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Have you encountered the “Connection Has Been Lost” error message when attempting to use the Quickbooks accounting software. It’s difficult to keep track of your transactions without an active connection. While this error is uncommon, it does occur in some instances, specifically when the user is accessing his or her company file. So, what causes the connection lost error message and how do you fix it?

There are several common causes of the connection lost error message, one of which is the company file being stored on another computer or device and the connection to that computer or device was disrupted. Whether the computer locally or off-site, you need a connection to the computer; otherwise, you won’t be able to access your company file (assuming it’s stored there).

Other common causes of the connection lost error message include sleep or hibernation settings on the same computer that’s storing the company file; two or more computers on a network configured to host the company file (only a single computer should host it); computers in multi-user installation are running different versions of Quickbooks; and data in the company file is damaged or corrupt. Regardless of what’s causing your lost connection error message, however, there are a few quick and easy solutions that should resolve it.

To fix the lost connection error message in Quickbooks, you should  first try to identify the root cause through process of elimination. Go through each of the causes mentioned above and eliminate them one by one. If your company file being stored on another computer or device is causing the problem, try restarting the computer to fix the connection. If the problem persists, check your computer hardware and network configuration.

If hibernation or other power management settings in Windows are causing the lost connection error message, you should access and disable them. If more than one computer on a network is hosting the company file, open Quickbooks and choose File > Utilities, at which point you should see either “Stop Hosting Multi-User Access” or “Host Multi-User Access.” If “Stop Hosting Multi-User Access” appears, hosting is enable and you can proceed with the on-screen instructions. If the latter option appears, select it to enable hosting on this computer and proceed with the on-screen instructions.

If you have computers in multi-user installation running different versions of Quickbooks, open the software and choose Help > Update Quickbooks > Update Now > close and reopen the software after download is complete > click Install Now and follow the on-screen instructions.

Did this tutorial work for you? Let us know in comments section below!