QuickBooks Error Code 15106- Fix with Expert Guide

Intuit comes out with the latest updates and maintenance releases to improve the stability and performance of QuickBooks Desktop. However, several users have reported getting QuickBooks Error Code 15106 when updating the QuickBooks application. Once error 15106 appears on the system, you will come across an error message stating: ‘Error 15106: The update program cannot be opened.’ or ‘Error 15106: The update program is damaged.‘ The focus of the article is to discuss the reasons and solutions so you can quickly initiate payroll service updates by eliminating error code 15106 in QuickBooks.

What are the Causes of QuickBooks Update Error 15106?

Go through the list of reasons below and try to figure out what triggered error 15106 in your case. If you cannot pinpoint the exact cause to proceed accordingly, try implementing all the methods in this article. The following are the primary reasons that trigger error code 15106 in QuickBooks Desktop.

• If User Account Control settings are tuned on.
• If Windows Firewall is improperly configured, it might restrict the QuickBooks software updates.
• When you are not signed in as a Windows admin user, it might provoke QuickBooks Payroll Error 15106.
• If antivirus software blocks payroll updates.
• If the Windows OS files are damaged.

Top Methods to Get Rid of QuickBooks Payroll Unable to Update Error Code 15106

The following are the top six ways to eradicate QuickBooks error message 15106.

Method 1: Run QB Desktop as an Administrator

You must have admin rights to update or make necessary changes to the QuickBooks application. Learn how to do it by following the steps below.

• Close the company file and then the QuickBooks application.
• Move to the desktop and right-click the QB Desktop icon.

• In the drop-down list, select the option to Run as Administrator.
• At last, when you see the message, ‘Do you want to allow this program to make changes to your computer?’, click the Yes option.

Re-download QuickBooks Desktop updates to check if the above steps fixed QuickBooks error 15106. However, if the issue persists, check out the next solution.

Method 2: Run the Reboot.bat File 

Running the reboot .bat file will help you re-registering .DLL and .OCX files in Microsoft Windows. QuickBooks Desktop uses these files to work correctly on the system. Also, running the reboot.bat file will revive the damaged Windows files that might interrupt QB Desktop updates. Follow the steps below to proceed accordingly.

• Close the company file and the QB program.
• Navigate to the C:\Program Files\Intuit\QuickBooks folder and look for the reboot.bat file.
• Right-click the Reboot.bat file and select Run as Administrator.
• Reboot the system, launch the QB program, and click Install Now if prompted to install an update.

If you still cannot install QuickBooks updates, follow the steps below to delete and re-download the update.

• Close the QuickBooks software and move to the following location: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Intuit\QuickBooks < versionXX> \Components. (Note: xx is the number of the QB Desktop version. For instance, QuickBooks Desktop 2023 is DownloadQB23.)
• Re-open QuickBooks Desktop, choose the Help menu and then Update QuickBooks Desktop.
• Tick mark the Reset the updates checkbox under the Update Now tab and choose Get Updates.
• After re-downloading the updates, close and re-open QuickBooks and click Install Now.

However, if the above-recommended solution does not work in resolving QuickBooks Enterprise Error 15106, implement the next one.

Method 3: Check the Windows Firewall and Security Settings for QuickBooks

You must check the Windows Firewall settings and configure them for QuickBooks Desktop to fix QuickBooks Payroll Error 15106. By implementing the steps below, we will first configure the firewall settings using File Doctor and later configure them manually if required.

Step 1: Use the QuickBooks File Doctor

To run the QuickBooks File Doctor, you must initially download and install Tool Hub on the system and then follow the instructions given below:

• To open the Tool Hub, double-click its icon on the desktop.
• Click the Company File Issues tab from the left section and select QuickBooks File Doctor.

Note that File Doctor can take a minute to open. However, if it doesn’t open, you must search for QB Desktop File Doc and open it manually.

• Under the File Doctor, choose the company file in the drop-down list or click the Browse and Search option to find your file.
• Click Check your file and network and select Continue.
• Enter the QB admin password and click Next.

Important: If the company file size is large, the scan time can be more than usual, which is mostly 5 minutes. When the scan ends, open QuickBooks and the company file. You must know that the results might say scanning was unsuccessful, even if it fixes the issue.

But if you are still getting QuickBooks Payroll Update Error 15106, move to the next step.

Step 2: Configure the Windows Firewall Settings

If QuickBooks File Doctor fails to configure the Windows firewall automatically, you must set things up manually. For that, create a Firewall port exception for the QuickBooks application. The instructions below will also work if you are running multiple versions (years) of the QuickBooks program on a single system.

