How (And When) To Use Quickbooks File Doctor
File Doctor is a program developed and released by Intuit that’s designed to fix common Quickbooks errors. If you’re experiencing the dreaded “Error 6000” message when attempting to run Quickbooks, for instance, you can use this tool to resolve it. Of course, this is just one of the many errors which are easily fixed with File Doctor. For more information on how, and when, to use Quickbooks File Doctor, keep reading.
Note: Intuit recommends using the Quickbooks Component Repair Tool before resorting to the File Doctor if Quickbooks is not installing or loading properly. Doing so will troubleshoot Windows-related programs, ensuring the error is in fact caused by Quickbooks and not your operating system.
Common Errors Fixed By File Doctors
Intuit’s File Doctor program is sort of a “catch all” repair tool. It can be used to fix everything from error 6000 and other error XXXX messages to solving bugs that prevent company files from being opened. If you’re having difficulty opening your company file, run the File Doctor tool to see it fixes the problem. It only takes a couple of minutes to run the tool, but doing so could prevent you from having to perform a complete reinstallation of your Quickbooks files.
Note: Quickbooks 2014 R5 and up have File Doctor built in; therefore, there’s no need to download the program if you are running this version Quickbooks or newer. Refer to the Intuit help page for more details about setting up and using the built-in Quickbooks File Doctor tool.
Downloading and Using File Doctor
If you are running a version of Quickbooks that’s older than 2014 R5, you’ll need to download File Doctor remotely from this location. When the download is complete (download times vary depending on your Internet Service Provider (ISP) speed and Intuit’s server-side speed), click on the .exe file to begin the installation. File Doctor should open immediately after the installation is complete. If it does not automatically open, double click on the green File Doctor icon to manually run the repair tool.
Upon launching File Doctor, you’ll be prompted to choose one of the following options:
- Repair Both file damage and network connectivity.
- Repair network connectivity only.
If you’re only experiencing a network error, such as failure to open a company file in multi-user mode, choose repair network connectivity only. If your Quickbooks problem is not related to the network, however, you should choose the first option.
Continue through with the File Doctor process as it performs the repair. If all goes well, it should resolve any bugs you were previously experiencing.