What is QBWin.log or QuickBooks.log Files

Administrators are keen on understanding how QuickBooks works and the causes of errors in it. Central to all this is the “Qbwin.log or QuickBooks.log Files” that QuickBooks uses to display a variety of significant information about its operational aspects and the data corruption displayed in form of this log.

Here’s a list of what this log holds for the user: QBWin.log or QuickBooks.log Files

• Unforeseen conditions
• Message about Fatal errors and unforeseen conditions
• Data related to access to the QuickBooks Database Server Manager
• Info about start-up and/or closure of various ‘services’ along with system-resource requested
• Other QuickBooks messages

Information created when Verify, Rebuild or Clean-up utilities are run

How to Locate the QBWin.log File

Through the onboard product Consultant screens one can easily gain access to these files, here’s how:

• With QuickBooks company file open on the Home page > Press the F2 key or press Ctrl+1 keys > The Product Information screen gets opened
• Press the F3 (Ctrl+2) to open the Tech Help window > Select Open File Tab
• Scroll to the QBWIN.LOG file > Click Open File
• The QBWin.log file will open in Notepad.

Access QBWin.log on Networks or other Hosted Environment

• From the Start menu in the Hosted environment > Select Computer
• In the Search menu > Type QBWin.log but Do not press Enter
• You will see the list of QBWin.logs (Look for the latest QBWin.log and the error it mentions )

Segment 1: Check out the events near the very end of the file where you see this portion below:

BEGIN VERIFY LOG

The useful information lies in between the header above and the section that ends with the caption below – (Here it will include the keyword and one of the errors in Segment 2)

END VERIFY LOG

Segment 2: Keyword of list-count errors in QBWin.log:

• LVL_ERROR
• LVL_SEVERE ERROR
• ERROR
• WARNING

Segment 3: Corrupted Memorized Report errors – Example of the error)

BEGIN VERIFY LOG

LVL_ERROR- -Memorized Report recnum ## (name of report) contains corrupted formatting data. Recnum ## – This memorized report must be deleted.

END VERIFY LOG

The error is self-explanatory, and both problem and solutions are clearly shown.

• To correct the error above, simply open the Memorized Report List > Select Re-sort
• Re-sort it > Close the list > Re-open the list again > Re-sort again > Close the list again.