What is QuickBooks Error H202, and How Do You Fix It?

As robust and reliable as it may be, QuickBooks does occasionally throw tantrums that users find annoying. It is, after all, an accounting software application that is subjected to the same conditions as any other in the market. QuickBooks Error H2O2 is one such obnoxious error that some users might have encountered while operating the software. It is usually caused due to some technical glitches that might be hampering its operations. Thankfully, there are more than a handful of tricks that you can use to resolve the issue.

In this blog, we shall explore what QuickBooks Error H202 is, its possible causes, along with the fixes.

What is Error Code H202 in QuickBooks? How Does It Occur?

The description in the H202 dialog box reads something on the lines of, “This company file is on another computer, and QuickBooks needs some help connecting.” This QuickBooks error is typically seen when the server connection is blocked when users are trying to access QuickBooks in the multi-user mode. Here are some reasons why the server connection might have been disrupted.

Change in the internet or hosting configuration settings.
Firewall misconfiguration that might be preventing incoming and outgoing requests.
Changes in DNS settings.
Inability to access the IP address of the hosting computer or the server.
Relevant executable files and services might not have started.
QuickBooks Database Server Manager might have corrupted.

There is no singular QuickBooks error H202 fix that can resolve the issue. We will work our way through the steps to resolve the QuickBooks Error H202 from simple to complex, for troubleshooting.

Step 1: Look for Network Connectivity Issues

The simplest step that users can perform is to identify if there are issues with network connectivity. If QuickBooks software is the only application using the internet which is throwing an error, hardware issues can be ruled out. In that case, try the following steps:

Turn off hosting on all the networked computers on which QuickBooks is hosted.
Confirm that all the networked workstations are visible in the Network option.
Ping every workstation individually from the QuickBooks host server.

If you notice that the issue is not a result of hardware glitches, proceed with step 2.

Step 2: Use a Diagnostic Tool to Troubleshoot Network Issues

Use the diagnostic tool to scan the company file folder.
Note the IP addresses while the tool scans.
The scan will return the list of ports that have been blocked if any.
Enabling them should resolve the issue.

If the diagnostics tool does not enable the ports automatically, the settings will have to be updated on Windows Firewall manually. Proceed with step 3 if the issue continues on the computer on which the H2O2 error is thrown.

Step 3: Update Server IP on Windows Host File

In some cases, adding the server IP to the host file of the system on which the server is being blocked can help resolve the issue.

Open the hoss file in the C drive using Notepad.
Enter the server IP address and save the file.
Open the folder for your company file.

These steps should be able to resolve any network related issues. If these don’t work, proceed with the following steps which primarily revolve around diagnosing the QuickBooks software.

Step 4: Modify Company Files

If you suspect that there might be issues with accessing the QuickBooks files path, relocate them to a different folder to confirm if this resolves QuickBooks Error H202.

Create a new folder for the inaccessible QuickBooks company file.
Provide the requisite permissions and move the QuickBooks database to the new folder.
Try accessing the files from the new location.
Ensure that you are operating in the multi-user mode to confirm that the issue has been resolved.

Sometimes, the TLG and ND files of the company file could be the issue. Simply renaming the two files and opening the company files will create new versions that could potentially resolve the issue if you choose to keep the original company file folder.

If QuickBooks error H2O2 is not resolved by modifying the files and folders, in all likelihood, there are issues with the services. Step 5 and Step 6 elaborate on the process to be followed for resolving issues with the services.

Step 5: Repair QuickBooks Database Manager

QuickBooks Database Server Manager is necessary for multi-user access. The error code H202 in QuickBooks can be thrown if the Server Manager is not functional or has not been configured appropriately. Restarting it should solve the error H202 issue.

Open QuickBooks Desktop on the server computer.
Open the company file in the multi-user mode.
Close the company file from the file menu.
Use the Windows start button to search for QuickBooks Database Server Manager and open it to restart it.

Step 6: Restart Appropriate Server Services

Press the Windows start button and the letter ‘R’ together.
Enter services.msc in the pop-up.
Look for QuickBooksDBXX and QBCFMonitorService and ensure that they are running.
If not, navigate to the Recovery tab are restart the services that have failed.
Ensure that the Startup type is automatic for both services.

It is equally important that the two services have Windows admin permissions.

Step 7: Reinstall or Update QuickBooks

Intuit QuickBooks is regularly updated with patches to fix issues or address compatibility issues. This might throw settings out of sync. Ensure that both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Database Manager have the latest patches. If that still doesn’t work, use the Change/ Repair option from Programs and Features in the Windows Control Panel. If you can work with a company file located on another computer without any issues now, the H202 error has been fixed.

Step 8: Try A Third-Party QuickBooks Repair Software

If none of the above steps work and you insist on troubleshooting the QuickBooks Error H202 yourself, the final resort is to look for third-party applications that can repair QuickBooks. Users experience varying degrees of success with these applications. While they do simplify the troubleshooting process, it is difficult to guarantee a cent percent success with even the best of these suites.

You have one more option to try.

How QuickBooks From an Authorized Partner Changes the Game?

If you are still wondering about how to fix QuickBooks error H202, the last option is to avail of QuickBooks services from Intuit partners. Some partners like Apps4Rent provide hosted QuickBooks services which not only minimizes the chances of such errors but also provides a reliable mechanism for resolving these errors quickly via phone, chat, and email 24/7 in the odd chance that they do occur. Reach out to us to know more.