Update won't install on Quickbooks Pro 2020 Desktop

Hi there, . 

I appreciate you for performing the steps to install QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) Pro 2020 on your laptop. I'm here to help you with the process so can start tracking your transactions in no time.

Before installing the update on your QuickBooks Pro, please make sure that your computer meets the requirements to avoid issues along the process. Once done, you're now ready to update your QBDT.

Otherwise, you can download and install the update following these steps:

1. Download your version of QuickBooks Desktop. Save the file somewhere you can easily find it (like your Windows desktop).
2. Have your product and license number handy.
3. Install QuickBooks.

You can also try installing QuickBooks using the clean install process.

If you're getting a specific error message, please feel free to share it here in this thread so I can look into this more closely. Or, use this link to fix common installation errors: Fix QuickBooks Desktop install errors.

Please keep in touch if you need more help with this. I'm determined to help you with updating your QBDT Pro. Have a great day!

Thank you for your reply. QB 2020 is already installed on my laptop and has been for over a year with no issues. The last available update in May successfully updated my QB without a hiccup. I am stuck in the "You must install this update to continue using QB", clicking "Install Now", accepting "Do you want this app to make changes to this computer?" and nothing downloads. I can't access anything without this update apparently. The laptop runs on Windows 10 and has all the latest updates related to it. I have avoided upgrading to Windows 11. 

Hello, Burkemperlawn. 

Thanks for keeping us in the loop with the update issue. I'll barge in and lay down some solutions to help you ensure you'll be able to update QuickBooks. 

Have you tried manually installing the updates? If you haven't done it yet (or if Geek Squad missed this), you can download them through the link provided by Angelyn_T. I'll elaborate the steps below: 

1. Go to the Downloads & Updates page. 
2. Select QuickBooks Pro as your edition and choose 2020 for the year (if you're prompted about the multi-user setup, select either Yes or Not sure). 
3. Click the Get the latest updates beside Already downloaded?.
4. The qbwebpatch.exe installer will download. Simply run it afterwards and install the updates. 

There are times when the User Account Control settings could prevent QuickBooks from download updates. Were there any changes to the control settings in your laptop?

If so, you'll want to change it back to the default settings (when you were able to install updates properly in May). 

If you decided to lower down the control slider, make sure to switch it back after installing the updates. 

If you still get the prompt to update QuickBooks, then this might've something to do with the program itself. To fix this, you can use the QuickBooks Tool Hub and run the Program Problems module. You don't need to open the program to do this. 

This article will guide you through the process: Fix common problems and errors with the QuickBooks Desktop Tool Hub. 

After installing the update successfully, do you need to check on your financial reports and reconcile your books? I'll share these articles if you need a guide or two: 

• Understand reports
• Reconcile an account in QuickBooks Desktop

I'd be glad to share some guides or solutions if you have any other concerns in managing your file or data in QuickBooks. Just reply here and I'll be there with you. 

Thank you for your reply. I have run through all your suggestions, restarting after each one, and am still hitting the "To continue using QB, you must install an update" wall. No settings have been purposefully changed under User Admin Controls but I still lowered them. I downloaded QB Tool Hub last night and ran it again without success. I have been using QB since 2006, upgrading to '14, '16 and '20 (due to new devices), and have never encountered this problem.

I appreciate you for taking all possible troubleshooting steps to fix and install the update for your QuickBooks, @Burkemperlawn.

Since the issue persists, it's best to contact our support team at this point. Let me show you how:

1. Open your QuickBooks.
2. Select the Help menu and then choose QuickBooks Desktop Help.
   
   
3. Click Contact Us.
   
   
4. Provide a brief description of your issue.
5. Choose Let's talk and then select a way to connect with us.

Additionally, you can use these articles to help you resolve unexpected behaviors when navigating around QuickBooks:

• Resolve QuickBooks Desktop performance issues: Manage your computers
• Resolve QuickBooks Desktop performance issues: Manage your data file

Keep us posted here if you have other questions about updating your software. I'm always here to help. Stay safe!

Thank you for your reply. I literally can not access QB to be able to follow your suggestion. 

This is the wall I have been hitting since Friday. (Sorry if the photo is large. I'm posting from my phone). Clicking "Install Now" leads to no download happening. The little blue circle next to the cursor goes around for a second and then nothing. 

Hi Burkemperlawn,

Thank you for the screenshot.

You can repair your QuickBooks if you can't pass through the in-product update. However, please be sure to back up all your company files first to keep them safe.

If the issue is not resolved, please contact our QuickBooks Desktop Support to check this further.

I'm just right here if you have other questions.

Thank you for your reply. I downloaded Tool Hub on Friday and have run Quick fix, Program Diagnostic and Install Diagnostic tool multiple times with no success. I reran them a little bit ago and am still hitting the "Install Now" wall. No error codes have ever popped up to help point to the problem. I will contact Desktop support tomorrow and hopefully get up and running.

I have been dealing with the same issues since Friday as well , gone through same process as you and still no solution . 

Did either of you contact support? If so, did they solve the problem? What was the solution?

Did you every get a solution for this?  I am having problems now and it's Dec 20th.  What is going on with Quickbooks-if anyone can answer the update issue without noting to call Intuit I would like that information.  I do not want to call tech support ever but at this point in the year no way!

I think I wound up taking a screen shot of the F2 screen, uninstalling quickbooks, reinstalling quickbooks, and restarting the computer.

