Fix QuickBooks Migration Failed Unexpectedly Issue Instantly

“QuickBooks migration failed unexpectedly” is a troublesome issue that occurs when users try to run the data migration process. Consequently, you won’t be able to transfer data from one computer to another or from one QB product to another. If you are unable to migrate the QuickBooks data due to this issue, follow our article till the end to resolve the migration problems.

There can be many reasons that can prompt users to migrate their data, be it from one product to another or from one system to another. This is why Intuit has an easy process to make data migration smooth and seamless. However, problems might arise in the process and lead to QuickBooks data migration failure. This issue can sometimes be difficult to navigate, but it needs to be resolved on priority. To help you eliminate migration problems, we have curated this comprehensive guide with expert-approved solutions. So, what are you waiting for; let’s follow this blog further and tackle QB migration issues successfully.

It can be challenging to resolve migration problems in QB, but with the help of our article, you can fix the issues with ease. In case you don’t want to undertake the resolution process on your own, you can reach out to our expert team at 1-855-856-0042 to get direct guidance with the migration error in QuickBooks.

Major Reasons Why Your QuickBooks Desktop Migration Failed Unexpectedly

Are you wondering why your QB migration process keeps failing? There can be many reasons for the migration issues, and it is equally essential to learn why the problem arises in order to resolve it in an effective manner.

Below is a list of primary triggers behind QuickBooks migration failure –

• The Windows OS might be outdated, and the current operating system might not meet the minimum system requirements for running the migration process.
• The QB Migrator Tool might not be running correctly, and the tool might be damaged or corrupted.
• The USB flash drive might not have enough space to hold your QB files, which might cause storage problems while copying the company files into the drive for migration.
• There are issues while installing QuickBooks on the new computer, which can prevent users from completing the migration process.
• Your QuickBooks Desktop might be old or outdated, which can make it incompatible with new operating systems, like Windows 11.
• You are not running the data migration process with admin privileges, and your current user account might face permission-related issues.
• The Windows firewall or an antivirus program might be set to block QuickBooks, leading to interruptions in the migration process.
• The company file you want to migrate might be damaged, corrupted, or bulky in size.

These are some of the major reasons responsible for making the migration process unsuccessful. Now, let’s move to the next section to learn effective ways to address each of these triggers for migration issues.

Reliable Ways to Terminate “QuickBooks Migration Failed Unexpectedly Windows 11” Issue

Users need to fix the issues arising while migrating QB data to ensure that the process is successful. These issues can arise due to multiple reasons, as mentioned above, and these reasons have specific remedies.

QuickBooks migration failure can be eliminated with the help of the tried and tested solutions mentioned below –

Note: Make sure that essential company data and files are backed up in advance to remove the risk of data loss in the process. Another key point is that ensure that the minimum system requirements are fulfilled; otherwise, it can lead to incompatibility in QB.

Solution 1 – Address General QuickBooks Migrator Tool Issues

The QuickBooks Migration Tool is a revolutionized tool that cuts down all the slack of changing your system by helping you migrate your data seamlessly. But sometimes, the tool might not work properly due to general issues. You need to resolve these issues by following the instructions listed below –

• Make sure you are using the QB Migrator Tool as a company admin.
• Make sure the USB flash drive is running correctly and has enough space to hold the QB files. (Most people need around 150 to 250 MB of drive space to run the migration process.)
• Ensure that the USB flash drive is correctly inserted and that the flash drive isn’t damaged. You can also try using another USB flash drive if this one doesn’t work correctly.
• Make sure that you remember the password to copy all the company files to the new PC.

Once all these conditions are met and the issues are rectified, rerun the migrator tool. If the tool still doesn’t work, you will have to migrate the data manually in the next step.

Recommended to read : What is error code 15227 in QuickBooks

Solution 2 – Manually Move Your Company File to Another PC

When the QB Migrator Tool is not working, you can manually move the company files to the new computer by following these steps –

Step 1. Install the QBDT on the New Computer

First, follow these steps below to install QuickBooks Desktop on the new computer.

• Download your version of QB Desktop from Intuit and save it on the PC, then open the .exe setup file.
• Follow the given prompts, then accept the License Agreement and hit Next.

• Enter the product and license info, then hit Next, and ensure an active internet connection.
• Next, select Express Install as the Installation Type option, click Next, and hit Install.
• Once done, open QuickBooks and choose Activate QuickBooks Desktop from the Help tab, then follow the given instructions to verify your info.

Step 2. Create a Backup Copy of the Company File

After installing QuickBooks on the new computer, manually create a company file backup on the old computer –

• Go to the QuickBooks File menu, select Switch to Single-user Mode, then go to the File menu again.
• Select Backup Company, click Create Local Backup, then select Local Backup in the next window.
• Hit Next, then go to the Local Backup Only section and select Browse.
• Select where you want to save your backup company file and set the number of backups you want to keep. (Setting the number of backups is optional.)
• Next, QuickBooks will run a test to make sure your backup file is in proper condition, and once done, select OK, click Save it now, and hit Next.

