QuickBooks Activation Not Working

“QuickBooks Activation not working” messes up the activation process and slows down other QuickBooks procedures as well. QB registration problem usually happens when a user enters an incorrect license number during the registration process. When you buy a QuickBooks product, you must provide a valid license number to ensure that the copy you bought is genuine. When the provided license number is incorrect, QuickBooks registration fails. You may notice the following error message on your screen when the error occurs: “We’re sorry, but your activation was interrupted” or “The validation code is incorrect” or “This service is temporarily unavailable” then additional troubleshooting is required to resolve the issue. 

Though, the error gets easily resolved if you change the QB license number.  Many times, the registration error could also be caused by a variety of other factors. Continue reading till the end to learn how to troubleshoot QuickBooks registration errors using simple troubleshooting procedures.

Reasons behind encountering the “QuickBooks Activation not working” error 

If you’re having trouble enrolling QuickBooks on Windows, it could be due to one of the causes stated below. To effectively fix the QB registration problem, look into the main source of the errors.

• A stable Internet connection is essential for the QuickBooks activation to be completed successfully. 
• QuickBooks 2015 registration issue might be caused by a faulty network connection or a firewall connection obstruction.
• If you enter the wrong product code or license number when validating the purchased copy of QuickBooks, activation problems will occur.
• QuickBooks registration error may occur on your screen if you are unable to register a QuickBooks product that has been discontinued by Intuit.

Prior to resolutions, one must consider these important pointers

The key points to remember when registering for QuickBooks Desktop are listed below. Before you use QuickBooks to record deposits, cheques, and other transactions, keep the following points in mind:

• By using Ctrl + 1 or pressing the F2 key, you may see if QuickBooks Desktop is ACTIVATED or not.
• If you receive the error “The validation code is incorrect,” then follow the instructions outlined below:
  • You should double-check the product number and the license number.
  • Check the code for validation and it has to be accurate.
• If the product number doesn’t match the license number then change the product number first before going ahead with the activation.

Efficacious Solutions to fix QuickBooks Activation not working

Execute the below solutions to amend the error or proceed with the smooth activation process. Let’s check out one after one:

Solution 1: Set the time and date of your system 

The first way is to double-check that your computer’s time and date are right. Here’s how:

• To begin, you must uninstall the QuickBooks application from your computer
• Next, you must select the clock option and verify the time and date
• You must ensure that the time and date are correct; if they are not, you must set the time and date to the correct time and date
• Make a backup of the changes you’ve made
• After that, you’ll need to open the QuickBooks application and navigate to the help section
• Finally, you must select the activate option and then enter the activation code.

Solution 2: Reactivate the MSXML 

The next option is to reactivate MSXML on your computer. We’ve covered the methods for both a 64-bit and 32-bit operating system. Follow the instructions in the order that they are listed:

For 64-bit OS

• To begin, press the start button and then navigate to the command prompt on your computer
• Make sure you’re running it as an administrator
• Then type cd/windows/syswow64 into the command prompt.

For 32-bit OS 

• To begin, click on the Windows icon, then type cmd into the run window
• Then press the enter key to start the cmd
• Then type regsvr32 MSXML4.dll into the command prompt
• Finally, type regsvr32 MSXML6.dll into the command prompt.

Solution 3: End all the processes associated with QuickBooks 

The second way we’ll look at is terminating all QuickBooks software-related processes. To terminate all processes, go to the task manager. Aside from that, you can use the QuickBooks refresher tool to resolve the problem. It will assist you in refreshing all processes that are currently operating in the background. After you’ve completed this, you’ll need to restart QuickBooks and try to activate it again.

Solution 4: Configure the Firewall Settings 

Configuring your firewall settings can prevent QuickBooks from being unable to access the Internet, which is essential for program registration.

• In the Search programs and files box, click the Windows Start button and search Windows Firewall
• When you locate Windows Firewall, select the Advanced Settings
• Perform a right-click on the Inbound Rules and select New Rule from the menu
• After that, select Port and then Next
• To continue, make sure TCP is chosen and then click Next
• Allow the Connection and then click Next
• You must now pick all of the profiles that appear in the prompt box
• Select Next and give the new rule a name
• To complete the task, click Finish.

Continue to the next solution if the QuickBooks registration error persists.

Solution 5: Create a new user account 

In this solution, you can create a new account for your Windows as an Admin. Perform the steps according to the Windows version that you’re currently using. The below steps are suggested for all Windows users:

Windows 10

• Start by pressing the start button and then selecting the settings option
• Select “Accounts” >>> “Family & Other Users” from the drop-down menu
• Press the “Add anyone else to this” while in Other customers
• Select “I don’t have this person’s sign-in” at the bottom of the web page
• Click “Add person and not using a Microsoft account” at the bottom/backside of the following web page
• Fill in the New Account identifier 
• When you click “Finish”, you’ll see that the New Account is set up as a Standard User by default
• Now, choose the newly created account and Administrator, then click “Ok”
• Once the new user has arrived, log out of Windows and log back in as a New User
• Open QB Desktop and sign in by selecting Help >> Activate QB from the menu bar
• Click Help >> Register QB >> Initiate Registration.

