Overview

QuickBooks Database Manager syncs data between the server storing the company file and the workstations connected to the server. Error 1920: Service QuickBooks Database Manager (QBCFMonitorService) failed to start” occurs while installing or updating QuickBooks Desktop.

QuickBooks error 1920 occurs when QuickBooks Database Manager fails to locate and connect to the company file.

The connection error can be caused by the wrong configuration or by network issues. You can reinstall QuickBooks Desktop or just the QuickBooks Database Server Manager to fix the error.

In this post, you’ll learn how to fix QuickBooks Error 1920.

Error 1920 when installing QuickBooks

Method to Fix Error 1920 when installing QuickBooks

Error 1920 abruptly stops the installation of QuickBooks Desktop. However, some of the files already loaded on the windows platform need to be removed after you receive this error. 

Step 1: Uninstall QuickBooks Desktop

First, you can uninstall QuickBooks Desktop from the control panel, then you can manually remove the files or use a tool offered by Intuit to deal with installation issues.

Steps to uninstall QuickBooks Desktop:

1. Go to the start menu and click on the control panel.
2. Click on programs and features, then uninstall a program.
3. Choose quickbooks from the provided list of programs.
4. Right click on QuickBooks desktop and choose uninstall/change.
5. Follow the onscreen instructions to uninstall quickbooks and click on finish once the process is over.

Step 2: Remove folders loaded by the installer

You need to find the following folders and rename them. You can append a .old at the end of the folder name in order to remove it from the list of folders that QuickBooks Desktop can identify and use.

Windows 11/10/8/7	Windows Vista
C:\Program Data\IntuitC:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\IntuitC:\Program Data\Common Files\IntuitC:\Program Files\Common Files\IntuitC:\Program Files\Intuit	C:\Program Data\Common Files\IntuitC:\Program Data\IntuitC:\Users\\AppData\Local\IntuitC:\Program Files\Common Files\IntuitC:\Program Files\Intuit

To rename a folder, right click on folder > Rename > add .old to name > press to enter.

Use the QuickBooks Installation Tool

The installation tool scans your system and finds out errors that are causing the installation to fail. After identifying the root cause of the error, the tool fixes the issue so that you can install the program on your system.

Steps to Download QuickBooks Tool Hub:

1. First, you need to download the setup for QuickBooks Tool Hub and save it on your desktop. You can find the download link in the description below.
2. Then you can launch the setup by double-clicking on it.
3. Now simply follow the on-screen instructions to install the tool on your system.

Steps to Install QuickBooks Tool Hub:

1. After finishing the installation of the QuickBooks tool hub, go to the start menu and launch the tool.
2. Right-click on the QuickBooks tool hub and choose to run as administrator.
3. Click on installation issues from the left panel.
4. Choose the QuickBooks to install the diagnostic tool which will scan your system for up to 20 minutes in order to identify missing dependencies and damaged files that are interrupting the installation of this accounting software.
5. Finally, Restart your system after the program has completed scanning and fixing the errors.

Now you can rely on the QuickBooks Installation Tool to fix Error 1620 when you receive the error while installing the software.

Steps to use QuickBooks install diagnostic tool to fix common installation errors:

1. Go to the start menu and type QuickBooks tool hub.
2. Right-click on the QuickBooks tool hub and choose to run as administrator.
3. Click on installation issues from the left panel.
4. Choose QuickBooks to install a diagnostic tool that will scan your system for up to 20 minutes in order to identify missing dependencies and damaged files that are interrupting the installation of this accounting software.
5. Restart your system after the program has completed scanning and fixing the errors.

Step 3: Install QuickBooks Desktop

Now that you’ve dealt with the underlying cause of QuickBooks Desktop error 1620, you can install the accounting software on your system. Before you install the software, make sure that you have the setup and activation key for your version of QuickBooks Desktop.

Now it’s time to install a Fresh Copy of QuickBooks Desktop on your system.

1. Download and launch the setup of your version of QuickBooks Desktop.
2. After downloading the setup, launch it and accept the terms and conditions.
3. Simply proceed with the onscreen instructions and to continue with the installation.
4. Enter your product and license numbers required to activate the accounting software and click on next.
5. Choose one of the two options provided below:
   1. Express Install → Host Software and Data Locally
      1. If you chose Express Install, then click on next.
      2. Choose install and select the option to open QuickBooks when the installation completes.
   2. Custom and Network Install → Enable Multi-user Mode
      1. If you chose Custom and Network Install, then click on Next.
      2. Choose additional options to configure the accounting software as per your personal requirements.
      3. Click on Change the Install Location.
      4. Click on Browse, then choose the directory that you want to install the software in.
      5. Click on Next, then Open QuickBooks.

Step 4: Activate QuickBooks Desktop

Now that you’ve installed QuickBooks Desktop on your system, you can use the activation key that you received when you purchased the product to activate your software. Without activation, the trial version will end within 30 days and you’ll lose access to all the features in QuickBooks.

