QuickBooks Error -6000 Series: The Definitive Fix Guide

You are trying to open your QuickBooks company file and encounter a -6000 series error (-77, -82, -83). This error indicates QuickBooks cannot access the company file, usually due to network, permission, or file problems.

The Fix

Close QuickBooks on every computer. Download and run the QuickBooks Tool Hub as Administrator. Then, follow these fixes in order.

Method 1: Disable Hosting on All Workstations (Most Common Fix)

This fixes most -6000, -82, -83, and -106 errors. Hosting should only be enabled on your server.

  1. On each workstation, open QuickBooks (do not open the company file).
  2. Go to File > Utilities.
  3. If you see "Stop Hosting Multi-User Access," select it. Do this on every workstation.
  4. On the server machine, press F2 in QuickBooks. The "Local Server Information" window should show "Hosting: local files only." If it does not, go to File > Switch to Multi-user Mode.

If That Doesn't Work:

Method 2: Rename the Company File

Spaces or special characters in the filename can cause -6000, -82 errors.

  1. Navigate to your company file folder (e.g., C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\QuickBooks\Company Files).
  2. Right-click your .QBW file and select Rename.
  3. Remove any spaces immediately before the .QBW extension (e.g., change "My Company .QBW" to "MyCompany.QBW"). Apply the same rule to any backup (.QBB) files.
  4. In QuickBooks, use File > Open or Restore Company > Open a Company File to select the renamed file.

If That Doesn't Work:

Method 3: Use QuickBooks File Doctor

This tool diagnoses and repairs common file and network issues.

  1. Open the QuickBooks Tool Hub.
  2. Go to the Company File Issues tab and select Run QuickBooks File Doctor.
  3. Follow the prompts to select your company file and run the check. This can take 20-30 minutes.
  4. If the issue persists, go to the Program Problems tab and run Quick Fix my Program, then restart your computer.

If That Doesn't Work:

Method 4: Restart Services and Database Manager

Stopped or hung services block file access.

  1. Open Windows Services (services.msc).
  2. Locate your version's service (e.g., QuickBooksDB33 for 2023).
  3. Right-click it and select Restart.

Alternatively, use PowerShell (Admin):

Get-Service -Name "QuickBooksDB*" | Restart-Service -Force
  1. Open the Tool Hub, go to Network Issues, and open QuickBooks Database Server Manager. Click Scan to re-scan your company file folder.

If That Doesn't Work:

Method 5: Copy File Locally and Restore from Backup

This isolates network path and potential corruption issues.

  1. Copy your company file (.QBW) and its latest backup (.QBB) to the local desktop (C: drive).
  2. Rename the original .QBW file in its network location to Old_[Filename].QBW.
  3. In QuickBooks, use File > Open or Restore Company > Restore a Backup Copy > Local Backup and select the .QBB file you copied locally.
  4. After restoring, move the new company file back to the original server folder.

Verify

After a successful fix, verify by opening the company file in multi-user mode from a workstation. Press F2 on the server and confirm the "Hosting" status is correct. Ensure all users can open the file without error. For persistent issues, especially -6000, -94 (damaged file), contact Intuit Support for advanced data repair.

Related Reading

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