QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2020 on a Samba share, multi-user mode not working.

I have some ways on how to make the multi-user network work in QuickBooks Desktop, @Businesslike-West.

Error H202 and H505 are the most common multi-user issues. These errors mean something is blocking the multi-user connection to your server. I'll show you how to fix this.

The first step is to host your own network. If you use another solution or one of our affiliated Intuit Hosting Providers, contact them directly to restart your hosting environment. You’ll need to work with them as you troubleshoot.

The next step is to run the QuickBooks Database Server Manager on your server. Here's how:

1. Close QuickBooks and download the QuickBooks Tool Hub. 
2. Open the file you downloaded (QuickBooksToolHub.exe).
3. Follow the on-screen steps to install and agree to the terms and conditions.
4. When the install finishes, open the tool hub.
5. From the QuickBooks Tools Hub, choose Network Issues.
6. Click QuickBooks Database Server Manager. 
7. Inside the QuickBooks Database Server Manager, select Start Scan if you see your company file folder(s). 
8. The QuickBooks Database Server Manager will repair your firewall permissions automatically. When the scan finishes, click Close.
9. Open QuickBooks on each workstation where you see Error H202.
10. Select File and Switch to Multi-user Mode. If you use your server computer as a workstation, be sure to check it too.

If you still see the error, move on to Solution 2 in this article: How to fix Error H202 and H505.

In addition, here's an article you can review to learn more on how to set up a multi-user network. This way, computers on your network can access your company files: Set up and install a multi-user network for QuickBooks Desktop.

Keep me posted if you have clarifications in using the multi-user feature in QuickBooks Desktop. I'm just a post away to help you more. Have a pleasant day.

Unfortunately, the company file is located on a mapped network drive, and the QuickBooks Database Server Manager does not allow me to select a network share as the location for my company file, despite this ostensibly being a supported configuration as indicated by this page (see: "Alternate hosting").

Our server is running CentOS 7 - and I should add that multi-user mode already worked in this configuration WITHOUT the QuickBooks Database Server Manager running anywhere - these two users would just jump into multi-user mode pretty regularly. Is there a copy of the QuickBooks Database Server Manager that runs on Linux, that would work for our copy of QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2020? If so, that would be ideal, frankly. I did find this, but it only seems to work or is supported for "Enterprise" copies of QuickBooks.

Good day, @Businesslike-West.

Thanks for getting back to us and adding info about your multi-user mode concern in QuickBooks.

There might be damage on your Network Data (.ND). These files are configuration files that allow QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) to access a company file in a network or multi-user environment. 

In addition, the QuickBooks Database Server Manager (QBServerUtilityMgr.exe) exists to create .ND files that identify the database server the program will use.

This can be the reason why you're getting the H202 or H505 errors. To clear this out, you can view and recreate it. Here's how:

1. Search for *.ND in the computer containing the company files.
2. Note: If .ND files don't exist, open a QuickBooks company file on the computer where the file resides to create it.
3. Delete or rename the files (.NDOLD).
4. Use the Database Server Manager to rescan the folders. This will create new files.

If you're getting the same error, follow these recommended steps to fix the data damage.

• Fix data damage on your QBDT company file
• Clean install QuickBooks Desktop

If the issue persists, contact our phone support so they can provide a further solution.

Moreover, you have to use the QBDT Enterprise Linux Database Server Manager so you could run it on the Linux Server. For now, using QBDT Pro 2020 is unavailable for this server.

Let me know how it goes by adding a comment down below. I'll be here to help you with QuickBooks concerns.