Get Rid of QuickBooks Error: The File You Specified Cannot Be Opened

Do you get the file you specified cannot be opened​ error in QuickBooks Desktop while you attempt to download payroll, pay scheduled liabilities, or open a federal or state form? This is a technical glitch in QB Desktop that can hinder your payroll tasks, leading to a delay in work. This error can be really annoying while you try to work, and fixing it might become a pain since the QuickBooks file won’t open.

There can be many reasons and causes as to why you see the QB message the file you specified cannot be opened. Let’s learn about why this problem occurs and what the resolutions are that you can take to get rid of it.

Delve into Troubleshooting Methods for the File You Specified Cannot Be Opened

Listed in this segment are some working solutions that you can follow to troubleshoot the QuickBooks error, the file you specified cannot be opened​. Follow the procedures outlined below to resolve this problem without resorting to extreme countermeasures.

Update the QuickBooks Desktop

QuickBooks 2015 the file you specified cannot be opened might arise because of an outdated version. Therefore, take these steps to update QB Desktop to the latest version.

1. Open Intuit’s website using your selected browser.
2. Find the Downloads & Updates section.
3. Select QuickBooks Product from the dropdown on the Product menu.
4. In the Version menu, select your preferred model year and version of QuickBooks.
5. Click on “Get the latest updates” and then select “Save/Save File“.
6. The download of the update files will start.
7. Install the update now by following the instructions.
8. After finishing, restart your computer.
9. Now, run the payroll update.

The file you specified cannot be opened QuickBooks 2012 may be resolved after updating it to the latest version. If your QuickBooks application is not updating, then follow this article to resolve the issue. If your QBDT software is up to date with the latest version, then skip to the next method.

Update the Windows Operating System

An outdated Windows or damaged Microsoft components can cause errors and lead to QuickBooks 2012 the file you specified cannot be opened​. Therefore, take these steps to update your Windows operating system as outlined below.

Update Windows 11

The following steps are to be taken to update the Windows OS in Windows 11:

1. Start your system and go to Settings
2. Select Windows Update and hit Check for updates
3. Available updates will show up on your screen
4. Click on Download & Install

Update Windows 10

Through the steps given below, you can update the Windows OS to resolve the file you specified cannot be opened quickbooks Windows 10:

1. Launch your system and head to Settings
   
2. Choose Update & Security and go to Windows Update
   
3. Click on Check for updates.
   
4. If there are available updates, then hit Download & install

Any future updates will also be downloaded automatically. Now, confirm whether the QuickBooks 2013 the file you specified cannot be opened​ error has been fixed. If not, then you should create an exclusion for the QB program in the Firewall through the next step.

Windows Firewall exception for QuickBooks

An internet blockage on the QBDT application may occur due to incorrect or wrong Windows Firewall settings and cause the file you specified cannot be opened​ or the file exists error. You must configure the Windows Firewall and antivirus settings to prevent them from blocking QB. Follow this guide to exclude the application and ensure a stable internet connection.

Once done, relaunch the QB Desktop and verify whether the error has been resolved. If the issue persists, follow the next process to run the application as an administrator.

Run as Windows Administrator

You should launch QuickBooks as an administrator to ensure that it has all the necessary permissions to prevent the file you specified cannot be opened​ error.

1. Open your Windows system.
2. Locate and select the QB Desktop icon.
3. Click on ‘Run as Administrator’.

Additionally, ensure that you are logged in as an administrator user on Windows. You can also modify a user to give them admin rights in Windows to prevent the file you specified cannot be opened in QuickBooks Desktop​. If the issue persists, configure the UAC settings using the following solution.

Change UAC Settings

Your User Account Control (UAC) settings might cause various issues with the QuickBooks Desktop and lead to the file you specified cannot be opened​. Follow the procedure outlined below to disable UAC settings on your system.

1. Type “Control Panel” in the search box in the taskbar and open it.
   
2. Open the System and Security section, and then locate Security and Maintenance.
   
3. Now, click “Change User Account Control settings.”
4. You will be asked to type in the administrator password.
5. Enter the password and hit OK.
6. The program will make changes to your computer.
7. Now, drag the slider to the bottom and select Never Notify.
8. Finally, tap OK and restart your device.
   

Be sure to enable UAC settings afterwards, since it is a crucial security feature in Windows. Now, confirm whether the error is gone or still occurring. You can resolve the file you specified cannot be opened errors in QuickBooks​ by following the method below to run Quick Fix My Program.

Run Quick Fix My Program

Follow the process below to run the Quick Fix My Program for the file you specified cannot be opened​ error in QB Desktop. To download the QuickBooks Tool Hub you can go through this guide.

1. Launch the QuickBooks Tool Hub.
2. Navigate to the Program Problems tab.
3. Click on Quick Fix My Program.
4. Sign in to your company file on QBDT.

Alternatively, the QuickBooks File Doctor can be used to repair your company file. If the file exists QB error continues, then you should update the Windows permissions for users through the next method.

Update Windows Permissions

Follow this process to change the file permission on your computer system so that the file you specified cannot be opened error in QuickBooks Desktop​ can be prevented.

Note:-

Processor Type	File Path for QBW32.EXE
32-bit	C:\Program Files\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
64-bit	C:\Program Files x86\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)

1. Head to the Windows Start menu.
2. Search for “File Explorer” through the search bar.
   
3. Locate your QuickBooks program file in File Explorer.
4. Now, select the QuickBooks program (QBW32.EXE) file and go to Properties.
   