• Click the Windows Start tab, and in the search panel, type Windows Firewall.
• Hit the Enter key, and choose Advanced Settings in the Windows Defender Firewall window.
• Right-click the Inbound Rules option and click New Rule.
• Click the Port option and then Next.
• After ensuring the TCP option is selected, enter the specific ports needed for the QB year version in the Specific local ports field.

1. QuickBooks Desktop 2020 and later: 8019, XXXXX.
2. QuickBooks Desktop 2019: 8019, XXXXX.
3. QuickBooks Desktop 2018: 8019, 56728, 55378-55382.
4. QuickBooks Desktop 2017: 8019, 56727, 55373-55377

• After entering the port number in the field, select Next.
• Click Allow the Connection, choose Next, and verify all profiles are marked when prompted.
• Select Next.
• Create and name the rule, for instance, QBPorts(year), and when done, click Finish. 

Important: Similarly to how you just created inbound rules, create outbound rules.

Note: QuickBooks Desktop 2019, 2020, and all the later versions use dynamic ports. These ports are assigned at the time of QuickBooks installation. These are specific ports (not a range), which ensures the QuickBooks software gets exclusive use of a given port.

This is how to access the dynamic port number

Follow these steps to find the dynamic port number.

• Select the Start button, and type QuickBooks Database Server Manager in the search box.
• Press the Enter key.
• In the Port Monitor tab, you can find the Port Number for creating the firewall port exceptions.

Important: You can change the assigned port number by clicking Renew. If you want to do so, move to the Scan Folders tab and choose Scan Now to reset the Windows firewall permissions. You can only renew ports starting from Desktop 2019 and later versions. 

After implementing the instructions given in Step 2, try to download QuickBooks updates. If Unable to Update payroll Error 15106 persists, move to the next step. 

Step 3: Make Windows Firewall Exceptions for QB

To perform various tasks smoothly, the QuickBooks program uses executable files (.exe). Following the procedure mentioned below, you must create firewall exceptions for each file listed in the table.

Note: If you see Program Files (x86) with the folder name, this is an indication that you are using a 64-bit Windows Operating system.

• Select the Start button and type Windows Firewall into the search panel.
• Click Advanced Settings, right-click Inbound Rules (later on, you must create Outbound Rules), and choose New Rule.
• Select Program and choose Next.
• Click This Program Path, select Browse, and choose one of the executable files in the table.
• Click Next.
• Choose the Allow the Connection option and then Next.
• If prompted, check if all profiles are marked and again select Next.
• Create a rule and assign a name to it: QBFirewallException(name.exe).

Note: You must repeat all the instructions in the above step and create outbound rules. 

Once you complete configuring the Windows firewall settings, restart the system and try to re-download the latest QuickBooks updates. However, if you fail to do so and still face QuickBooks update error 15106, proceed with the next method. 

Method 4: Disable the Third-party Antivirus Application

If you encounter QuickBooks error message 15106, turning off the antivirus application can eliminate the issue.

• To open the Task Manager, hit the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys together on the keyboard.
• Move to the Processes tab and find [ANTIVIRUS].exe. For instance, Spy Sweeper.exe.

Note: If you get an error by implementing the above instruction, uninstall the antivirus software. 

• Choose End Process and follow the instructions below to rename the QuickBooks update folder.

1. Hit the Windows and E keys to open the File Explorer.
2. 32-bit Windows users, navigate to the C:\Program Files\Intuit\QuickBooks(year)\Components folder.
3. 64-bit Windows users, navigate to the C:\Program Files(x86)\Intuit\Quickbooks(year)\Components folder.
4. Right-click the downloadqbXX folder and choose the option to Rename. Here, XX is the year of the QuickBooks Desktop version.

• When renaming the folder type .OLD at the end of the name. Example: downloadqbxx.old.
• Finally, try to update the QB program again. 

If following the steps mentioned in the above solution did not help you to get rid of QuickBooks Error 15106, follow the next solution.

Method 5: Turn off User Account Control (UAC) in Windows

The main objective of User Account Control is to safeguard the system from malicious programs. But sometimes, turning UAC off might be required when updating QuickBooks Desktop and can help you rectify QuickBooks Error Code 15106. 

Note: If you can update QuickBooks after disabling UAC, it is recommended that you enable it later to avoid security risks on the system.

Follow the steps below to disable the User Control Account on Windows OS:

• On the keyboard, press the Windows and R keys to open the Run command window.
• Type Control Panel in the command box and select OK.
• Choose User Accounts and select User Accounts (Classic View).

• Choose the Change user account control settings options, and if prompted by UAC, click Yes to continue

• Move the slider to Never Notify and choose OK to turn UAC settings OFF.
•  If UAC prompts, click Yes to continue and reboot the system. 

