---
title: "WHAT IF: QuickBooks can only be opened by the Administrator"
description: Learn how to resolve the QuickBooks log-in issue that forces you to enter the Admin password without displaying other user accounts.
---

[Insightful Accountant | Blog ](https://blog.insightfulaccountant.com)

# [WHAT IF: QuickBooks can only be opened by the Administrator](https://blog.insightfulaccountant.com/what-if-quickbooks-can-only-be-opened-by-the-administrator)

 Written by [William Murphy](https://blog.insightfulaccountant.com/author/william-murphy) | Apr 21, 2015 3:15:00 PM

A reader writes in to ask, ***“When I attempt to open my QuickBooks Company file, the log-in screen only asks for the Admin password, even though there are multiple users established, there isn't even a user field displayed for me to select my user own account.  How do I fix this problem?”***

.

#### **Problem: **

.

When attempting to log-in to a QuickBooks Company file, the log-in window displays a message indicating **“you need to log in as QuickBooks Administrator to proceed. Please enter the admin (owner) password for the company:”**

There isn’t even a field displayed for you to enter or select an alternative user even though you know other user accounts exist for this Company file. (Note: If the Admin user account name has been changed, the account name will be displayed above the Password field.)

.

#### **Resolving the Error:**

.

**1) Close QuickBooks**

**2) End all QuickBooks related processes from the Windows Task Manager**

- Right click on the **Windows toolbar** at the bottom of the screen
- Select **Start Task Manager**
- When Task Manager opens click on the **Processes tab**.
- Insure this list is ‘showing’ **all processes from all users**.
- Click on the **Image Name tab** in order to arrange all processes alphabetically (they may already be sorted in this manner, or by some designated column, such as memory.)
- Scroll down the list of processes until you find the QuickBooks related processes that will start with QB (as shown below), verify each process using the Description column data. ***[Your list may not be identical to that shown below, but should be similar.]***

- Select each of the QB processes one by one, and click **End Process** for each selection.
- Click **OK** when the warning message appears.
- **Repeat** these steps for every QB process listed
- After ending all of the QB processes, **close Task Manager**.

**3)  Delete the QuickBooks_Standard_21 start-up process from your Start-up folder**

- Click the **Windows Globe** or **Start** Icon
- Select **All Programs** from the displayed menu
- Locate the **Startup** folder, and click once to open it

- Right click on **QuickBooks_Standard_21** and select **Delete**
- Click** Yes** when the warning message appears.

**4) ** **Start QuickBooks normally** – ***the user name field should now be displayed. Log-in to the Company file using the appropriate user name.***

**QuickBooks should operate normally after this.**

[View full post](https://blog.insightfulaccountant.com/what-if-quickbooks-can-only-be-opened-by-the-administrator)

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