If the problem has been resolved, you’ll need to decide whether to keep the New Admin user or remove them.

Windows 8

• To begin, open a computer window and select “Windows +”
• Next step is to select Computer >>  Open Control
• Select “User Accounts” followed by “Manage Another Account”
• When you see the Manage Account Window, select “Add a new person in the computer settings”
• Press “NEXT” after entering the user’s name and the area’s name
• Select “Administrators have access to” and click the “Finish” tab
• Sign out of Windows and sign back in as a new user once you’ve created a new user 
• Now, open your QuickBooks Desktop 
•  Go to the help menu >> Activate QB >> Start the activation process.

Windows 7

• Select the Control Panel from the Windows start menu
• Click on the “Manage User Accounts” after selecting “User Accounts”
• When you see the User Account window pop up, do an appropriate selection 
• Fill in the New User Name and Area Identifier fields, then click “Next”
• Make a choice for Administrator Access for the new user 
• After done with that, hit the “Finish” button
• Now Open QuickBooks Desktop, sign in, and select Help >> from the drop-down menu Activate QB >> Start the activation process.

Solution 6: Download and Run the QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool 

The QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool is intended to help users in troubleshooting installation issues with QuickBooks Desktop. The steps for installing QuickBooks Tool Hub in order to execute QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool are as follows:

• To run the Tool Hub installation file, go to the download folder and click on download QuickBooks Tool Hub
• Double-click the QuickBooksToolHub.exe file to begin the installation
• Accept the terms and conditions and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation
• Before using the QB Install Diagnostic Tool, close all open apps on Windows
• To use the Tool Hub, double-click the icon on your desktop
• From the Program Installation Issues tab, select QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool
• Depending on the speed of your machine, repairing the damage in the installation could take up to 25 minutes
• After the tool has finished resolving the installation issues, restart your computer and then launch QuickBooks again
• Continue to the next step in the troubleshooting procedure if QuickBooks Activation not working
• If you are unable to run QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool from the downloaded file, open QuickBooks Tool Hub and select the Installation Issues tab, then QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool.

Solution 7: Make use of the QuickBooks Clean Install Tool in order to re-install the QB Software 

When you use a Clean Install tool, the names of your old folders are automatically changed. Though, you must rename previous QuickBooks directories before reinstalling the software. This allows QB to simply add additional files to the software while it is being installed. The following are the steps to use the tool:

• To get started, go to the QuickBooks Tool Hub
• From a list of Options, choose Installation issues
• To launch the Clean Install Tool, select it
• To continue, click on the Ok button
• Now, you’re supposed to select the QuickBooks and product versions 
• After that, click the Continue button
• When the notice “Please install the copy of QuickBooks to the default || location of the machine” appears on your screen, follow the instructions
• After that, click the Ok button
• When the tool successfully completes its process, then you’re able to reinstall the QB Software. 

Steps to reinstall the QuickBooks 

The very first start with downloading the QB version and then trying reinstalling it into your system. To do so, perform the below steps:

• Download the QuickBooks Desktop from Intuit’s official website or from any good source, if you have
• Next, you’re supposed to save the download on the location where it is easy to find
• Finally, verify that the download is successfully done. 

Reinstalling the QuickBooks Desktop 

• Move to the saved location of the download 
• Now, double-click on the downloaded file 
• The installation wizard then appears
• Follow the on-screen directions to install the appropriate type
• When the installation is complete, you can stop using the Clean Install Tool to reinstall QuickBooks Desktop.

Solution 8: Set new EntitlementDataStore.ECML file to its default 

QuickBooks activation not working and shows an error message when an encrypted file holding all of that information is lost. To complete the installation process and verify your copy of QB, you must provide the license number and product code while installing QuickBooks Desktop.

Erasing or deleting the entitlement file and then re-entering the licensing and production data will help to resolve the mistake in such circumstances.

• Close the QuickBooks Desktop software first
• Check to see whether any QuickBooks processes are still active on your computer
• To access the “Task Manager” tab, press the “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” keys altogether on your keyboard
• Click “More Details” under “Windows 10: To see the task manager
• Then, on the “Process” tab
• After that, sort the processes alphabetically by clicking on the processor name heading
• To find all instances of “QBW32.EXE”, select the “Search” option and then the “End Job” button
• For your operating system and QuickBooks version, open the “Entitlement Data folder”
• Using the keyboard, press the Windows + R keys to open the Run window
• Enter “C: ProgramData Intuit Entitlement Client v8 (or v6)” followed by pressing the Enter key
• (All QuickBooks desktops, including QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise editions, have the same folder placement)
• Choose “Delete” from the context menu of the “EntitlementDataStore.ecml file”
• Click the “Yes” button to indicate that you want to delete the file
• Finally, open the company file and register the application by following the on-screen instructions.

In Conclusion!

Hopefully, the above-suggested solutions are enough to resolve the “QuickBooks Activation not working” error. However, if you’re confused with any of the above steps, as a result, you’re unable to fix the error. In this case, if you need some help in activating and registering the QuickBooks Desktop, get in touch with our QB Professionals via LIVE CHAT.