QuickBooks Error H505 – Region & Solution

Their mission is to provide the best accounting solutions to businesses throughout the world. Thus, they developed QuickBooks software, which is ideal for mid-sized businesses, associations, and firms. Among the many features of QuickBooks are automated payment scheduling, business analysis reports, inventory tracking, and multi-user features. Many users, however, report encountering errors, with QuickBooks error H505 being the most common.

This company file is located on another computer, and QuickBooks requires assistance connecting. If you see the following error message on your desktop screen, you are likely experiencing the following error message: QuickBooks Error H505.

What is QuickBooks Error H505?

When using QuickBooks accounting software, encountering Error Code H505 means that the company file cannot be accessed from a different computer due to incorrect or missing network and hosting settings. This type of error falls under the H series, which are typically caused by problems with network and hosting configurations. In order to fix Error H505, adjustments to the network and configuration settings must be made to allow proper multi-user access to the company file from a remote workstation.

Reasons For QuickBooks Error Code H505

• The QuickBooks Desktop application is not hosted correctly on the server hosting the company file.
• The connection between the computers in the network is being blocked by the Windows firewall or a third-party firewall.
• A corrupt or damaged Network Data file (.ND) that QuickBooks uses to establish a network connection.
• The latest released updates are not installed on QuickBooks Desktop.

Solution For QuickBooks Error Code H505

You may encounter this QuickBooks Error H505 when attempting to switch to multi-user mode due to network issues or configuration errors. If you encounter this error, follow these steps to resolve it:

Solution 1: Update QuickBooks Desktop to the Latest Release

• Select About QuickBooks under the Help tab in QuickBooks Desktop
• Click the Update Now button in the Update QuickBooks window.
• Check the box for New Features, Maintenance Releases, and Reset Updates.
• The Get Update button will appear.
• If QuickBooks prompts you to install updates, click Install Now.
• Restart your computer after installing the updates and try to open the company file again.

Solution 2: Create a New Company File Folder

• Find the company file folder on the computer hosting the company file.
• Paste the company file into a new folder on your desktop.
• Select Properties from the right-click menu.
• Select Advanced Sharing from the Share tab.
• Select the Share This Folder checkbox and click the Permissions. Advanced Sharing Options button
• Click Apply and OK after selecting Full Control for Everyone Group.
• Try opening the company file again from the workstation after clicking Apply and OK once again.

Solution 3: Set Proper Hosting on Computers

• Open QuickBooks on your Workstation and click the Stop Hosting Multi-User Configuration option under the File tab.
• Open QuickBooks on your server that has the company file and select Host Multi User Configuration under Files -> Utilities.
• Try reopening the company file after restarting both the server and the workstation.

Solution 4: Check if the Workstation can Communicate with the File Hosting Server

1. Select Network and Sharing Center from the Control Panel.
2. Under the Network Discovery and File and Printer sharing section, make sure Turn on Network Discovery is selected under the Change Advanced Sharing Settings option.
3. Run can be accessed by pressing Windows + R.
4. Run the Command Prompt program by typing CMD and pressing Enter or clicking OK.
5. Press Enter when you see a black screen on your screen and type ipconfig/all.
6. Close the command prompt window after noting the server name.
7. Open the same command prompt program on the workstation computer and run ping(your server name) without brackets.
8. Using this command, you will send some data packets to the server, and if your server receives them all, you will not notice any packet loss, which indicates that the connection between the server and workstation is fine.
9. On each workstation that is giving you the error code H505, repeat these steps.
10. For further troubleshooting assistance, contact your IT team if some workstations fail to receive packets sent to the server.

Solution 5: Configure the Windows Firewall Settings

1. Type Control Panel in Windows + R.
2. Enter Windows Firewall and press Enter.
3. Select Allow an app through Windows Firewall.
4. Change the settings by clicking the Change button.
5. Under the Public list for QuickBooks application, check the box.
6. Click Allow another app option and browse QuickBooks if QuickBooks isn’t listed.
7. Select the Public option for the application after clicking OK.
8. Check if the error H505 still occurs after clicking OK and opening the company file again on the workstation.

QuickBooks error H505 is caused by network issues, so you might get the same error again after following all the troubleshooting steps, or the error may not get resolved.

FAQ For QuickBooks Error H505 – Region & Solution

Q. Is there a way to prevent QuickBooks Error H505 from occurring?

Ans. In order to prevent QuickBooks Error H505:

1. Keep QuickBooks up-to-date regularly.
2. Verify hosting settings regularly and ensure that the network is set up correctly.
3. To accommodate QuickBooks operations, regularly check and update firewall and antivirus settings

Q. What is the role of the .ND file in QuickBooks, and why can it cause Error H505?

Ans. QuickBooks can access a company file in a network or multi-user environment via the .ND (Network Data) file, a configuration file. Error H505 may occur if this file is damaged, incorrect, or missing, preventing QuickBooks from locating the computer hosting the file.

Q. How do DNS settings affect QuickBooks and Error H505?

Ans. If your DNS settings are incorrect, QuickBooks may not be able to resolve the server’s IP address, causing Error H505. Ensure that your DNS settings are correct and the server and workstations are properly connected.