QuickBooks was unable to back up the company file

Legacy KB ID: 4529

Question

I am trying to create a backup of my company file, but every attempt results in the error:  ‘Quickbooks was unable to back up the company file’.  Verify finds no errors and I have checked permissions to the QuickBooks, company file and destination folders and both myself (admin user) and QuickBooks processes have full permisions.  What is happening?

Answer

This error can appear for two reasons:

  1. Windows 7 Home Edition with UAC tuned on;
  2. Single User licenses that attempted to switch on Multi-user mode, a feature only available in multi-user licenses like Pro, Premier and Enterprise.

The most common way hosting multi-user access has been turned on is if Accounts Business (formerly QuickBooks) was installed with the option QuickBooks and Company File Server. 

Sometimes switching off hosting multi-user access does not stop the services running the feature.  These will need to be turned off manually.

 

Solution:

Windows 7 Home Edition – turn off UAC:

  1. Control Panel > user Accounts > Change user Account Control settings;
  2. Slide bar down to Never notify;
  3. Click OK;
  4. Reboot the PC.

 

Turn off Multi-user Hosting

  1. Check for Multi-user Hosting:  click on File > Utilities
    1. If you see the option Stop Hosting Multi-user access, this PC is hosting multi-user access. 
    2. If you see the option Host multi-user access, this PC is not hosting multi-user access.  

2.    If your PC is hosting multi-user access (1a above applies):

a.    File > Utilities

b.    Click on Stop Hosting Multi-user access

c.    Close QuickBooks and reboot your PC

    1. Open Quickbooks and create a backup.
  1. If the problem persists after you have confirmed that this PC is not hosting multi-user access (1b or 2 above):
    1. Close QuickBooks;
    2. Open the Task Manager by clicking on Ctrl+Alt+Del (3 keys simultaneously) and select Start Task Manager;
    3. Click on the Services tab and click on the Name column header to sort the list in alphabetical order;
    4. Scroll down to services starting with the letter Q.  You will see a number of, but necessarily all of, these services relating to QuickBooks like:

                                          i.    QBCF Monitor Service

                                         ii.    QB Database Manager Service

                                        iii.    QuickBooksDB21 (where the number relates to your year version of QuickBooks (21 = 2012/13)

    1. Any QuickBooks service whose status is Running, must be stopped.  Highlight it, right-click and select Stop Service.
    2. Close the Task Manager;
    3. Launch QuickBooks and create a backup.

 

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