Once the process is complete, QuickBooks will create a single backup company file, and you will get a confirmation message.

Note: You can also create company file backups by scheduling them automatically. Another key point is that when you save the backup file, give it a unique name and save it at an accessible location on the desktop.

Step 3. Move the Backup Company File to the New Computer

Now, move the backup company file to your new computer by either putting the backup on a flash drive or an external device. Alternatively, you can share the backup data if your new PC is on the same network. Enter the flash drive or external drive in the new PC to move the data from the old computer. Then, restore the company file backup on the new computer in the following manner –

• Access the QuickBooks File menu, select Open or Restore Company, then click the Restore a backup copy option.

• Hit Next, select Local Backup, then Next again, and browse your computer for the backup company file.
• The backup company file should look like this: [Your company name].qbb, and once found, select a folder to decide where to save your restored company file.
• Select Open, and when you’re ready, select Save to save the restored backup file.

Note: If you see messages about possibly overwriting your data, select the most suitable option, and don’t overwrite anything unless you know you want to.

Step 4. Download the Latest Tax Table

If you use QuickBooks payroll, you can download the recent payroll tax table in the following manner –

• Go to the QuickBooks Employees tab, select Get Payroll Updates, and click Download Entire Update.

• Select Update, wait for the Informational Window to appear, and when it does, it means the download is complete.

These steps will help you manually move your company file to a new PC. If you want to move the files to another location on the same PC, perform the next solution.

Solution 3 – Manually Move Your QuickBooks Company File to Another Location on the Same PC

If you wish to migrate the QB company file data to another location on the same PC, you can perform these steps –

• Backup your QuickBooks company file by following the first step of solution 2.
• Give the backup file a unique name and save it at an easily accessible location.

Note: If the QB company file is hosted on a network, you can save the backup on your PC’s local hard drive instead of a network location.

• Restore the company file backup to the new folder on the new location by following step 4 of solution 2. Remember, the file should have a unique name to prevent overwriting issues.
• After you restore the backup, use it as your new main company file and rename the original company file. You can add the word “old” to the filename to prevent confusion between the files so you know not to use it anymore.

This solution will help you manually move your company files to another location. If you are still facing migration issues in the process, you can perform the next troubleshooting step.

Solution 4 – Update Your Windows OS to the Latest Release

The migration error in QuickBooks may occur due to an outdated Windows OS. Therefore, follow the detailed instructions below for the same.

• First, determine the current Windows version in the following manner –
  • Open the Start tab and right-click Computer, then choose Properties.
  • The new Window will show the current Windows version.
• Once the version is confirmed, open the Windows Start menu, go to Settings, and click Windows Update.
• Select Check for Updates, and if the updates are available, install them.
• Lastly, restart the Windows.

Run the updated Windows OS and perform the data migration process again. If the “QuickBooks migration failed unexpectedly Windows 10” issue persists, you can follow the next solution.

Also Read : How to fix QuickBooks Error 6106

Solution 5 – Repair QuickBooks Desktop

Many times, migration problems can be the result of common program issues or installation-related issues. These issues can be addressed by using the QuickBooks Tool Hub features in the following manner –

Action 1 – Download QB Tool Hub

• Close QuickBooks, then download the most recent version (1.6.0.3) of the QuickBooks Tool Hub.
• Save the file somewhere at an easily accessible location on the PC, then open the downloaded QuickBooksToolHub.exe setup file.

Note: If you’ve installed QB Tool Hub before and want to find out the current version, you can find the version at the bottom of the Help tab.

• Follow the on-screen steps to install the utility, then agree to the terms and conditions and wait for the installation process to end.
• When the installation finishes, double-click the QB Tool Hub icon on your Windows to open it and access the features in the next step.

Action 2 – Utilize Quick Fix My Program Tool

The Quick Fix My Program utility will shut down any open background processes and run a quick program repair in the following manner –

• Access QuickBooks Tool Hub, select Program Problems, then select Quick Fix My Program to initiate the repair process.
• Run the tool, and once the process ends, start QuickBooks Desktop and open your data file.

If you still get migration problems in QB, move to the next step.

Action 3 – Run QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool

If solving the program problems doesn’t help, you can address the installation problems. For this, run the QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool in the following way –

• Open the QuickBooks Tool Hub, select the Installation Issues tab, then locate & click QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool.
• The tool might take around 20 minutes to run the process, and once done, restart your computer and start QuickBooks Desktop.
• Open your data file, then update your QuickBooks to the latest release in Solution 3 to make sure you have the recent fixes and security updates.

