This guide is provided by Conductor, the service that powers the QuickBooks Desktop integration for many business tools, including the one that sent you here.

If you were directed to this page, it was likely because you encountered the following error attempting to sync with your QuickBooks Desktop:

We could not connect to your QuickBooks Desktop because either QuickBooks
Desktop is closed and we could not start it, or an error popped up on your
Windows computer.

Alternatively, you might have been directed to this page for the following error (which is the exact same error; the message above is merely Conductor’s user-friendly version):

(0x80040408): Could not start QuickBooks.

Follow these troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue:

Troubleshooting steps

1

Ensure only one version of QuickBooks Desktop is installed

Having multiple versions of QuickBooks Desktop installed on your Windows computer can cause the error above and several other issues. Please complete this guide to ensure only one version of QuickBooks Desktop is installed on your computer. Then, try syncing with QuickBooks Desktop again.

2

Recreate the Web Connector log file

If you continue to see the same error when syncing, you may need to recreate the Web Connector log file. Please complete this guide to delete the log file. Then, try syncing with QuickBooks Desktop again.

3

Do you see a popup on your Windows computer saying 'Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?'?

If you still see the same error when syncing, check if the dialog box shown below appears on your Windows computer. If so, please complete this guide to resolve that issue. Then, try syncing with QuickBooks Desktop again.

If you continue to see the error above after trying all of the solutions above, please email us at support@conductor.is. We want to help you resolve this issue and use your experience to improve this guide for others.