I ended up doing a Live Chat with QB support. After running through multiple fixes, I ended up having to Uninstall QB 2020 and reinstall it with tech support.  Luckily I didn't lose any data and I haven't had any issues since. I understand how utterly frustrating it is. Good luck!

I have the exact problem and was on the phone trying to get assistance for 2 hours.  Tech was unable to assist me and said I would have to uninstall and reinstall program.  I haven't done a backup recently and am worried I will loose my data.  Any suggestion on how to save my date before I uninstall

How do you do a backup when you can't open quickbooks???

I've been on the phone with tech support for two hours.  UGH.  If I uninstall how do I recover my date if I haven't recently done a backup???

Hi Netto!

I understand that you need to update your QuickBooks Desktop and access the file. Allow me to help you.

If you're unable to update it, then you can do a clean install. Please note that uninstalling QuickBooks Desktop does not delete your company files from your computer. It will only remove the QuickBooks application. Then, you can restore the .qbw file once QuickBooks Desktop is reinstalled.

Follow the steps in this article on how to uninstall and reinstall QuickBooks Desktop: Clean install QuickBooks Desktop.

Also, here's how to open the file:

1. From the No Company Open window, select Open or restore an existing company.
2. Select Open a company file, then Next.
3. Locate and select the .qbw file.
4. Tap Open.

I also included these articles if you need help in creating a backup file and how to find both your working and backup files: 

• Back up your QuickBooks Desktop company file
• Locating Backups and Company Data Files

Lastly, here's the link you can check in fixing issues due to the damaged file: Verify and Rebuild Data in QuickBooks Desktop.

We'll be right here if you need more assistance with this. Have a good day!

@Netto 

Find and secure any *.QBW, *.QBB, and *.QBM files prior to uninstalling and reinstalling your QBD. If you are not confident to do it by yourself, contact us in private for assistance.

I kind of have the same situation but different. I get the msg saying I need to update and before I could say not now and continue and everything worked fined. Yesterday, I decided to go ahead and do the update. There was an error in the update and then I could not open QB. I tried everything from the Hub and no success.  I then decided to do the work on my Laptop and discovered I did not have QB 2020 on my laptop so decided to install it. It came back and said it could not install because I am still on Windows 7. (yes I know I should upgrade, but have not).  This morning I decided to use a restore point on my PC and went back to Friday 12:00am. It was a successful restore. I clicked on QB and it opens the update box that others have posted but does not give me the option to continue without updating. I am afraid, the same thing is going to happen as it did yesterday. How can I continue without updating?  I am also running Win 7 on my desktop and an concerned about uninstalling and reinstalling, that it will say I can't do it on Win 7. I have been running in on this PC for years.

Hi TerriSum,

There's a big chance that you will be prompted to upgrade your operating system since QuickBooks 2020 needs at least Windows 8.1 or Windows 10. Check out the system requirements  for more details.

I recommend upgrading your operating system so you can use QuickBooks. I would understand if you'll experiment with some solutions to continue working on Windows 7. However, these may result in frequent errors or data damage. Having said that, I also suggest doing frequent backups whenever possible until you decide to upgrade your OS.

Let me know if you have more questions in mind. Take care and have a good one!

@TerriSum 

The problem is that you want to run a supported version of QB on an unsupported Windows OS. QB will force to update your program and not support with OS. You should upgrade your computer and I would recommend using Win 10 Home for the time being.

Having the exact same issue and cannot access Quickbooks a program I paid for that was running well on this machine before the update requirement. Not looking forward to an afternoon on the phone with your tech folks (I have actual work to do). Any chance you folks can shut off the update requirement?

I understand the importance of getting this resolved as soon as possible for this function to run smoothly, @Don Kleiner. I'm here to provide you with information about this matter.

The update requirement option will automatically prompt when there are latests program updates and as long as QuickBooks is running or connected to the internet. That said, the option to shut off the update requirement is currently unavailable.

For now, we can send feedback to our product developer. This way, our product development team will get a great chance to know this and may add these feature enhancements in future updates in QuickBooks Desktop.

Here's how:

1. In QuickBooks Desktop, click on Help at the top.
2. Select Send Feedback Online.
3. Enter your product suggestion.
4. Then click Send Feedback to confirm.

You can visit this website to track the status of your submitted feedback:  QuickBooks Feature Requests Forum. 

If you have any other QuickBooks-related concerns or clarification, please post a reply below. I'll be happy to help you. Take care!

I have to remove and reinstall my Quickbooks Premier 2020 Desktop everytime I get to the limit where the screen says you have to install the update before you can go further.  I've been on with help multiple times and still after a few uses I have the same problem.  I cannot keep having to re-install this everytime I have a client that needs me to look at a file on 2020.  Going on for years now and it's absolutely ridiculous when almost every ProAdvisor I know has the same issue.  I have admin permissions on my windows login.  It's a compatible Windows version - all of this has been checked.  I have run the QB tool hub with support on the phone.  Nothing works.  Last time I turned off my virus protection even and guess what-a real virus was downloaded at the time of the update file download, which I called and sent in to you as that grabbed your attention. Something is wrong with the update and pretty soon you won't even support 2020 so why not let us continue without the update that I've never even needed to do what I need to do in the program.  So tired of you providing the same articles that never actually fix the problem.  And the hours on support prove it.  Only solution is to remove and re-install.  And that only works until it tries to update again. Ugh.