How to Fix QuickBooks Mac Errors?

Quickbooks MAC errors result from network problems, security software interference, missing programs, and company file issues. Since the errors can often be difficult to diagnose, they can be difficult to fix.

However, in this post, I’ll cover all of the errors that often perplex users and prevent them from working on their accounting data. You can proceed with the error that you believe is causing issues in your version of QuickBooks for Mac.

In this post, you’ll learn how to troubleshoot and fix QuickBooks Mac Errors.

Before you begin…

Many errors can be solved by updating the software. While you can set up automatic updates in Quickbooks for MAC, I’m going to elaborate on the steps to manually update the software.

Steps to install the updates for QuickBooks MAC manually:

1. From the QuickBooks menu, choose to Check for QuickBooks Updates.
2. Click on Install and Relaunch.

Note: you can download and install the update using the executable file for the update. Download the updated files from the Download & Updates page.

Types of QuickBooks Mac Errors and their Solutions

While this list contains all the most common QuickBooks Mac errors, you should find the error that you’re receiving and use the solutions for that particular error. This will reduce the amount of time you spend troubleshooting the issues on your system.

QuickBooks mac Error: Can’t create a backup file

Error: Backup fails with QuickBooks Desktop for Mac and Big Sur

The backup file can’t be created because QuickBooks Mac files cannot execute commands on lower versions of macOS Big Sur. You need a version higher than 11.2 for QuickBooks MAC to work on your system error-free.

The only solution that you’ve here is to upgrade your macOS. Once you upgrade the operating system, QuickBooks MAC will be able to run properly without encountering a backup error.

Steps to upgrade your macOS to the latest version:

1. Check the compatibility of your machine with the supported macOS version.
2. Back up your Mac data.
3. Go to the Apple menu.
4. Select System Preferences, then Software Update.
5. Choose the Latest Supported Version available for your model of MAC.
6. Click on Upgrade Now.

Your operating system will download the installer for the selected version of macOS and will prompt you to begin the installation. You can configure the preferences for the upgrade, and then upgrade the OS. You may have to register QuickBooks MAC once again on your machine.

And if you’re already on a supported version of macOS, then you need to remove QuickBooks PLIST files. These files are temporary and don’t contain any of your accounting data. When you delete these files, QuickBooks Mac creates new ones that are error-free.

Steps to remove QuickBooks MAC PLIST files:

• Exit QuickBooks MAC.
• From the Go menu, choose Options.
• Click on Library, then Preferences.
• Find the files with names such as com.intuit.QuickBooksXXXX.
  Note: the last four digits (XXXX) signify the version of your QuickBooks MAC.
• Select each of these PLIST files and move them to Trash, then empty the trash.
• Restart your system.
• Launch QuickBooks MAC and reset your Backup Preferences.
• Then create your backup file.

QuickBooks Mac Data Error

Data errors can be fixed using the verify and rebuild utilities in QuickBooks MAC. However, before rebuilding your company file, you should create a backup of your company file.

The verify utility scans the company file for data errors. If it finds particular errors, then you can use the rebuild tool to fix these data errors.

Steps to troubleshoot QuickBooks MAC data errors using Verify Utility:

• From the File menu, choose Utilities.
• Click on Verify Data, then Ok.
• Proceed to Rebuild utility if you get the message that “Your data has failed the integrity check.”

Steps to use the rebuild company file data in QuickBooks MAC:

• From the File menu, choose Utilities.
• Click on Rebuild Data, then Ok.
• Follow the prompts to create a backup of your company file.
• Once you’ve created the backup, start the rebuild process.
• Click on Ok when the rebuild process finishes.
• Create reports to verify that your data errors were fixed.

You can run the verify utility once again to verify that the data errors in QuickBooks MAC were fixed successfully.

You can also rely on manual methods to fix the data errors in QuickBooks Desktop for MAC. For this, use the results from the Verify utility. And backup your data before using the manual method to fix data errors.

When you use the verify utility to scan for errors, the utility creates a log file to track these errors.