Steps to find the activation key for QuickBooks Desktop:

1. Go back to your Intuit account and check for the products that you have purchased in the past.
2. Then simply choose the edition of QuickBooks that you are reinstalling
3. And note down the product and license numbers required to activate the product.

Steps to activate QuickBooks Desktop after installation:

1. Launch QuickBooks Desktop.
2. Go to the Help menu.
3. Choose Activate QuickBooks Desktop.
4. Verify the information by providing additional details.

Error 1920 when updating QuickBooks Database Server Manager

Methods to Fix Error 1920 when updating QuickBooks Database Server Manager

Issues with the program files can cause QuickBooks error 1920. The program files for QuickBooks Database Server Manager must not be damaged in order to successfully use or update the program on your system. However, the error 1920 while updating the server manager occurs because of damage to these files.

Step 1: Uninstall QuickBooks Database Server Manager

You can reinstall the QuickBooks Database Server Manager on the server system to fix error 1920:

1. Log into the server computer.
2. Press Windows + R.
3. In the Run command, type appwiz.cpl and hit Enter.
4. Choose QuickBooks Database Server Manager, and click on Uninstall/Change.
5. Follow through with the on-screen instructions.
6. Restart the server.

Now rename the folders that were created for QuickBooks Database server manager. You can view the hidden files from File Explorer > View > Show Hidden Files & Folders.

Next, install the QuickBooks Database Server Manager, and set up file sharing so that you can access the data from workstations connected to the server.

Step 2: Install QuicKBooks Database Server Manager.

Download setup for QuickBooks Desktop.

Save the setup file on the server. As you have to install the program, you need to be logged in from an admin account in windows; otherwise, the operation will fail.

Steps to reinstall the QuickBooks Database Server Manager to fix error 1920:

1. Launch the QuickBooks Desktop setup that you downloaded from the link above.
2. Go through the on-screen instructions until you come to the option to select Install Type.
3. Select Custom or Network Options, then click on Next.
4. Choose one of the two options mentioned below so that the setup can install the database server manager accordingly on your server computer:
   1. I’ll be using QuickBooks Desktop on this computer, and I’ll be storing…
   2. I will not be using QuickBooks Desktop…
5. Go through the rest of the instructions, and select Install in the final step.
6. Choose Yes if user account control prompts you for confirmation.

Step 3: Configure the Database Server Manager

You have to manually set the folders that the server manager scans to look for company files. Once the tool notes the location of the company file, it can enable data sharing across multiple systems connected to the server.

Steps to configure QuickBooks Database Server Manager:

1. From the Start menu, open Services.
2. Click on QuickBooksDBXX, in which the XX is the version number of your software.
3. In the General tab, go to the Service Status section.
4. Choose Stop if the current status is Running or Started.
5. Go to the Startup Type dropdown menu.
6. Select Automatic.
7. From the Logon tab, click on Local System Account options.
8. From the Recovery tab, choose to Restart the Service for the following options:
   1. First failure
   2. Second failure
   3. Subsequent failures.
9. From the General tab, choose Start.

Step 4: Configure Firewall for Database Server Manager (if you receive network errors)

Creating custom firewall rules is important when you’ve not configured the program to allow QuickBooks to access network connections.

Follow these steps:

1. First Close QuickBooks desktop after saving changes made to the data.
2. In the start menu, type in Windows Firewall.
3. Go to the Advanced Settings.
4. In the left panel, click on Inbound Rules.
5. From the right panel, click on New Rule.
6. Choose Port, then Next, then enter port numbers to enable access for the QuickBooks desktop. (I’ve given the port numbers after the solution. So you can scroll down to find the required information.)
7. Choose Next, then Allow the Connection, then Next again.
8. Input a Name for the Rule, then choose Finish.

Now, choose Outbound rules from the left panel and follow steps 5 to 8 to create a new outbound rule for the QuickBooks desktop.

Let’s discuss the port numbers. QuickBooks 2019 and above use dynamic port numbers. These ports are assigned when you install the software on your system.

So here are the port numbers:

• QuickBooks desktop 2017: 8019, 56727, 55373-55377
• QuickBooks desktop 2018: 8019, 56728, 55378-55382
• QuickBooks desktop 2019 and later: 8019, XXXXX

Here’s how to get the dynamic port number when hosting your company file on a separate server:

1. Go to the start menu and type QuickBooks Database Server Manager.
2. Launch the program.
3. Select the Port Monitor tab.

Note down the Port Number for your version of QuickBooks desktop.

Wrapping Up

QuickBooks error 1920 occurs during the update or installation process. You can rely on the solutions in this post in order to fix the error. On the basis of the scenarios, either the error occurring during the installation or the error occurring during the update process, you can follow the various steps and fix the error. If you need help in this process, then get in touch with our QuickBooks Experts.

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