5. Head to the Security section and choose Edit.
6. Select Add and enter “Everyone” in the window, then hit OK.
7. Again, click on Add and enter “Users” in the window and tap OK.
8. Tick the Full Control checkbox in the Security window and click OK.
9. Once done, hit Apply and then hit OK to close the settings.

Once the Windows permissions have been updated, QuickBooks the file you specified cannot be opened​ error should not occur anymore. If the file exists error still occurs, then verify and rebuild the QB company file as outlined in the next method to resolve the issue.

Verify and Rebuild the Data File

Your damaged data file may be the leading factor in the file you specified cannot be opened​ in QuickBooks Desktop. To resolve this issue, follow the steps outlined below to verify and rebuild the data file.

Verify the Company File:

You can verify your data file with the steps below on QuickBooks Desktop:

1. Open QBDT and expand the Files menu.
2. Locate and select the Utilities option.
3. Now, click on Verify Data.

Rebuild the Company File:

You can take these steps in QBDT to rebuild your data file.

1. Open the Files menu on the QuickBooks homescreen.
2. Select and expand the Utilities menu.
3. Finally, Hit Rebuild Data.

Then, verify your data file again to check for additional damage, and ensure that you create a backup of the company file before rebuilding the data file. Has your QuickBooks backup failed? Troubleshoot it through this guide. If the file you specified cannot be opened​ issue persists, then try reinstalling the QBDT entirely through the next step.

Reinstall the QuickBooks Desktop

QuickBooks error the file you specified cannot be opened might occur due to the incomplete or improper installation of the application. Therefore, follow the steps given below to reinstall the QBDT program:

1. Type “Control Panel” into the search box on the taskbar.
   
2. Open the Control Panel, and navigate to the Programs section.
3. Choose ‘Programs and Features’ or ‘Uninstall a Program’.
   
4. Now, click on QuickBooks Desktop in the list of programs.
5. Select “Uninstall” from the menu to remove the software.
6. After that, download QBDT and install it.
7. Finally, set up the QuickBooks Desktop.

Alternatively, you can refer to the clean install QuickBooks Desktop guide, as it will not affect your data files.

What is QuickBooks Desktop​ Error: The File You Specified Cannot Be Opened?

If you get this error on your QBDT application while performing basic payroll tasks, then dive into this blog to understand how this error occurs. It can hinder accounting tasks such as paying scheduled liabilities, opening a state/federal form, and payroll update download; therefore, it’s necessary to resolve this company file error in QuickBooks​ Desktop. You can identify this issue with the following warning message that will appear on your screen.

“The file you specified cannot be opened. Make sure that it is not currently being used by another program or a read-only file.

The Windows error was ‘The file exists’.”

Now, to understand how the file you specified cannot be opened​ issue can occur, move on to the next section to see what the prime causes are for it.

Reasons Behind the File Exists or Cannot Be Opened Error in QB Payroll

There can be a variety of reasons that can contribute to this problem and hinder your productivity. Read the following list of reasons that primarily cause the QuickBooks payroll error: the file you specified cannot be opened​.

1. The company data file may have become damaged or corrupted.
2. QB is unable to open the company file.
3. You may have an outdated version of QuickBooks software, like QuickBooks 2009 the file you specified cannot be opened.
4. Malware or other issues may prevent the QuickBooks server connection.
5. Lack of administrator permissions as a Windows user.
6. The company file might be open on a different server.
7. Issues with the QB installation files.
8. Windows Firewall settings may block QuickBooks’ internet access.
9. Incorrect network connectivity settings may prevent you from accessing the internet.
10. You might have a poor or weak internet connection.
11. Improper installation of the QB application.
12. The User Account Control (UAC) settings on Windows might lead to interruptions.
13. QuickBooks update stuck or fails to update properly.
14. An outdated version of Microsoft Windows.

These are the prime causes that may have caused the file you specified cannot be opened errors in QuickBooks​. Now, let’s take a look at some working solutions that can resolve this issue on QB Desktop.

Quickview Table for QuickBooks Error: The File You Specified Cannot Be Opened

In this segment, we have provided you with a tabulated overview of the file you specified cannot be opened errors in QuickBooks​.

Error message	The File You Specified Cannot Be Opened
Error description	The file you specified cannot be opened. Make sure that it is not currently being used by another program or a read-only file. The Windows error was ‘The file exists’.
Its causes	Damaged company file, QB can’t open company file, outdated QuickBooks version, malware preventing server connection, lack of administrator permissions, company file open on another server, QB installation files issue, Firewall blocking internet access, incorrect network connectivity settings, poor or weak internet connection, improper QB installation, Windows UAC settings, QuickBooks update stuck, outdated Microsoft Windows.
Troubleshooting methods	Update QuickBooks Desktop, update the Windows operating system, create an exception for QuickBooks in the Firewall, run as a Windows administrator, update UAC settings, run Quick Fix My Program, update Windows permissions, verify and rebuild the data file, and reinstall QB Desktop or perform a QuickBooks Clean Install.
Tools required	QuickBooks Tool Hub, Quick Fix My Program, Quick File Doctor, QuickBooks Verify and Rebuild Utility, and QuickBooks Clean Install Tool.

What You Should Remember

This detailed guide provides an understanding of the file you specified cannot be opened​ error in QuickBooks Desktop. In this blog, we have walked you through various reasons that may contribute to this problem and disrupt your workflow. Additionally, you have a list of proven and working solutions that can be followed to get rid of the QuickBooks error: the file you specified cannot be opened​.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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