What This Error Means

H202 and H303 mean your computer can’t communicate with the server hosting the company file over your network. It’s a connectivity issue, not a problem with the company file itself.

Common Causes

• The QuickBooksDBXX service (manages multi-user access) isn’t running on the host computer
• Windows Firewall, antivirus, or a router setting is blocking the ports QuickBooks uses between machines
• The host computer went to sleep, restarted, or was shut down
• You’re connecting over Wi-Fi instead of a wired connection, and the signal isn’t stable

Standard Fix

On the host computer, run the QuickBooks Database Server Manager and Intuit’s built-in Connection Diagnostic Tool. This checks and repairs the firewall ports and confirms the QuickBooksDBXX service is running.

If the Error Keeps Coming Back

Recurring H202/H303 errors usually mean the underlying network isn’t reliable enough to host a shared company file. Moving the file to a hosted environment removes the dependency on office hardware and network stability entirely — multi-user mode works the same way, without a single host machine that has to stay online for everyone else. See the full breakdown or start a 7-day free trial.