There are a variety of reasons why the QuickBooks Database Server may not be running on the server/computer hosting your QuickBooks company files. Let's take a moment to review what the server is, and its primary functions before we look at the steps to restart it.
When QuickBooks is installed there are two possible versions of the Sybase server that are installed as the QuickBooks Database server. The personal database server is installed when QuickBooks has been set-up as a stand-alone application; QuickBooks and your Company file are on the same computer.
The personal database server is provided for single-user, same-computer use, as an embedded database server. This form of the database server does not support client/server communications across a network.
The network database server – this ‘windows service’ supports client/server communications across a network, and is intended for multi-user use. The request-processing engine of the server is essentially identical in both the personal and network server versions, with each one supporting the same database features, in exactly the same manner. As such a QuickBooks company (database) file created with a version of QuickBooks running the personal database server can be used with the same version of QuickBooks running the network database server and vice versa. However, only the network server version supports communications across a network, the number of simultaneous connections the server will support depends on the QuickBooks version and licensing purchased.
On occasion the network database server responsible for hosting your QuickBooks Company may not start as part of routine server operations. This is not uncommon when a server has been rebooted during an unscheduled activity, or during installation of a server update to the Windows Operating System.
The following steps should be taken to restart the QuickBooks Database Server on the hosting server:
1) Click the Windows Start button and select Control Panel.
2) When the Control Panel opens, double-click Administrative Tools.
3) Within Administrative Tools, double-click Services.
4) Right-click the appropriate QuickBooks Database Server:
- QuickBooksDB25 (QuickBooks 2015)
- QuickBooksDB24 (QuickBooks 2014)
- QuickBooksDB23 (QuickBooks 2013)
- QuickBooksDB22 (QuickBooks 2012)
5) Click Start to restart the service.
Note: If you notice that Start Type for any of these services is something other than 'Automatic' you may wish to reset them so that they launch immediately whenever the server/computer is re-started or re-booted. You must change the current Service Status to 'Stop' the Service before making the Startup Type Change. It is critical that you insure that QuickBooks is closed by all users as well as the Server prior to stopping any of these Services. Once Stopped, change the Startup Type from he drop-down options to Automatic, then select the option to Start the Service again, and click OK.