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Reinstall QuickBooks Desktop

SOLVED•by QuickBooks•1•Updated July 17, 2023

Learn how to install QuickBooks Desktop again so it renames your QuickBooks folders to fix company file issues.

When you reinstall, it won’t affect your data at all.

Before you start

Note: You can get this info from your account management portal.

Solution 1: Remove and then install QuickBooks Desktop again

If you run into issues when you uninstall QuickBooks, there might be something going on with your computer. You should contact an IT professional or Microsoft for help.

Step 1: Remove QuickBooks

  1. Open the Windows Start menu. Search for “Control Panel”, then open Control Panel.
  2. Select Programs and Features or Uninstall a Program.
  3. From the list of programs, select your version of QuickBooks Desktop you want to remove.
  4. Select Uninstall/Change, Remove and then Next.  
    If you don’t see this option, sign out and sign back in to Windows as an admin (or a user with admin rights).

Step 2: Install QuickBooks Desktop again

When you’re done, install QuickBooks Desktop. When you install again, QuickBooks will automatically install new folders and rename your old ones.

If this doesn't fix your issue, move to Solution 2.

  1. Remove QuickBooks again.
  2. Follow the steps to display hidden files.
  3. Open the Windows Start menu. Search for “File Explorer”, then open File Explorer.
  4. Find and open the folder that holds your QuickBooks company files. This is usually your QuickBooks folder. It's usually in one of these locations:
    1. C:\ProgramData\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
    2. C:\Users\(current user)\AppData\Local\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
    3. C:\Program Files\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
    4. 64-bit version C:\Program Files (x86)\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
  5. Right-click the folder and select Rename.
  6. Add the word "old" at the end of the folder name. This prevents QuickBooks from opening it when you reinstall.
  7. Reinstall QuickBooks Desktop.

If you get an access error message when you try to rename the folder:

  1. Right-click the Windows Task Bar, then select Task Manager.
  2. Go to the Processes tab.
  3. Select the Name column header to sort the list.
  4. Select the following processes and then End Process for each: QBDBMgrN.exe, QBDBMgr.exe, QBCFMonitorService.exe, Qbw32.exe.
  5. Select Yes if you see the message, "WARNING: Terminating a process can cause undesired results..."

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