Old file on new computer

It seems that your old *.qbw file was stored on another computer in multiuser mode. You can purchase a third-party service to fix it. Contact @Fiat Lux - ASIA for assistance.

Thanks for getting in touch with the Community, rossiautocare. I appreciate your detailed information and screenshot.

When you encounter a "Cannot communicate with the company file" message, it usually means your network firewall is interrupting the connection. There's a few troubleshooting processes you'll want to perform.

Here's how to troubleshoot:
 

1. Initially, you'll want to try downloading your QuickBooks Tool Hub and running its QuickBooks File Doctor utility. This tool will run a mini repair on the server and firewall. When it's finished, open your company file and see if you still see the error message.
2. Confirm you're using your product's latest release. If not, be sure to download and install it.
3. Review the firewall settings and make sure QuickBooks has permission to go through it. If you need detailed steps, refer to your firewall provider's website. In the event you can open QuickBooks and your company file over the network, everything's fixed. If your message continues displaying, continue with the troubleshooting processes below.
4. Confirm your folder holding company files is set up to share files over the network.
5. If it's still displaying your message, continue with the troubleshooting processes in our How to fix "Error: Cannot communicate with the company file due to firewall" article.

In the event you've performed all six troubleshooting processes, but your message continues displaying, you'll want to get in touch with our Customer Care team. They'll be able to pull up your account in a secure environment, conduct further research with you, and create an investigation ticket if necessary.

Please don't hesitate to send a reply if there's any additional questions. Have a lovely Thursday!

Hey there, @rossiautocare.

Thanks for reaching out to the QuickBooks Community. I hope you're having a great day so far. 

You stated that this company file giving you the error message is a backup you restored. With that said, may I ask where you saved the file? For example, let's say you saved the backup file on a flash drive and plugged it into your computer. When you went through the process of restoring, did you move the backup file locally, or keep it on the flash drive? 

If your backup company file is on an external device like a USB or a hosting service like Box, you'll need to move it to your local hard drive first. For example, you can create a new folder on your desktop and save it there. 

If this is the case for you, it's okay. You can easily Move the file. 

However, in the case that the backup was already saved locally, I recommend going through your firewall settings. 

To start, let's add a firewall port exception for QuickBooks. 

Please note: QuickBooks Desktop 2019, 2020, and future versions use dynamic ports. These are specific firewall ports (not a range) assigned during installation. This ensures QuickBooks Desktop gets exclusive use of a given port. To find your dynamic port number: 

1. Open the Windows Start menu.
2. Enter "QuickBooks Database Server Manager" into the search and open QuickBooks Database Server Manager.
3. Go to the Port Monitor tab.
4. Find your QuickBooks version. Take note of the Port Number. You'll use this for your firewall port exceptions.

To add your firewall port exception for QuickBooks: 

1. Open the Windows Start menu.
2. Enter "Windows Firewall" into the search box and open Windows Firewall.
3. Click on Advanced Settings.
4. Right-click Inbound Rules (later on, you'll create Outbound Rules). Then select New Rule.
5. Tap on Port and then hit Next.
   
   
6. Make sure TCP is selected.
7. In the Specific local ports field, enter the specific ports needed for your QuickBooks year version:
   • QuickBooks Desktop 2020 and later: 8019, XXXXX.
8. After you enter the port number, click on Next.
9. Select Allow the Connection and then Next.
10. If prompted, make sure all profiles are marked. Hit Next.
11. Create a rule. Give it a name like "QBPorts(year)."
12. When you're done, tap on Finish.

Repeat the steps above and create outbound rules. Follow all the same steps, except select Outbound Rules on step 4.

That should do the trick. For additional troubleshooting steps I'm including some help guides below:

• Set up a folder and Windows access permissions to share company files
• Set up firewall and security settings for QuickBooks Desktop
• How to fix "Error: Cannot communicate with the company file due to firewall"
• Restore a backup of your company file

If you don't feel comfortable adding the exception ports or moving the company file, please feel free to give our Technical Support Team a ring. Our tech agents have the tools available to review your account in a secure environment and can screen-share.  

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I'll be here every step of the way. Have a good one!