QuickBooks won't open after Windows 11 24H2

5-minute fixVerified for QB 2021–2025Easy difficulty

Quick Answer

After the Windows 11 24H2 update, QuickBooks Desktop may hang on the splash screen or "Not Responding." Fix: Close all QB processes, run QuickBooks Tool Hub → Program Problems → Quick Fix my Program, then start QuickBooks. If it still won't open, run reboot.bat from the QuickBooks program folder and add Defender exclusions for QuickBooks folders.

What's happening?

The 24H2 feature update can reset app dependencies and security rules. QuickBooks may fail to initialize due to:

Error 24H2: Windows 11 24H2 Update Issue

QuickBooks Desktop fails to start properly after Windows 11 24H2 feature update.

Symptoms:

•Stuck on the QuickBooks splash screen
•"Not Responding" in Title Bar / Task Manager
•Opens once, then won't reopen
•Email/PDF dialogs never appear, or app closes when trying to print/email

Resolution Steps:

1.
End QuickBooks processes in Task Manager
2.
Run Quick Fix my Program from Tool Hub
3.
Execute reboot.bat to re-register DLLs
4.
Add Windows Defender exclusions

Common Causes

•
Stuck background processes from a previous session
•
Reset/blocked COM/MAPI or print/PDF components
•
.NET/VC++ dependencies not loading immediately post-update
•
New or stricter Defender/AV scanning of QB program/data files

5-Minute Hotfix (fastest, official-first)

Step 1: Close QuickBooks completely

Right-click the taskbar → Task Manager → end these if present:
QBW32.exe, QBCFMonitorService.exe, QBDBMgrN.exe, QBDBMgr.exe

Step 2: Run Quick Fix my Program

Open QuickBooks Tool Hub (latest if you have it).
Program Problems → Quick Fix my Program → Run.
When done, start QuickBooks. If prompted, choose your company file.

Step 3: If still stuck: run reboot.bat

Close QuickBooks.
Open the QuickBooks program folder, e.g.:
C:\Program Files\Intuit\QuickBooks 2025\ (use your year).
Right-click reboot.bat → Run as administrator (it re-registers QB DLLs).
Launch QuickBooks again.

90% of cases resolve with the above.

If not, do the detailed steps below (still quick).

Detailed Solution Steps

Verify Windows recognizes QuickBooks paths (Defender exclusions)

Add these Defender exclusions (Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Manage settings → Exclusions):

C:\Program Files\Intuit\QuickBooks [Year]\
C:\ProgramData\Intuit\
C:\Users\Public\Documents\Intuit\QuickBooks\Company Files\
QuickBooks Database service folder (varies by year), typically under
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Intuit\QuickBooks\

Re-try QuickBooks.

Repair print/PDF hooks (common launch blocker)

In Tool Hub → Program Problems, run:

QuickBooks PDF & Print Repair Tool
Then start QuickBooks and try File → Print Setup to confirm.

Refresh user configuration (safe)

Sometimes the per-user cache prevents launch (doesn't affect your company data):

Close QB.
Press Win + R → paste:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Intuit\QuickBooks [Year]\
Rename QBWUSER.ini to QBWUSER.ini.old (resets recent-file list & UI prefs).
Start QuickBooks → open your company file.

Quick repair of the installation

Settings → Apps → Installed apps (or Control Panel → Programs).
Find QuickBooks Desktop [Year] → Modify/Repair.
When finished, open QuickBooks.

(If Outlook/email errors triggered the hang)

Ensure Outlook is set as default Mail app (Windows Settings → Apps → Default apps).
Prefer 32-bit Office with QuickBooks (if you can choose).
If printing/emailing still crashes, redo PDF & Print Repair from Tool Hub.

Prevention (post-24H2)

Best Practices

After major Windows updates, reboot twice before first launching QuickBooks.
Keep QuickBooks maintenance releases current.
Exclude QuickBooks program/data folders in Defender or third-party AV.
Close QuickBooks before shutting down/restarting Windows.

FAQs

Will I lose my accounting data doing this?

No. These steps don't touch your .QBW company file. Reboot.bat re-registers program components only.

Do I need admin rights?

Only for reboot.bat, the Tool Hub repairs, and adding Defender exclusions. Opening QuickBooks doesn't require admin.

Tool Hub isn't installed—what then?

Install the latest QuickBooks Tool Hub, then re-do the Quick Fix my Program step. (For locked-down PCs, install as admin.)

It still won't open—what's next?

Create a new Windows user profile, sign in, and try QuickBooks (rules out a corrupt user profile).
Run QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool (Tool Hub → Installation Issues).
As a last resort, uninstall/reinstall QuickBooks (same year/edition), then open your existing company file.

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QuickBooks Installation Guide

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