Now, update the app in the next solution to fix all the program and installation issues leading to the migration problems.

Solution 6 – Update QuickBooks Desktop

Migration problems can occur when the Windows OS and QuickBooks are not compatible. Thus, apart from updating Windows, you also need to ensure that QB is up-to-date. For this, you can run the update process as follows –

• Right-click on the QB Desktop icon and choose Run as Admin to access the app with admin privileges.
• Next, open QuickBooks, press F2 to access the Product Info section.
• Check the current QB version, then go to the Help menu and select Update QuickBooks Desktop.
• Select Update Now, click Get Updates, then reopen QuickBooks Desktop to install the updates.

Once the updates are installed, run the data migration process again to check if the issues are resolved. If the migration keeps failing, move to solution 7.

Solution 7 – Run QB in Compatibility Mode

If the above two solutions don’t work, you can try running the QB program in compatibility mode. This can address compatibility issues in the system and fix the data migration problems.

• Locate and right-click the QB Desktop icon, then choose Properties and select Open File Location.
• Once the properties dialog box appears, go to the Compatibility section and choose “Run this program in compatibility window for” from the drop-down tab.
• Hit Apply and OK to save the changes, and once done, try migrating your data again.

If the migration process is still unsuccessful, follow the next troubleshooting step to fix the issues.

Solution 8 – Modify the Windows Firewall & Antivirus Settings for QuickBooks

Firewall restrictions may prevent users from undertaking the data migration process. Thus, you need to remove the blockages caused by the firewall and the antivirus program to migrate the QB data seamlessly.

To resolve this issue, edit the firewall security settings and create QB exceptions with these steps –

Step 1 – Run the QB File Doctor Utility from the QB Tool Hub

You can use the QuickBooks File Doctor tool to repair data damage and network issues in QuickBooks. See Solution 2 above to learn how to install the QB Tool Hub.

• Open QuickBooks Tool Hub, select Company File Issues, and then select Run QuickBooks File Doctor.
• Wait for the tool to open; it may take around a minute.

Note: If the QuickBooks File Doctor tool doesn’t open, you can access the tool manually by searching for “QuickBooks Desktop File Doc” in the Windows search bar.

• Select the company file from the drop-down list or select Browse to search the company file, then enter the admin credentials and click Next.
• Next, select Check your File and Network, then hit Continue to initiate the scan process.
• Lastly, wait for the scan process to end, which typically takes up to 5 minutes.
• After the scan process is complete, open QB and access the company files to check whether the issue has been released.

Note: The scan may say it was unsuccessful even if the data and network issues are fixed.

If you are unable to access the company file or the issue persists, move to the next step.

Step 2 – Manually Configure Windows Firewall Settings

If the QB File Doctor Tool isn’t able to automatically configure the firewall for QuickBooks, you can manually create firewall exceptions in the following manner –

Note: If you use more than one version (year) of QuickBooks on the same PC, you need to perform these steps for each version.

• Open the Windows Start menu, type “Windows Firewall” in the search box, then open Windows Firewall.
• Select Advanced Settings, then locate and right-click Inbound Rules, and select New Rule.

• Select Port, hit Next, and then ensure that TCP is checkmarked.
• Further, enter the specific ports as per the QB Desktop version in the Specific Local Ports field by following the port list below-
  • QuickBooks Desktop 2020 and later: 8019, XXXXX.
  • QuickBooks Desktop 2019: 8019, XXXXX.
  • QuickBooks Desktop 2018: 8019, 56728, 55378-55382.
  • QuickBooks Desktop 2017: 8019, 56727, 55373-55377.

Note: Remember, if you have multiple QB versions, you need to add each year’s ports to the list.

Important: QuickBooks Desktop 2019 and later versions use dynamic ports, which are specific firewall ports assigned during installation to ensure QuickBooks gets exclusive use of a given port.

To find and enter the dynamic port number as per your QB Desktop version

• Open the Windows Start menu, enter “QuickBooks Database Server Manager” in the search bar, and open QuickBooks Database Server Manager.
• Go to the Port Monitor tab, then find the QuickBooks version you are currently using and note down the Port Number to include in the port exceptions.

Note: You can change the assigned port number (for QB Desktop 2019 and later versions) by selecting Renew. If you renew the port number, you need to reset firewall permissions by selecting Scan Now from the Scan Folders tab.

• After you enter the port number, select Next, choose Allow the Connection, and then click Next again.
• If prompted, make sure all profiles are checkmarked, then select Next and create the new rule. Name the rule as “QBPorts(year),” and once done, select Finish.

