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S
Schnuggs
July 30, 2021
Question

QuickBooks Desktop 2020 update loop

  • July 30, 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 1 view

Hello,

 

I'm trying to assist a user in updating their QuickBooks Desktop 2020 install, but continually receive the "Reboot Required" message. When a QuickBook update becomes available, updates are done by our IT team, not the users themselves. So, I login as the user, get the update files, then run QuickBooks Desktop 2020 as administrator to complete the update. This time, however, I'm receiving the message that an update is available whenever I'm logging in as the user, and then I'm receiving the message "reboot required" when running the application as an admin. Even after rebooting, the reboot message still appears when running as admin, and the "update available" message appears when running as the user. I've tried the following:

 

  • (As admin) Clicked Update Now -> Get Updates
    • Closed QuickBooks
    • Ran QuickBooks as admin, rebooted
    • Still receiving update prompt
  • Downloaded "QuickBooks Tool Hub"
    • Ran Installation Issues -> QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool section
    • Reattempted update, reboot required
    • Rebooted, still receiving update prompt
    • Ran Program Problems -> Quick Fix my Program
    • Ran Program Problems -> QuickBook Program Diagnostic Tool
    • (As user) Help -> Update QuickBooks Desktop -> Update Now tab -> checked "Reset Update" box -> Get Updates
    • Ran QuickBooks as admin, rebooted, still receiving update prompt

 

I'm not really sure where to go from here, but it appears to be an unbreakable loop. I'm also now unable to open QuickBooks as admin, as it just pops up with a "restart required" message, then closes. Although running as user is still possible, updating as user is not. I'd like to refrain from doing a clean install as long as possible. Any assistance is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

    3 replies

    C
    Catherine_B
    Level 9
    July 30, 2021

    We can repair QuickBooks Desktop, Schnuggs.

     

    You can run the repair tool to help you fix common errors right away.

     

    To start, let's ensure that you have created a backup copy of your company file. Then, you can restart your computer so there will be no programs that may affect or be affected during the repair. Once ready, you can follow these steps on how to repair QuickBooks:

     

    1. Open the Windows Start menu, then select Control Panel.
    2. Select Programs and Features then Uninstall a Program.
    3. Click QuickBooks from the list of Programs, then Repair. 
    4. Select OK to start the repair. 

    5. You may have to restart your computer to complete the repair.

    After the process, you can update your QuickBooks to the latest release again to make sure you have the most recent fixes and security updates. However, if you're prompted with an error code after the repair, you can use this article to resolve the error you're getting: Fix QuickBooks Desktop install errors.

     

    Keep me posted on how this works. I'm just around the corner to help you with your questions. Take care!

    S
    SchnuggsAuthor
    July 30, 2021

    Hey Catherine,

     

    I ran the repair from the "Add/Remove" menu, then started QuickBooks as the user. I was able to run the "Get Updates" function as the user, and then opened as administrator. I saw the "updating QuickBooks" window open and seem to progress through the update. Afterwards, I rebooted and ran QuickBooks as the user again, and was met with the same "Updates are available. Please contact your system administrator to install" message. So, I closed the user session and ran as admin, got the same message "reboot is required", and then QuickBooks closed automatically. Seems that the loop isn't broken yet, and I did not receive any of the errors outlined in the "Fix QuickBooks Desktop install errors" KB. Any other ideas? During my troubleshooting, I ran across a lot of QuickBooks videos that show an "Install Now" button when the software is run as administrator, but I can't seem to get that button to surface.

    P
    PlamenHristov
    July 21, 2022

    The other suggestions didn't work for me, the repair was not an option, only uninstall. I tried the QuickBooksToolHub, it ran a bunch of updates and still didn't fix it. Then I looked at the C:\Program Files (x86)\Intuit\QuickBooks 2021 and found the QBUpdateUtility, ran it and it fixed the problem by updating QB to the latest version.

    Tori B
    Tori BQuickBooks Team
    QuickBooks Team
    July 21, 2022

    Hi there, @PlamenHristov. 

     

    I'm happy to see that QuickBooks Update Utility resolved your issue. Thank you for sharing what worked for you, so that our other users can see and try that suggestion too. 

     

    Please feel free to reach out to the QuickBooks Community at any time. Have a wonderful day! 

    1
    112389673
    May 17, 2023

    Three years later this still exists on QB 2022. Non admin users of a company cannot update their QB because of this loop. Even after IT team runs the program as admin to fix the issue. How do they not know how to fix this? 

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