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Kelley7
Level 1

Have 3 company files that won't open. Message"The company file that you are trying to open was created with a newer version". I've updated program & reinstalled. Ideas?

I have updated the program by opening the sample company. I've reinstalled the software. I've moved the files to another folder, renamed the log file and I've run QuickBooks File Doctor. I'm not having any luck getting the files to open.  Short of upgrading is there something that I can do to get these files opened? Thank you.
7 Comments 7
Fiat Lux - ASIA
Level 15

Have 3 company files that won't open. Message"The company file that you are trying to open was created with a newer version". I've updated program & reinstalled. Ideas?

It is possible you want to open the data file with the older version.

There are two possibilities:

1. You created the file on QB newer version (e.g 2020) and try to open it on older version (e.g 2019 or earlier), or

2. You created the file on your current version (e.g 2019), then open it on newer version (e.g 2020). The file is converter to 2020 and you will get the message when try to reopen it on your current version.

Solution: find any QBB file, secure a copy of it prior to open it your current version.

 

Just my 2 cents.

Kelley7
Level 1

Have 3 company files that won't open. Message"The company file that you are trying to open was created with a newer version". I've updated program & reinstalled. Ideas?

Thanks for your response. The QuickBooks version I use is Desktop Pro 2017. I haven't ever used a newer version and the files were created and worked on in this version.  I don't have a .qbb of any of these files.

Kelley7
Level 1

Have 3 company files that won't open. Message"The company file that you are trying to open was created with a newer version". I've updated program & reinstalled. Ideas?

Thank you for your response. I am using QuickBooks Pro Desktop 2017.  This is the only version I have of QuickBooks so the files weren't created in a newer version.

Kelley7
Level 1

Have 3 company files that won't open. Message"The company file that you are trying to open was created with a newer version". I've updated program & reinstalled. Ideas?

Sorry I wasn't clear. I'm using QB Pro 2017 desktop. This is the only version I have so I couldn't have created the company files with a newer version. No, unfortunately, I don't have a backup (.qbb) of these files. 

SarahannC
Moderator

Have 3 company files that won't open. Message"The company file that you are trying to open was created with a newer version". I've updated program & reinstalled. Ideas?

Hello there, Kelley7. Thanks providing additional information about your concern.

 

The details shared by Fiat-Lux - Asia is accurate for your concern because of the error message that you had received.

 

Though, I can share ways on how to fix this issue. It is recommended to update QuickBooks Desktop to the latest release. Once the software is up-to-date, let's open the company file (qbw). This means, we'll have to add with a .qbw extension at the end of the filename.

 

Then, we can now figure out the which is causing this issue. 

  1. Open the Windows Start menu.
  2. Type “File Explorer” into the search and open File Explorer.
  3. Search for and find the QuickBooks.exe file. It’s usually in your QuickBooks folder.
  4. Hold down CTRL on your keyboard and double-click QuickBooks.exe. Don’t let go of CTRL until QuickBooks opens.

 

If opening the sample file works, you're good to go. If not, you can refer to this article for detailed instructions on how to this it.

 

Keep me posted on how it works for you. The Community is always here ready to back you up! Take care!

Kelley7
Level 1

Have 3 company files that won't open. Message"The company file that you are trying to open was created with a newer version". I've updated program & reinstalled. Ideas?

Thanks for the info. I followed the instructions you gave me. QuickBooks opens fine, the sample company opens fine and I can even create a new company without any issues. I am still getting the message when I try to open my own company files that I am opening files that were created with a newer version of QuickBooks, but they were not. 

Rose-A
Moderator

Have 3 company files that won't open. Message"The company file that you are trying to open was created with a newer version". I've updated program & reinstalled. Ideas?

Hi, Kelley7.

 

Updating the QuickBooks Desktop release version is a good start when it comes to fixing program-related issues.

 

Here's how:

 

  1. Go to the Help menu and select Update QuickBooks Desktop...
  2. Go to the Update Now tab. Tip: You can select the Reset Update checkbox to clear all previous update downloads.
  3. Select Get Updates to start the download.
  4. When the download finishes, restart QuickBooks.
  5. When prompted, accept the option to install the new release.

After that, you need to open a company file (QBW) with a .qbw extension at the end of the filename. 

 

If you're still getting the same issue, let's try suppressing the QuickBooks Desktop Application. See the steps below.

 

  1. Press and hold the Ctrl key, then double-click the QuickBooks Desktop icon. Don't release the Ctrl key until you see the "No Company Open" window unless QuickBooks freezes or gives you an error.
  2. Select a company file, then choose Open.

 

To learn more about this process, you can check out this article for your reference and proceed to Step 3QuickBooks Desktop doesn't start or won't open.

 

I'm including some articles that you might find interesting:

 

If none of these steps work, you can rename the company file and use the QBM format. Please get back to me if you continue to get the same results so I can look further into this. I'm always here to help you out. Have a good one.

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