The File You Specified Cannot Be Opened in QuickBooks: A Detailed Guide

QuickBooks accounting software is prone to unexpected errors. Especially when you try to open the company file on a workstation, it often states an error message that the particular file cannot be accessed. There can be other instances when you fail to open a specific file such as while updating the QuickBooks software, paying the scheduled liabilities, or opening the state or federal forms. If you have stumbled upon “the file you specified cannot be opened in QuickBooks” error, we will help you to fix this issue. Continue reading this detailed guide that contains a list of effective troubleshooting methods.

In this comprehensive guide, you will explore the main reasons due to which you are unable to open the file. Along with this, we will help you with the resolving method so that you can access the specified file.

Why Do You See the “QuickBooks Error The File You Specified Cannot Be Opened” Error?

Generally when you encounter such an error message “the file you specified cannot be opened in QuickBooks”, users should make sure that the file is not opened by other programs. If you are unable to access the file, it may happen due to the following reasons:

• QuickBooks Desktop cannot read your company files correctly.
• You are running the old version of the QuickBooks program.
• Damaged QuickBooks company files can also be the reason behind such errors.
• QuickBooks software update manager/agent tool is unable to update QuickBooks.
• Misconfigured User Account Control settings can also affect QuickBooks files.
• Windows Firewall may also restrict the QuickBooks servers to exchange data.
• Security services such as Spyware and malware bytes can also create conflict with the QuickBooks program.
• Due to the corrupted installation of QuickBooks software, you may fail to open the file on the server.

Such reasons can lead to the “QuickBooks error the file specified cannot be opened” error. To avoid errors, the QuickBooks program and company files need to be repaired.

How to Fix “The File You Specified Cannot Be Opened in QuickBooks” Error?

Receiving errors in QuickBooks can be resolved if you repair the software and company files. In addition, you can give full control to users to access the file, run the QuickBooks File Doctor tool, use QuickBooks Desktop with admin rights, and reinstall the QuickBooks software if required.

Along with this, you can try turning off the User Account Control settings, update QuickBooks Desktop, and run the reboot.bat file to re-register the DLL and OCX files. Removing the device drivers and ending the QuickBooks-related process in Task Manager.

We have also talked about the manual process in order to fix QuickBooks errors. Let’s jump to the following methods.

Fix 1: Repair QuickBooks Software

When you confront any issues in your QuickBooks program, repairing the software can help you to some extent. If you are bothered by the “QuickBooks error message the file you specified cannot be opened”, we suggest you repair the QuickBooks Desktop. These steps can be followed on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10.

• First of all, close the “QuickBooks” tabs if currently opened any.
• Then, restart your computer.
• After this, click on the “Start” menu.
• Now, select the “Control Panel”.
• Click on the “Program and Features” option from the “Control Panel” window.
• Here, you need to find the “QuickBooks” program from the list.
• Thereafter, click on the “uninstall/change” button.
• Here, you can hit the “Continue” button.
• Once done, click on the “Repair your QuickBooks”. After this, you can wait until the repair process is finished.
• Press the “Finish” button.

Once you perform these steps, restart your computer. As your computer restarts, launch QuickBooks Desktop and check if you can access the file.

Fix 2: Update Windows Permission

Due to limited privileges, you may not open the file in QuickBooks. By giving full control to users on Windows, you can remove the “QuickBooks file you specified cannot be opened” error message.

• To update the permission on Windows, go to the “Start” menu.
• Then, start searching for “File Explorer”.
• Click on the “File Explorer” once it appears in the result.
• Here, you need to locate the files related to QuickBooks.
• Once found, click right on the “QuickBooks file”.
• Now, switch to the “Security” option.
• Press the “Edit” option.
• Click on the “Add” button.
• Select “Everyone”.
• After pressing the “OK” button, place the checkmark for “full control”.
• Then, click the “OK” button.
• Now, click on the “Add” button again and type “Users”.
• Press the “OK” button.
• After this, in the “Security” window, place the checkmark for “full control” and click the “OK” button.
• Hit the “Apply” button.
• Now, click the “OK” button to close windows.

As you adjust these settings and allow users to have full control, the file can be opened easily. If you still encounter the “QuickBooks 2012 the file you specified cannot be opened” error message then move to the next step.

Fix 3: Perform QuickBooks File Doctor Tool

QuickBooks File Doctor is a tool that helps to repair files that are causing issues to your program. The process is automatic. All you have to do is download the QuickBooks Tools Hub, go to the Company File Issues section and, click the Run QuickBooks File Doctor button.

• To repair the company file, download “QuickBooks Tools Hub” on your computer.
• Once downloaded, locate the download file and double click on it to complete the installation.
• As you launch the tool to perform navigate to the option “Company File Issues” located on the left.

• At this point, you need to press the “Run QuickBooks File Doctor”.

As you click the tool button, it automatically starts scanning the QuickBooks company files and repairing the errors that are causing issues.

Fix 4: Run QuickBooks as an Administrator

Using the QuickBooks program with insufficient privileges may restrict you from performing certain tasks. Thus, running the QuickBooks Desktop as an administrator is important to avoid such restrictions. Here are the steps to run a system with admin rights.

• Go to the Windows “Start” menu.
• Then, type “QuickBooks” in the Windows search bar.
• As you find the “QuickBooks” in the results, click right on it.

• Now, choose the “Run as administrator” option.

This is how you can use QuickBooks with admin rights on Windows computers. After that, you can try accessing the company files.

