How To Fix ‘QuickBooks Error Message The File Exists’?

If you deal with financial aspects like accounting and Bookkeeping of the business then QuickBooks is a wonderful software for you. From contactless payments to manage tax, this software is considered best for companies to manage their financial sides without hard efforts. But, there is no software in the world that is error-free and so does QuickBooks. It is common to encounter a few errors and bugs while using it. ‘Quickbooks error THE FILE EXISTS’ is one such error that can irritate you because your work gets disturbed until you fix this issue. This error is faced while downloading payroll updates, opening a federal/state, and payment of liabilities. 

When this error takes place, your desktop screen shows a message- QuickBooks windows error the file exists. In case, you also want to avoid this situation to come and stop your important work in between then read the entire article. In this post, we will tell you everything about Quickbooks Error The File Exists and solutions to resolve this issue. So, without wasting your time, let’s jump to the matter. 

Quickbooks Error The File Exists: What Is It?

quickbooks error the file exists

Quickbooks Error The file Exists is a technical error that takes place when you try to download payroll updates, open a federal/state and make payment of liabilities. The moment this error happens your desktop screen will reflect a warning message. Read our article till the end to know about the reasons and solutions of the QuickBooks error message the file exists.

QuickBooks Windows Error The File Exists: Reasons for Occurrence

quickbooks error the file exists

There are many possible reasons for this error taking place on your system. We have listed all the reasons below to help you.

  • Poor/unstable Internet connection on the system.
  • Using an outdated Firewall.
  • Trying to access two files at once.
  • Using an outdated/old version of QB Desktop software.
  • Wrong Internet security settings on your system.
  • Improper installation of the QB software.
  • You do not have admin rights on your computer. 
  • Windows User Account Control interrupting QuickBooks.

Key Steps Before Resolving The Error

We are giving some advance tips so that you could fix the ‘Windows Error Was The File Exists Quickbooks.’ 

  • Hit ‘OK‘ continuously till the error message gets 100 % updated.
  • Then close and then reopen QuickBooks.
  • Confirm that the QB software is of the latest version.
  • Close QB software and restart your system.
  • After restarting, right-click on QuickBooks and Select ‘Run as administrator.

Methods To Resolve ‘QuickBooks Error Message The File Exists’

Before you jump to the solutions section, make sure to follow the steps correctly to get the desired result. 

Update QuickBooks Desktop Application

To fix Quickbooks Windows Error The File Exists, the first solution is to update the QB desktop application.

  • Press tab on Ok till the error keeps coming. After that Close QB.
  • Launch QB again.
  • Update the software to its latest release:
    • Reach out to the Help menu and click on Help. 

quickbooks error the file exists

    • Select Update QuickBooks Desktop.
    • Click on Update Now.
    • Click on the option of Reset Update, to delete all the old updates that were downloaded manually or automatically.
    • Press tab on Get Updates. It will start updating the download.
  • quickbooks error the file exists
  • Once the update is downloaded, click on the Install.

quickbooks error the file exists

  • Restart your computer.
  • Launch the program with administrator rights:
    1. Right, Click on the Program option.
    2. Hit click on Run as Administrator.

If the following steps have fixed your issues, then start configuring automatic updates in QB. When you turn on the automatic updates, QuickBooks downloads the update files the moment they are available. 

Method 2:  Disable The Windows User Account Control

  • Open the Windows settings.
  • You will find the option of User Account Control, click on that.
  • If the UAC is turned on, then turn it off.

Disable UAC

  • Restart your computer and update QuickBooks Payroll. 

Method 3: Re-register QuickBooks .DLL and .OCX File By Using Reboot.bat File

Reboot.bat re-registers the important installation of QB that helps in fixing the errors like “File Exists.” You need to follow these easy steps mentioned below.

  • Close the QuickBooks Desktop software as well as application windows.
  • Click on QuickBooks and then choose the Properties option.
  • Choose the Open File Location and you will find the folder of Reboot.bat there.
  • Make a click on the Reboot.bat file and then click on Run as Administrator.

quickbooks error the file exists

  • You will have to wait for a moment. Then a black command window will be opened and closed at the same time. 
  • Restart your windows and then check whether the ‘Quickbooks The Windows Error Was The File’ is resolved or not.

Also Find, QuickBooks Sync Manager Error – Solve Rapidly in 7 Easy Steps

Method 4: Allow Full Control Access

  • Right-click on the icon of QB Desktop and select Open File Location.

quickbooks error the file exists

  • Then press the Backspace key to delete the file address.

quickbooks error the file exists

  • Click on the QuickBooks folder and Choose the option of Properties.
  • Reach out to the Security Section and press Edit then Choose Add.
  • Select Everyone and Hit OK.
  • Now, you need to choose the option of Full Control.

quickbooks error the file exists

  • Click on the Apply option.
  • After following the steps, restart your system to finish the process. 

Method 5: Re-install The QB Desktop

You can also replace the old files with new ones with the help of a clean install. This can work as installing fresh software doesn’t bring such errors.

  • On your keyboard, type the Run command. 
  • In the search box write “appwiz.cpl”.
  • Click on QuickBooks two times and then choose to Uninstall.
  • Follow the instructions coming on your screen to delete the software from your device.
  • Once you remove the old application, install it again from the official website.
  • Save it on your computer.
  • After following the above steps successfully, you can use the newly installed QuickBooks software.

Method 6: Fix File Exists Error While Printing

Fix File Exists Error While Printing

If the above five methods did not satisfy you then don’t panic, we have one more effective solution for you. Have a look.

  • Type the run command and then write Control. Hit Enter.
  • Choose the Devices and Printers option.
  • You will see a list now, remove the printer from the list on which you are having issues.
  • Press CTRL + ALT + DEL together to open the task manager.
  • Find QBW32.exe” and right-click on it.
  • To finish the process, click on Yes.
  • Reach out to C drive then  Program Data, Intuit and QuickBooks. (C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Intuit\(QuickBooks_version)\TSPrinterSettings\)
  • Find and remove the file named QBPRINT.qbp
  • Restart your system and try to print one more time.

Final Words

We have explained six methods to fix ‘Quickbooks Error THE FILE EXISTS’. You can easily follow these solutions as we have used the easiest language and steps to solve your problem. Although we are sure that by now you have become well versed with this error and how to repair it, if you still face some more complex errors while repairing then you can always contact QuickBooks Support Team for guidance. If this blog was informative enough to help you then do consider other interesting articles on our website.

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