Repeat the above steps in the same manner to create Outbound Rules. However, you must ensure to select Outbound Rules instead of Inbound Rules in step 2. Once both Inbound and Outbound Rules are created, open QuickBooks Desktop and switch to multi-user mode.

You can also open QuickBooks over your network from the host PC, and if you still see issues, move to the next step.

Add firewall exceptions for QB programs –

QuickBooks uses executable files (.exe) to perform various tasks, and you need to add exceptions to these files to prevent blockages in the following manner –

• Open the Start menu and open Windows Firewall by searching for the utility in the Windows Search Bar.
• Select Advanced Settings, right-click Inbound Rules, then select New Rule to create rules for QB.
• Select Program, hit Next, and choose This Program Path, then click Browse.
• Find and select one of the executable files from the list below, and once done, hit Next.
  • AutoBackupExe.exe
  • Dbmlsync.exe
  • DBManagerExe.exe
  • FileManagement.exe
  • FileMovementExe.exe
  • IntuitSyncManager.exe
  • QBCFMonitorService.exe
  • QBDBMgr.exe
  • QBDBMgrN.exe
  • QBGDSPlugin.exe
  • QBLaunch.exe
  • QBServerUtilityMgr.exe
  • QBW32.exe
  • QuickBooksMessaging.exe
• Select Allow the Connection, click Next, and if required, ensure that all the profiles are selected.
• Select Next, then create a rule and name it “QBFirewallException(name.exe),” then create Outbound Rules for QuickBooks.
• To create Outbound Rules, repeat steps 1 to 6, but make sure to select Outbound Rules rather than Inbound Rules in step 2.

Once the QB rules are successfully created, open QuickBooks Desktop and access QB in multi-user mode. Then, check if the blockages are removed and if not, restart your PC to ensure the changes are saved.

If the migration problems persist even after removing firewall blockages, set your antivirus settings in the next step.

Step 3 – Review the antivirus program settings

If you configured your firewall but still have issues, check your antivirus settings to ensure QuickBooks has general permissions and isn’t blocked. The troubleshooting steps may vary from program to program, and you need to look up the steps for your particular antivirus software and follow their specific guidelines.

Once the firewall and antivirus settings are configured to allow QuickBooks, rerun the data migration process. If the “your migration failed while checking destination credentials” issue persists, move to Solution 9.

You may also read : How do I fix error 1712 in QuickBooks

Solution 9 – Clean Install QuickBooks

If none of the solutions provided above help, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling QuickBooks Desktop. This step can help resolve the installation problems, especially if repairing QuickBooks didn’t help.

Note: Before undertaking this solution, ensure that the QB installer is downloaded and you have your product and license details handy.

Step 1 – Uninstall QuickBooks

Firstly, uninstall/remove the current QB version from your PC.

• Open the Windows Start menu, access the Control Panel, and choose Programs and Features or Uninstall a Program.
• From the list of programs, select the QB version that you want to remove, then choose Uninstall/Change, Remove.

Note: If you don’t see this option, you can sign out and sign back as a Windows admin user.

• Once the option is visible, select it and hit Next.

Once done, move to the next step to rename the installation folders.

Step 2 – Rename QuickBooks Installation Folders

Once QuickBooks is removed, rename the QB installation folders in the following manner –

• Open the Windows Start menu and search for “File Explorer”, then open File Explorer and locate the folder containing QB company files.
• Find the folder that holds your QuickBooks company files by navigating through the following locations. The folder will be found in one of the locations provided below.
  • C:\ProgramData\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
  • C:\Users(current user)\AppData\Local\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
  • C:\Program Files\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
  • 64-bit version C:\Program Files (x86)\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
• Further, right-click the folder and select Rename, then add “old” at the end of the folder name. This ensures that QuickBooks won’t open the installation folder when you reinstall the app.

Now, reinstall QuickBooks in the next step.

Step 3 – Reinstall QuickBooks

Once the installation folders are renamed, you can install QuickBooks Desktop and undertake the activation process by following Step 1 of Solution 2 above in this blog.
Lastly, run the migration process and check the status of the “QuickBooks migration failed unexpectedly Windows 11” issue.

Conclusion

The “QuickBooks migration failed unexpectedly” issue can be successfully rectified with the help of these troubleshooting solutions. If you are stuck at any step or these solutions are ineffective in fixing the migration problems, you can reach out to our QB professional team at 1-855-856-0042 to get immediate help with the data migration.

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Erica watson

Erica Watson is writing about accounting and bookkeeping for over 7+ years, making even the difficult technical topics easy to understand. She is skilled at creating content about popular accounting and tax softwares such as QuickBooks, Sage, Xero, Quicken, etc. Erica’s knowledge of such softwares allows her to create articles and guides that are both informative and easy to follow. Her writing builds trust with readers, thanks to her ability to explain things clearly while showing a real understanding of the industry.