You may need to manually uninstall and reinstall QuickBooks Desktop to fix some of the most common errors encountered during the course of your work.

These errors are as follows:

Company file issues
Networking errors
Installation issues or errors
PDF and printing errors
QuickBooks crashing and much more.

Note: The latest QuickBooks Desktop 2024 version has been released by Intuit. You can download it from here.

Why Uninstall and Reinstall QuickBooks Desktop Manually?

Below are some scenarios in which you need to uninstall & reinstall QuickBooks desktop.

When QuickBooks has stopped working or not responding.
When QuickBooks freezes or crashes because it can’t load its own program.
When the third-party applications damage the QuickBooks installation on your PC,
When your computer’s hard drive breaks down and is replaced with a new one.
When Viruses, malware, or Windows updates corrupted the QuickBooks installation.

Points to Remember before uninstalling and reinstalling QuickBooks Desktop Manually

There are a few cautionary actions you need to take when you start un-installation and re-installation of the QB Desktop manually. Let’s check them out:

Make sure you have the latest QuickBooks Desktop version downloaded to your system.
Download the installer for your QuickBooks version.
Backup your company files to keep your data safe and secure.
Keep your Product and License number Handy.

As soon as the QuickBooks software gets uninstalled or reinstalled in your system, you are prompted to enter the Product and license number to log back into the software. So, it is important to keep it in check. It should be on the original package. But if you bought it online, it will be available on the purchase confirmation email.

For this, press the F2 key or the CTRL+1 tabs to open the Product Information window, where you will find the product registration information.

Process to Back Up Your QuickBooks Data:

Before uninstalling QuickBooks Desktop, it’s crucial to back up your important data, including company files, financial records, and other relevant information.

To back up your data follow the steps:

Go to the File menu in QuickBooks
Select Create Backup from the dropdown options.
Follow the on-screen instructions to save the backup to a secure location, such as an external hard drive, cloud storage, or another networked computer.
Confirm the backup settings preserving your data and ensuring it’s accessible when moving to a new system or QuickBooks version.

Process to Uninstall and Reinstall QuickBooks Desktop Manually (Step-by-Step Guide)

Step 1: Uninstall QuickBooks Desktop from Control Panel

Uninstalling QuickBooks Desktop requires you to navigate to Windows “Control Panel” and then from there select the “Programs and Features” section that lists all the software installed on your computer. There you will get an option to give the command to uninstall QuickBooks Desktop.

Follow the instructions below to uninstall QuickBooks Desktop from Windows Control Panel:

Make sure you have backed up your QuickBooks data.
Click on the Programs and Features or Uninstall a Program.

After this, choose the QuickBooks Desktop version you want to remove from the list of programs.

When you’re ready, select the Uninstall/Change icon if you wish to uninstall the software.
Otherwise, hit the Remove tab and then press the Next button.

After uninstalling QuickBooks Desktop from the control panel, you also need to stop the services running in the background and delete any local files stored on your computer.

Step 2: Manually Rename the QuickBooks Desktop Installation Folders

Navigate to the Windows Start menu and look for “File Explorer,” then open the same.
Locate and open the folder with your company files. This is usually your QuickBooks folder that can be accessed from one of these locations:
- C:\ProgramData\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
- C:\Users\(current user)\AppData\Local\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
- C:\Program Files\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
- 64-bit version C:\Program Files (x86)\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
Hit right-click on the folder and then select the Rename option.
After this, add the word .old at the end of the folder name. This prevents QuickBooks from opening the folder when you reinstall it.
Lastly, reinstall the QuickBooks Desktop software.

If you get an access error message “The access denied while renaming the folder“ at the time of renaming the folder, adhere to the following steps:

Initially, press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open the Windows Task Manager. You can also look for the Task Manager in the Start menu bar.
Next, hit the Processes tab.
Choose the Name column header to sort the list.
Afterward, locate and select the following processes from the Processes tab, which include QBDBMgrN.exe, QBDBMgr.exe, QBCFMonitorService.exe, Qbw32.exe. Then, click on the End Process icon after selecting each of these processes.

Press Yes if you notice the warning prompt, “WARNING: Terminating a process can cause undesired results…”

Step 3: Reinstall QuickBooks on your System

Firstly, insert the Installation CD into the computer if you have any, and then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
Download your QuickBooks version from the QuickBooks Product Download Page in case you have purchased QuickBooks from the official Intuit website.
Once the product is successfully installed into your system, it will ask you to enter the Product and QuickBooks License number.

Note: Type the credentials just as they were mentioned in the system earlier.

After entering the above information, follow the on-screen prompts to get the step completed.
Click on the Next icon and then select the type of installation you want for your accounting process.
Now, press Next and hit the Install tab.
When QuickBooks installation finishes, you’re all set to run it in your system.

Note: After installation, if you’re on the server, do open the database server manager.

Step 4: Activate QuickBooks Desktop

Once you are done with installing QuickBooks, it’s time to activate it so you can access the exclusive QB features.

For a manual activation, adhere to the following steps:

Open QuickBooks in the first place.
Now, choose Activate QuickBooks Desktop from the Help menu.
Follow the on-screen steps to verify your info.

Summing it Up!

Hopefully, the information given above will be useful to you. But if you are still facing any kind of issues with your software and need professional assistance regarding accounting, bookkeeping & accounting software-related issues, then feel free to get in touch with us at +1-802-778-9005, or you can mail us at [email protected]

FAQs

Will I Lose My Company File Data if I Uninstall and Reinstall QuickBooks Manually?

No, uninstalling or reinstalling QuickBooks does not delete your company files from your PC. It will only remove the QuickBooks application from your system. However, for security purposes, it is always advisable to create a local backup before moving further with the uninstallation procedure.

Should I Need to Register QuickBooks After Reinstallation or Move It?

You’ll need to register your software again if you want to move your installation to another computer.

For this, do the following:

Navigate to the Help menu and then choose Register QuickBooks to begin the process.
Once you enter your info, Intuit detects the registration status of your QuickBooks copy and records the info for the new computer.

Can I Repair QuickBooks Instead of Uninstalling and Reinstalling it Manually?

Yes, obviously you can. The QuickBooks Tool Hub provides a variety of tools to fix common QuickBooks Desktop issues.

Here’s a list of such tools used to repair company file issues, network errors, program-related problems, installation errors, etc.

How Do I Delete all Entries in QuickBooks Desktop?

To delete all entries in QuickBooks Desktop, you can use the “Clear Data” tool by navigating to File > Utilities > Condense Data and following the prompts.

Disclaimer: The information outlined above for “Uninstall & Reinstall QuickBooks Desktop Manually” is applicable to all supported versions, including QuickBooks Desktop Pro, Premier, Accountant, and Enterprise. It is designed to work with operating systems such as Windows 7, 10, and 11, as well as macOS.

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