Connection failed, when attempting to start QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale

When opening QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale, you receive the following error:

Connection failed

This may be caused by one of the following:

• A program update is being installed in another workstation.
• A Point of Sale trial version was previously installed on the computer.
• The entitlement client folder for Point of Sale is damaged.
• A firewall or other network security issue prevents Point of Sale from opening.

Solution 1: Rename the WSActivity file on your client workstation

1. Right-click the Windows Start menu, then select Open Windows Explorer.
2. Select Computer, then go to C:\Documents and settings\All Users\Application Data\Intuit\QuickBooks Point of Sale XX\Ini.
   Note: XX is the highest number version you see.
3. Right-click WSActivity, then select Rename.
4. Type OLDWSActivity, then select anywhere to save the change.
5. Close the window, then open QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale.

If the issue persists, proceed to solution 2.

Solution 2: Delete the contents of the entitlement client folder

1. Right-click the Windows Start menu, then select Open Windows Explorer.
2. On the left side of the window, select Computer.
3. Go to the entitlement client folder: C:\Program Data\Intuit\Entitlement Client\v8.0.
4. Right-click the first file, then select Delete. Select Yes to confirm. Do this for each additional file.
5. Close the window, then open QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale.

If the issue persists, proceed to solution 3.

Solution 3: Configure firewall applications to allow Point of Sale

While the QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale Server may be working without any error, if a firewall on the server is blocking incoming messages from your client, you will receive this error on client workstations. You will need to configure your firewall to resolve the error.