QuickBooks company file not found / QuickBooks not able to communicate with the company file / QuickBooks company file missing error / QuickBooks won’t find company file.

With the latest upgrade version, Intuit® has substantially improved QuickBooks functionality, yet problems in the application remain unpredictable and perplexing. As you may be aware, QuickBooks is prone to throwing strange errors that, for the most part, make little sense to inexperienced QuickBooks users. The error message “QuickBooks won’t find company file” may appear while opening the company file from the No Company Open windows.

This blog post contains a set of solutions for the “QuickBooks company file not found” error as well as troubleshooting recommendations, so read this post till the end to get aware of the error.

Understanding of Error: “QuickBooks company file not found” 

Users receive multiple error notifications when they are unable to find their company file in QuickBooks. Some of them are like “Warning: did you move your company file? QuickBooks can’t find your company file. Error Code: Company file not found”, it means QuickBooks not able to communicate with the company file for some reason.

The error message also includes information on how to fix the problem, such as “If you recently moved your QuickBooks Company file, you’ll need to point QuickBooks to the new location.” You can do this by utilising the ‘Find’ command in the start menu to look for your company file.” You can also see a notice that says, “Warning: The company file you selected could not be found”/ ”QuickBooks company file missing error”.  

What can instigate Error: QuickBooks company file not found?

As previously stated, there may be certain unknown factors that display the company file as missing error. We’ve compiled a list of some of the more prevalent explanations from the long list below:

• If your hard disc is damaged, you can see a similar error.
• When the QuickBooks company file is relocated to a different location on the computer, the path to the file is altered.
• If any of the software files are corrupted
• The file was mistakenly destroyed from local or network storage.
• When using QuickBooks in Multi-user mode, there are challenges with network connectivity.
• If the QuickBooks desktop version you’re using isn’t accurate
• Choosing the incorrect selection to open a certain file type can also result in the “QuickBooks cannot find company file” issue.
• The name of your company’s file is too long.
• If the QBWUSER.INI file is corrupted or missing
• If there is a problem with the placement of the QBW file, including access permission, you may get this error.
• A QBW.tlg file that is incompatible.

Before beginning the process of resolving the QuickBooks company file not found error, you should take the following precautions

There are a few things you should do before you start the fixing process, including:

• Before you begin troubleshooting, make sure the problem is with the company file, not the software.
• Make sure your QuickBooks software is up-to-date.
• We also recommend that you check for corruption in your QuickBooks program.
• The company file should be kept on a single system.

Possible methods need to execute to overcome QuickBooks company file not found or missing issue 

When you receive a “QuickBooks company file not found or missing” issue, you may be unable to access critical accounting data, which may impede your job progress. In different cases, you’ll need to use the procedures listed below to fix the QuickBooks won’t find company file error. Here are some excellent error-resolution troubleshooting options:-

Let’s have a look at different cases:

#Case 1: If you’re accessing QuickBooks file saved locally on the system

Method 1: Look for all the company files  

In this case, you’ll need to go to the server system and look for all of the company’s files. Make sure the extension type is preceded by an asterisk (*). The following are the file extensions to look for:

• *.qbb (backup files)
• *.qbx (Accountants transfer files)
• *.qbw (working files)
• *.qba (Accountants copy files)
• *.qby (Accountant changes files)

After you’ve located the files, make a note of their location and proceed to the solution. If the file isn’t detected, you’ll need to seek the advice of an IT professional.

Method 2: Launch QuickBooks and open the file

Depending on the type of QuickBooks file, you would have to open it.

Step 1: To begin, you’d need to access the company file or an accountant’s copy

• Choose open or restore company from the file menu
• Moving forward, choose to open a company file followed by hitting the “Next” button
• After that, choose the company’s file
• In the end, select the “Open” option.

Step 2:  You must restore the backup of qbb file extension 

• Start with moving to the file menu and choose open or restore company
• In the next tab, choose to restore a backup file
• Additionally, pick local backup
• Select the company file and press the next button
• Choose where you want the recovered file to be saved.

Step 3: Recover a copy transfer file created by an accountant.

• From the File menu, choose either open or restore company
• You’ll also need to choose convert and accountant’s copy transfer file, then click “Next”
• If the accountants’ copy can and can’t do window is visible and then hit the “Next” button
• Now go ahead and open the transfer file
• Finally, click the Save tab and select the location where the file will be saved.

#Case 2: If you are accessing QuickBooks file over the network 

Method 1: Verifying the Network Connectivity 

• You would have to identify the server system’s name during this procedure
• By holding down the Windows key + R key at the same time.
• Once done with that then click on the Run button
• After that, type CMD and press the enter key
• Press the enter key after typing ipconfig/all
• The server names should be remembered
• In the following window, enter ping and the server’s name
• After done with that, select the Enter tab
• Each pocket will have a response
• If you’re experiencing packet loss, it’s likely that your network connection is having problems.

Method 2: Look for the QuickBooks Company File 

• To find the file type, use the Windows feature
• In the search programs and files search box, type the extension of the company file plus the asterisk sign (*) in the windows start tab
  • *.qbw (working files)
  • *.qbb (backup files)
  • *.qba (Accountants copy files)
  • *.qbx (Accountants transfer files)
  • *.qby (Accountant changes files)
• After you’ve located the file, do a right-click it and choose Open File Location Tab from the menu
• To fix the problem, open the file from the correct location.

Additional options to tackle Error: QuickBooks company file not found

If the aforementioned approaches don’t work for you, you can try the instructions below.

Method 1: Copy the company file to a new location

• This method requires you to create a new folder in the C: drive
• Then go to the folder where the company file is saved and open it
• You must also select the company file and the corresponding .tlg file while pressing and holding the ctrl key
• Then you’d have to perform a right-click and choose the copy option
• To complete the process, open the new folder and right-click on the paste tab.

Method 2: Examining the file extension and properties

• You must first access the folder containing the file
• Choose the properties tab by right-clicking the company file
• The file must then be a QuickBooks company file, with a file size of 7MB
• Additionally, go to the advanced tab and uncheck the boxes for compressing and encrypting attributes
• Finally, you can now proceed by selecting the “Ok” tab.

Winding-Up!

Well, these are possible troubleshooting that you need to know to tackle the QuickBooks can’t find the company file or company file is a missing problem! If you still can’t find the company file, make sure the Show Hidden Files on Windows option is selected. You can get direct help from our Certified QuickBooks Desktop Experts via our LIVE CHAT option, if you encounter any other error or if you are unable to locate the company file and are still receiving the QuickBooks company file not found issue.