What’s the Deal with QuickBooks Error the File Exists and How to Fix it?

No matter how perfect and beneficial to use QuickBooks is, it is also prone to several errors and technical glitches, just like any other accounting application. Nowadays, many users are getting QuickBooks error the file exists on a number of instances like while paying schedules liabilities, opening a federal form, or downloading updates of payroll. Usually, such an error arises when the QuickBooks Desktop application user is using gets outdated. However, there can be several other reasons behind the file exists error that we will discuss further in this post alongside their troubleshooting solutions.

A user might get one of the following error messages with the error prompt: “The file you specified cannot be Opened. Make sure that it is not currently being used by another program or a ready-only file.” or “The Windows error was the file exists.”

Looking for instant troubleshooting assistance to get rid of QuickBooks error the file exists? If yes, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team of QuickBooks professionals by dialing our customer support number (844-932-1139).

What causes the file exists error in QuickBooks Desktop?

Down below, we have mentioned all the reasons that can trigger the file exists error in QuickBooks Desktop:

• Due to the outdated QuickBooks Desktop application.

• User account control settings are blocking QuickBooks from performing any actions.

What should you do to fix QuickBooks error the file exists?

Solution 1) Use the administrator account to update the QuickBooks Desktop application

• Select the Windows Start menu and type “QuickBooks Desktop” into the search bar.

• Right-click the QuickBooks Desktop version that you want to update and choose the Run as administrator option.

• Enter the admin username and password of QuickBooks as prompted.

• Open File Explorer by pressing Windows + E keys together on the keyboard.

• Open the folder that contains the QuickBooks company file.
  Note: You can open the Company Files folder by navigating to the following path: C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Intuit\QuickBooks\Company Files.

• Right-click the company file with the .qbw extension.

• Press & hold the Alt key on the keyboard and then choose the Open option.

• Select the Help menu on the No Company Open window.

• From the drop-down menu, choose the Update QuickBooks Desktop option.

• Select the Mark All option on the Options tab.

• Move on to the Update Now tab, click on the Reset Update checkbox, and then select the Get updates option.

• Restart QuickBooks Desktop and select the Yes option on the update installer pop-up.

Solution 2) Turn off the user account control settings on the computer

• On the keyboard, press the Windows key to open the Start menu.

• Type “UAC” into the search column and then select Change User Account Control settings.

• On the User Account Control settings window, select the slider and move it down to Never notify.

• At last, click on the OK button.

Conclusion:

Even after following all the troubleshooting solutions mentioned in the post, if you cannot resolve QuickBooks error the file exists, then there might be some damage done to the QuickBooks program files. Our recommendation for you is to repair the QuickBooks Desktop application for Windows and see whether this fixes the error or not. You can also get the error resolved immediately by contacting our QuickBooks error support team at (844-932-1139).