Steps to locate the log file for QuickBooks MAC:

1. While holding the command key, click on the Go menu.
2. Click on Library, then open the Logs Folder.
3. Launch the QuickBooks.log file to find the data errors.

You can use the codes in this log file to find and fix the errors. For instance,  Verify Employee YED BAL means that the year-to-date for an employee is out of balance. Using this information, fix data errors one by one.

Quickbooks MAC: Multi-user Mode error

This section is going to be substantially larger than the other ones because multi-user mode errors can be caused by a variety of factors including company data errors, network errors, and issues with security software.

Before you begin the troubleshooting process, you should:

• Change the system preferences and select the Energy Saver mode. 
• Then verify that the version of QuickBooks MAC that you’ve installed on your system is compatible with your operating system. If not, then upgrade to the macOS.
• Further, check your internet connection and make sure that your workstation is connected to the server computer hosting the company file.

Solution 1: Check the Server Status

If the server isn’t running when you’ve shared the company file, then you’ll get an error everytime a user tries to open the company file located on the server.

Steps to check if your severe is running when the QuickBooks MAC company file is shared:

1. From the Go menu, choose Applications.
2. Launch QuickBooks 20XX Server.app.
3. Mark the company file as Shared:
   1. Choose Shart Sharing if the company file is listed under NOT SHARED.
   2. Click on the + icon and select the company file if the file isn’t listed.

Even though the QuickBooks Server App is essential for establishing a multi-user system, the app should not be running on any of the workstations. The host computer should be the only one running this program. Otherwise, the conflict caused by multiple server apps will always result in an error.

Solution 2: Verify that QuickBooks Mac has access through the Firewall

When the firewall blocks a program, it stops the program from accessing the internet. So you need to manually allow QuickBooks through the macOS firewall.

Steps to allow QuickBooks through the macOS firewall:

• From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
• Click on Security & Privacy.
• Select Firewall, then Firewall Options.
• Click on the Lock Icon to turn it into the unlock Icon.
• Then go to QuickBooks and choose the option “Allow Incoming Connections”.

Solution 3: change the preferences on the host computer

When you share a company file, you need to explicitly mark the folder containing the company file as shared. Otherwise, QuickBooks will not be able to access the company file because of access restrictions.

Steps to change permission on the host computer:

• From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
• Click on Sharing.
• Mark the option for File Sharing.
• Go to the Shared Folders and select the + icon.
• Select the company file folder and click on Add.
• From the Users column, set the permission to Read and Write for Everyone. Or you can choose specific users who have the option available.

Solution 4: Verify the network and its preferences

QuickBooks Mac can also encounter errors if the network isn’t configured properly. You can unplug and then replug your network connection. Further, take the following steps:

1. Turn off your internet connection and then reconnect your system to the internet.
2. Restart your system and the server.
3. Launch QuickBooks Desktop in Single-user mode, then shift to multi-user mode.

Note: before switching user mode or restarting the server, you should ask other logged-in users to log out of the company file.

Solution 5: Create a direct connection with the server

A peer-to-peer online connection can be used to connect two systems using an ethernet cable. The ethernet enables one system to access shared data from the other system. Only shared folders can be accessed from the other system, so change the share permissions for the company file folder.

Steps to establishing a peer-to-peer connection for QuickBooks MAC:

• Turn off your system.
• Use an ethernet cable to connect the workstation to the server computer.
• Restart both computers once again.
• From the File menu, click on New Finder Window to verify that the Bonjour Service has connected both systems.
• Choose the host system and the workstation.
• Then go to the File option in QuickBooks MAC and select Enable Multi-user mode.
• Launch QuickBooks MAC on the workstation and go to the Shared Files folder to choose the company file.

QuickBooks MAC Printing Errors

Print errors are of various types, so you can choose the error that you’re facing and proceed accordingly.

Lines missing from the invoices.

You need to adjust the margins in the invoice so that the lines can be visible in the printed document.

Steps to adjust the margin of invoices:

• In QuickBooks MAC, open a Report.
• Click on the Print icon, then choose QuickBooks.
• From the Options or Margins menu, select Alignment.
• Click on Print.

