repaired file from the tool.
How to Use QuickBooks File Doctor (In-Built)?
This version of File Doctor detects errors and fixes them automatically. You just need to tap ‘Start‘ when the tool’s window opens and allow the tool to resolve issues. The rest of the steps will be similar to before.
- Launch QuickBooks.
- Open ‘File‘ and opt for ‘Utilities.’
- Next, click ‘Repair Files’ followed by ‘Network Problems.’
- Next, tap ‘Browse‘ and locate the file that needs to be diagnosed.
- Tap ‘Repair‘ and then choose ‘Open.’
- Now you can choose the kind of fix you desire the company file to undergo from the dropdown of ‘Show Advanced Settings.’
- Hit’ Next.’
- Input your credentials and choose ‘Next.’
- Let the repair process complete.
- After that, open your QB company file.
How to use QuickBooks File Doctor through QB Desktop Tool Hub
As mentioned above, you can also access QBFD via the QuickBooks Tool Hub. Here’s how to do that.
- Download and install QB Desktop Tool Hub.
- Now, click on the ‘Tools’ icon to run it.
- Navigate to the ‘Company file‘ section and tap it.
- Next, click the ‘Run QuickBooks File Doctor’ option.
- Choose the QB company file with errors that you want to correct.
- After selecting it, begin the scan.
- Once the errors are identified after the scan, you will see an error message on your screen.
- Select the repair option. The tool will fix all the errors that are present.
How to Use QuickBooks File Doctor to Fix Common Issues?
Once you have QBFD installed on your system, it makes sense to know about the different problems it can help you with. Here is a list of common issues you can easily resolve using this tool.
Network problems
To fix network issues via QBFD, allow the tool to run. Then, review the results. After checking them, select a suitable remedy. A common result you can get is given below.
Hosting mode is off – On getting this result, you should enable hosting. It will allow you to access QB files over a network. QuickBooks Desktop employs the following services.
- QuickBooks Desktop 2020 employs QuickBooks Database 30.
- QuickBooks Desktop 2019 employs QuickBooks Database 29.
- QuickBooks Desktop 2018 employs QuickBooks Database 28.
You can locate this service in ‘User Accounts‘ under the ‘Users’ category. Here, you should locate the service that is compatible with the QuickBooks Desktop version on the main PC.
Access the company file
To access the company file, you should fulfill certain conditions. These are as follows.
- Every user must have a QB user credential.
- The database server must be able to open the company file.
- The user login must have all control, like the permission to open, view, and change the file.
How to Use QuickBooks File Doctor to Resolve Issues?
The QuickBooks Tool Hub provides various options to fix company file issues. You can either use the Quick Fix My File option. But if it doesn’t work, it’s best to use QB File Doctor. Here are the steps you should follow to run the File Doctor and fix company file issues.
- As the first step, go to QuickBooks Tool Hub.
- Once there, choose ‘Company File Issues.’
- Next, tap on the ‘Run QuickBooks File Doctor’ option. At this point, wait for some time. It takes a while for the File Doctor to open. However, in case it doesn’t open, you’ll need to launch it manually.
- When the File Doctor opens, you will see a dropdown menu. Here, identify your company file. It may be possible that you don’t find your company file. If so, hit the ‘Browse‘ option and locate it.
- After that, select ‘Check your file.’
- Following that, click ‘Continue.
- You’ll be prompted for the admin password of QuickBooks. Input the needed details and hit ‘Next.’
QB File Doctor will start scanning. It will take some time to complete the scanning process. This time is mainly dependent upon the file size. After the scan comes to an end, launch the QuickBooks software. Also, open your company file.
You won’t find any issues. On successful repair, you will see the option to open the repaired file directly from this tool. But if you have more than a single QuickBooks version on your computer, QBFD will ask you the software version you desire to open.
NOTE: Even if you find QBFD displaying an unsuccessful repair after diagnosing, open your QB file. It’s likely that the issue will be resolved.
Some Result Possibilities after Using QBFD to Fix Company File Issue
After running QuickBooks File Doctor, you’ll inevitably get some results. It resolves the problem according to the result it shows. Here are the two common result possibilities after running the tool.
- QB File Doctor didn’t detect an issue – If the tool cannot find an issue, you will need to log back into the company file. If you still see the error after that, you must opt for an auto data recovery setup. After doing that, input the transactions since the latest backup.
- QuickBooks File Doctor finds the problem but can’t resolve it – If the tool displays this, the suggested option for you is to go for QuickBooks auto data recovery setup or backup QuickBooks desktop data. In it, you input the transactions manually.
What to Do after Your File Is Repaired?
Once you repair your file using the QuickBooks File Doctor, make its backup. Additionally, update your QB desktop. Go over to the ‘Help‘ dropdown menu. Once there, update your software version. Do it at least two times a week to avoid facing errors and compatibility problems.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How do I fix error 6150 in QuickBooks?
You can use the QuickBooks File Doctor to detect the cause of the problem and fix it in a few minutes. Follow these steps to fix error 6150 in QuickBooks.
- Launch the QBFD after installing it.
- Run QuickBooks Tool Hub and go to the ‘Company File Issues’ tab.
- From here, you can use the QB File Doctor tool.
- Choose your company file and select ‘Check File Damage Only.’
- Now, tap ‘Diagnose File.’
- After the file doctor repairs the file, see if you can access it in QB.
2. What causes QuickBooks data damage?
The most common reason for data damage or corruption in QB is an incorrect system shutdown that happens while the software is running. Apart from that, other reasons for data damage include the following:
- A big QuickBooks data file size.
- Issues with software, hardware, or network connection.
- Differences in payments and invoices.
- QuickBooks log file LVL errors.
3. How do I resolve QuickBooks File Doctor not working?
If the QBFD stops working, you must launch it manually. The steps to do so are:
- Open QuickBooks and let it display the ‘No Company Open’ screen.
- Navigate to ‘File‘ followed by ‘Utilities‘ and then ‘Repair File and Network Problems.’
- Tap ‘OK‘ in the dialog box. QBFD will restart the application with admin rights.
- Tap ‘Yes‘ and then hit the wrench icon to launch QBFD.
- Hit ‘Continue.’
- Input your credentials to sign in to your file. QBFD will now begin to repair the file.
4. How long should QuickBooks File Doctor take?
The QBDFD doesn’t take long to scan the system. In a majority of cases, it will not take more than five minutes. After it scans, open the software as well as your company file.
Wrapping up
The QuickBooks File Doctor is a very beneficial tool for regular QB users. It fixes a lot of network and company file issues that arise from time to time. Now that you know how to download, install, and employ the tool, you won’t face any problems in working with your software uninterruptedly.
But if you get stuck at any point or cannot follow the process, connect with professional QuickBooks technical support services.