Fix 5: Reinstall QuickBooks Program

By reinstalling the QuickBooks Desktop, you can repair a number of issues related to QuickBooks company files. To proceed with this, you can use the Clean Install tool. This makes your task easy.

Follow these steps to reinstall the QuickBooks program:

• To get started, launch the “Run” dialog box by using the “Windows + R” keys.
• When you see the “Run” dialog box, type “appwiz.cpl” in the text field.
• After that, click the “OK” button or hit the ”Enter” key.
• From the list of programs, locate “QuickBooks”.
• Once found, click twice on the program and hit the “Uninstall” button.
• After doing so, you can download the “Clean Install Tool”.
• Once it is downloaded successfully, you can use the tool to install the QuickBooks Desktop.

When you successfully download and reinstall the QuickBooks software using the Clean Install tool, you can check if you can access the company file you specified. This will surely remove the “QuickBooks 2013 the file you specified cannot be opened” error.

Fix 6: Disable the User Account Control on Windows

If you have enabled the User Account Control (UAC) on your Windows computer, it is suggested to turn it off. Enabling UAC on your computer can become the reason for the error- “the file you specified cannot be opened in QuickBooks”.

To disable the UAC, you need to open the User Account Control settings and set the slider to Never Notify. Carry out these steps for better understanding:

• Open the “Run” dialog box by pressing the “Windows + R” keys on your keyboard.
• In the text field, type “Control Panel”.
• Press the “OK” button.
• From here, you can find the “User Account” using the search bar.
• Now, click on the “Change User Account Control Settings”.
• Then, click the “Yes” button.
• At this point, you need to move the slider and set it to “Never Notify”.
• Now, you can press the “Turn off UAC”.
• After that, click the “OK” button.

Once done executing the aforementioned steps, you can reboot your computer. As your computer restarts, you can update the QuickBooks program to the latest version to avoid errors in the future.

Fix 7: Re-register the .OCX and .DLL File with Reboot.bat File

There are a few files that are required to be registered in order to perform QuickBooks properly. If DLL and OCX files are corrupted or damaged, we recommend you register them again. To continue with this process, you can use the reboot.bat file. Check out the following steps to understand better.

• Close the “QuickBooks” program if it is opened.
• Then, go to the desktop and click right on the “QuickBooks” program.
• Once done, click on the “Properties” option.
• From here, you need to locate the file location.
• After that, you can start looking for the “reboot.bat” file.
• When you find the “reboot.bat” file, click right on it and choose the “Run as admin” option. This will launch the reboot.bat file with administrative rights.
• After a few minutes of waiting, you will see the “Command Prompt” window with scrolling names.

Basically, the reboot.bat file helps you to register the important files required by QuickBooks. When the process is finished, it repairs the errors automatically. Be sure that you reboot the Windows computer and check if you encounter a “ QuickBooks the file specified cannot be opened” error message on your screen.

Fix 8: Remove Device Drivers and End Process in Task Manager

If the Device Drivers are creating conflicts then you can remove them. In addition, you can end the QuickBooks-related process running in the background. To do so, you can pursue the following steps:

• Click on the “Windows” icon to open the “Start” menu.
• Then, click on the “Devices and Printers” option from the list of options.
• After this, click right on the device that you want to remove.
• Now, select the “Remove” option.
• Once done, exit the “QuickBooks Desktop”.
• The next step is to open the Windows “Task Manager”. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl + Alt + Del” keys on the keyboard.
• Once you see the list of running programs, locate the “QBW32.exe”.
• Then, click right on it and press the “End task” button.
• Navigate to the “C drive > Program data > Intuit > QuickBooks”.
• At this stage, locate and remove the file named “QBPRINT.qbp”.

Once you remove the device driver, QBW32.exe file, and QBPRINT.qbp file, you can reboot your computer.

Fix 9: Update QuickBooks to the Latest Version

Updating the QuickBooks program to the latest build is important. This supports additional features and file types. If you are facing the error; the file specified cannot be opened QuickBooks then follow these steps:

• Launch “QuickBooks Desktop” on your computer.
• Then, navigate to the “Product Information” option.
• After this, click on the “Correct QuickBooks Version”.
• Once done, click on the “Get the Latest Updates” option.
• After making a folder, you can save the file.
• Now, click twice on the “Installation file”. This will initiate the update process.

After finishing the entire process, you can reboot your computer. Since your accounting software is up to date, you can check if you encounter a QuickBooks error the file you specified cannot be opened.

Fix 10: Troubleshoot Windows and QuickBooks

When you are done performing enough methods, if you are still facing the error- the file you specified cannot be opened in QuickBooks 2012, 2013, 2014, and other versions, you can resolve it manually.

This method includes a number of steps such as scanning the system, checking the server, and updating the Windows computers.

• First of all, you should check if you can access the file on other servers.
• Next to this, verify if your QuickBooks files are corrupted. If so, repair the file immediately.
• Now, you can scan your Windows computer. For this, you can use the Virus and Threat Protecting services on the antivirus program.
• Run Windows computer with administrative rights.
• Make sure that Windows computers and QuickBooks Desktop are installed properly.

These are the best and effective methods that will help you to repair the issues. If you are facing an error “the file you specified cannot be opened in QuickBooks 2013, 2014, 2015, and other versions.

To Summarize

If you are unable to open the file you specified in QuickBooks, your program or Windows system must be the reason behind this inconvenience. By repairing the QuickBooks Desktop and Windows computer, you can get rid of the error message “QuickBooks error the file specified cannot be opened”. To fix this error, we have discussed the most effective methods. We hope you find this guide easy to understand.

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