[Solved]: QuickBooks® Error -6000,  -301

A Company file in QuickBooks® is used to store all the financial information of the business. Sometimes, when you try to open the company file, you are not able to open it and receive an error warning with error codes -6000 and -301. Such an error usually occurs when there is an issue with your QuickBooks® company file. However, there are some other causes that can trigger such errors in QuickBooks®.

Causes of QuickBooks® Error -6000, -301

This error can occur due to various reasons. Some of them are:

• Damaged Company file
• Encryption software is installed on your system
• Some QuickBooks® related files, such as Transaction Log (TLG), Data Source Name (DSN), Network Descriptor (ND) gets corrupted or damaged
• Outdated QuickBooks® version

Methods to Fix QuickBooks Error -6000, -301

Following are some methods you can try to troubleshoot the error -6000, -301 in QuickBooks®.

Method 1: Check and Update your QuickBooks® Desktop

The QuickBooks® error -6000, -301 can occur if your QuickBooks® version is not up-to-date. You can check and update your QuickBooks® Desktop version using the below steps:

• Open your QuickBooks® Desktop.
• Press the F2 key from your keyboard to open the Product Information window.
• In the Release Notes, check your latest version and release.
• If your QuickBooks® version is not up-to-date, you can update it using the below steps:
• Navigate to the Help option and then click Update QuickBooks® Desktop.
• Click Update Now and then click Get Updates.
• Once the update process is complete, then close and reopen your QuickBooks®.
• You will get a prompt asking to install the update. Click Yes.
• Once the install finishes, then follow the instructions.

Method 2: Disable the Encryption Software

The error -6000 can occur if you have encrypted your company file using an encryption software. In such a case, you can try disabling the encryption software. To check if device encryption is available on your system, follow these steps:

• Go to the Start button.
• Select Settings and then click Update & Security.
• Click Device encryption.
• If it does not appear, that means it is not available.
• If it is enabled, then click Turn Off.

Method 3: Rename the QuickBooks® Supported Files

Sometimes, QuickBooks® throws the -6000, -301 error if the QuickBooks® configuration files, such as Transaction Log (TLG), Network Descriptor (ND), and Data Source Name (DSN) are damaged. In such a case, you can try renaming these files. To do this, follow these steps:

• First, open the folder where your company file is stored.
• Then, search for the file name same as your QuickBooks® file, however, with different extension, such as .tlg, .nd, or .dsn.
• Now right-click on each file and then click Rename. (Add the word .OLD at end of the file.)
• Repeat the same process for the remaining files (.nd and .dsn).
• These files are automatically recreated by QuickBooks®.

Method 4: Run the QuickBooks® File Doctor Tool

The QuickBooks error -6000, -301 can also occur if your company file is corrupted or damaged. To fix the error, try repairing the QB file using the File Doctor tool. To use this tool, follow these steps:

• Download and install QuickBooks® Tool Hub.
• When the installation completes, then double-click the icon on your Desktop to launch the tool hub.
• From the tool hub, click Company File Issues.
• Click the Run QuickBooks® File Doctor button. It may take a few minutes to display.
• In QuickBooks® File Doctor, choose your company file using the dropdown button.
• Click Browse to find the desired file.
• Click Check your file and then click Continue.
• Enter the QuickBooks® Admin credentials and then click Next.

It will start scanning the file to find and fix the issues. It may take some time, depending on the file size. Once the process is complete, open your company file.

If the QuickBooks® File Doctor tool fails to repair the company file, then you can try a third-party QuickBooks® repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for QuickBooks®. The tool can help you fix common QuickBooks® errors that occur due to corruption in the company file. It is a reliable tool that can repair severely corrupted QuickBooks® files. It recovers all the components of corrupted QBW file with 100% integrity. The tool supports QuickBooks® Enterprise Solution, Premier, and Pro editions.

Conclusion

QuickBooks® usually throws the -6000, -301 error when you try to open a corrupted company file. In this blog, we have discussed different methods to troubleshoot and fix the QuickBooks error -6000, -301. In case the QBW is severely corrupted, you can use Stellar Repair for QuickBooks® to repair the company file. It can help you restore all the data from QBW file, like the data of Company, Customers, Vendors, and Employee. A free trial version of the software is available that can help you preview the recoverable company file data.

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About The Author

Monika Dadool

Monika Dadool is a Senior Content Writer at Stellar with over 5 years of experience in technical writing. She is a tech enthusiast and expert who specializes in writing about SQL Server, MySQL Server, MariaDB Server, Microsoft Access, Active Directory, email recovery, Microsoft 365, pattern recognition, machine learning, data recovery, file repair, and operating systems like Linux, Windows, and Mac. She also writes about accounting software such as QuickBooks and Sage 50, as well as web-scripting languages like HTML, JavaScript, Python, PHP, Visual Basic, ASP.NET, and AJAX. Monika is passionate about researching and exploring new technologies, and she enjoys developing engaging technical blogs that help organizations and database administrators resolve various issues. When she's not creating content, you can find her on social media, watching web series, reading books, or exploring new food recipes.