You can also use custom forms to further customize the width of the document for your printer.

QuickBooks MAC Online Banking Errors

Using bank feeds, you can connect QuickBooks to your bank account. The bank transactions are automatically imported into Quickbooks. However, if you encounter an error while using the bank feeds option, you can proceed with the three solutions in this section.

Solution 1: Update the list of financial institutions

While the lists generally update automatically, you can manually update them if the automatic process fails. 

Steps to delete the fidir.txt file:

1. From the Go menu, click on Library while holding the Control Key.
2. Go to:
   1. Application Support/com.intuit.QuickBooks20XX/Downloads and delete the file
   2. Show Package contents, then delete the file.
3. From the Go menu, click on Library while holding the Control Key.
4. Copy and paste the fidir.txt file in the Application Support/com.intuit.QuickBooks20XX/Downloads folder. Select the link for your version of QUICKBOOKS.
   1. 2022
   2. 2021
   3. 2020
5. Go back to the Applications menu from the Go option.
6. Choose Show Package Contents.
7. Click on Contents.
8. Paste the fidir.txt file to the Resources.
9. Try to download the transactions again from QuicKBooks MAC.

Solution 2: Create a test company file or account

Errors with the company file and account can interfere with the online banking process. You can create sample files and accounts to test if something is wrong with these elements.

Steps to create a new company file:

1. From the File menu, choose New Company.
2. Input a name for the company file, then select Save.
3. Proceed with the Create New Company Wizard.
4. Choose Finish once you’ve been through all the preferences.
5. Set up Online Banking, then Download Transactions.

If the transactions are downloaded successfully, then the problem is with your company file. However, if the download fails, then the bank servers may be down. You can wait or get in touch with your bank for more information.

Steps to edit your current account for QuickBooks MAC online banking error:

• From the Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.
• Click on Edit on the account that is leading to the error.
• Add an * at the end of the account name.
• Click on Online Settings.
• Choose the Download Transactions dropdown menu.
• Click on Not Enabled.

Steps to create a new account to test baking services:

1. From the Lists menu, click on Chart of Accounts.
2. Click on the + icon.
3. Choose Bank from the Account type dropdown menu.
4. Input the name for the account, then click on Ok.

Now you can launch your company file and set up online banking using either direct connect or web connect.

QuickBooks Mac Crash Catcher Error

Crash catcher error occurs when QuickBooks MAc runs into an unexpected issue and crashes immediately. You can troubleshoot this error.

First of all, Restart your computer so that you can exit all the stuck processes.

Steps to run your MAC in safe mode:

• Power down your system.
• Hold shift, then press the Power button.
• Log into your system.
• Launch QuickBooks and perform the same task that leads to the error.
• Now restart your system to return to normal mode.

QuickBooks MAC Invoice Processing Error

The QuickBooks Mac “Error Processing Invoice – User is not a member of the specified realm” occurs when a user attempts to create and save an invoice. The issue most popularly occurs in the 2020 edition of the software.

Note: this error relates to issues with payment accounts. You need to reset the Quickbooks eInvoicing Keychain.

Steps to reset the QuickBooks eInvoicing Keychain to fix invoice errors:

• Go to the Preferences menu in QuickBooks.
• Choose Merchant Service, then click on Disconnect.
• Exit QuickBooks.
• Open Finder, and click on the Go option.
• In Utilities, select Keychain Access.
• Click on All Terms.
• In the search box, input “QuickBooks_eInvoicing”.
• Select the Entry starting with QuickBooks_eInvoicing.
• Click on Edit, then Delete.
• Go back to QuickBooks Mac.
• Open an invoice that relies on the eInvoicing service.
• Sign into your payments account.
• Choose to Accept Credit Card, then click on Save.

You’ve reset the eInvoicing Keychain to fix the QuickBooks MAC invoice error.

Conclusion

In this guide that explains how to troubleshoot and fix QuickBooks MAC errors, you can find detailed, step-by-step solutions. Before you begin, update QuickBooks and back up your company file data. Also, choose the error that you’re facing to quickly fix the issues. If you need further help, get in touch with our QuickBooks experts.

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