How to Troubleshoot QuickBooks Error H202? Stepwise Guide

This error often happens when you attempt to switch to multi-user mode, but QuickBooks can’t access the server where the company file is stored. You may see an error like:

“You’re trying to work with a company file that’s on another computer, and that computer

needs additional installation and setup (H202).”

In other words, QuickBooks on your computer can’t connect to the company file on the server due to networking or configuration problems.

To solve the problem, it’s helpful to know what’s causing it.

● Incorrect hosting configuration

● Firewall or security software blocking ports

● QuickBooks Database Server Manager not running

● DNS configuration issues

● Damaged or misconfigured .ND (Network Data) file

● Important QuickBooks services like QBDBMgrN or QBCFMonitor not running on the

   server

You might be dealing with Error H202 if:

● You get an error when opening the company file in multi-user mode

● QuickBooks becomes slow or unresponsive

● You can’t access the company file from another computer

● The program crashes or freezes unexpectedly

Try these solutions, they work for older QuickBooks versions and on Windows 11:

1. Use QuickBooks File Doctor

This is a free tool from Intuit to fix file and network errors.

Steps:

● Download and install QuickBooks Tool Hub

● Open Tool Hub > Company File Issues

● Launch File Doctor and select your company file

● Let it scan and resolve the issue

2. Check Hosting Settings

Make sure only your server is set to host the file.

On each workstation:

● Open QuickBooks and go to File > Utilities

● If you see “Stop Hosting Multi-User Access,” select it to turn it off

● Only the server should display this option

3. Configure Firewall Settings

Ensure QuickBooks can communicate through your firewall. If you want to do

Firewall settings follow the given steps:

● Go to Control Panel > Windows Defender Firewall > Advanced Settings

● Add inbound and outbound rules for these ports: QuickBooks Desktop 2022:

8019, 56728, 55378–55382

● Restart your computer after updating

4. Ping the Server

Check if your workstation can talk to the server. The Steps are:

● Press Windows + R, type cmd, and hit Enter

● Type ping [your server name] and press Enter

● If it’s slow or fails, fix the network issue

5. Rename the .ND File

A corrupted network data file can break multi-user access. Follow the given steps:

● Go to the folder with your company file

● Find the .ND file (e.g., MyCompanyFile.qbw.nd)

● Right-click and rename it to .old

● Reopen QuickBooks and try again

6. Restart QuickBooks Services

Make sure services are running properly. Here are the following steps:

● Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter

● Find QuickBooksDBXX (XX = your version) and QBCFMonitorService

● Right-click and restart each one

● Set both to “Automatic” in Properties