Try to download the latest payroll updates to check if QuickBooks update error 15106 persists. If the issue is still not eliminated, follow the next solution.

Method 6: Re-install QuickBooks Desktop in Selective Startup Mode

This method can help you eliminate QuickBooks Error Code 15106 if nothing else works for you. Antivirus or other third-party security programs might block the payroll or QuickBooks Desktop updates. To fix it, you must implement the steps below and re-install the QB program in selective startup. 

Before proceeding, ensure that you.

• Create a backup of the QuickBooks company file to prevent data loss.
• Note down the license number, as you will need it while re-installing 

Step 1: Switch to Selective Startup Mode

The following is the procedure to switch the system from normal mode to selective startup mode:

• On the keyboard, press Windows and R. It will open the Run dialogue box. 

• In the command box, type msconfig and select the OK option.
• Move to the General tab.

• Choose the Selective Startup and Load System Services option. 

• Under the Services tab, click Hide all Microsoft Services and further select Disable All.
• Remove the tickmark form Hide all Microsoft services checkbox and click Windows Installer from the list of services.
• Click OK and choose Restart.

Step 2: Uninstall the QuickBooks Desktop Program

The following are the instructions for removing the previously installed QB Desktop version on the Windows OS:

• On the desktop screen, click the Windows Start tab, and in the search box, type Control Panel and hit Enter.
• Choose the Programs and Features or Uninstall a Program option, and afterward, choose QuickBooks Desktop under the list of applications.

• Select the Uninstall/Change, Remove option, and then Next.
• If you do not see the above option, sign out of Windows and sign in again as an admin or a user with admin-level permission.

Step 3: Download a New Installer for QuickBooks

The following is the procedure to download a new QuickBooks Desktop installer file.

• Visit the Download & Updates page and choose the Yes or Not Sure option if you run the QuickBooks application in multi-user mode. Then, choose Next.
• Select the country, product, and version for your version of QuickBooks from each drop-down menu.
• Select Search, and from the next window, click Download.
• But if you are using QB in Single-user mode, choose No and click Next.
• In the Express Setup window, select Download.
• When the downloading process finishes, the file will be saved in the downloads section, or you can manually select a location on the system. 

Step 4: Rename the QB Program Installation Folders 

Rename the installation folders left after uninstalling the QuickBooks Desktop in step two. Renaming these remaining folders will prevent QuickBooks from using them after the installation. But to access these folders, you must set the Windows to show the hidden files and folders. 

• From the desktop screen, click Start, type File Explorer in the search bar, and press Enter.
• As the File Explorer window appears, select the View option and click Hidden Items.
• Navigate to the following locations to find and rename the leftover QuickBooks folders.

1. 64-bit version C:\Program Files (x86)\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
2. C:\ProgramData\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
3. C:\Users\(current user)\AppData\Local\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)
4. C:\Program Files\Intuit\QuickBooks (year)

• Right-click the QB application folder when you find it, and from the drop-down list, choose Rename.
• Type OLD at the end while modifying the folder’s name.

Step 5: Re-install the QuickBooks Program 

Follow the instructions below to reinstall the QuickBooks Desktop application on the system quickly.

Note: You must have a functional internet connection to install QuickBooks.

• Open the QuickBooks.exe file that you previously downloaded in step three.
• A QuickBooks installation wizard will appear on the screen. Follow the instructions carefully given by the wizard and further accept the QuickBooks Desktop license agreement.
• Select the Next option and enter license and product numbers. 
• Click Next.
• Reboot the system as you finish re-installing QuickBooks Desktop.

Step 6: Switch Back to Normal Startup Mode

After performing all the steps given above, go back to normal startup mode by following the instructions below.

• Hit the Windows + R keys to open the Run command window, enter msconfig, and click OK.

• From the General tab, choose the Normal startup and select the OK option.
• Under the System Configuration window, choose Restart.

Conclusion

Hopefully,  after implementing the troubleshooting solutions in this article, you might have resolved QuickBooks Error Code 15106. At times, the solutions might not prove to be helpful if there are issues hidden deep in the QuickBooks application. To prevent this distressing scenario, you always have the option to contact a professional. Dial +1-(855)-955-1942 and get a quick consultation to fix the problem correctly.

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Lisa Newman Administrator

Lisa Newman is an accomplished author at Data Service Solutions, specializing in technical and QuickBooks content. With a passion for simplifying complex concepts, Lisa’s expertise lies in creating insightful and user-friendly guides. Her dedication to demystifying data services and QuickBooks has made her a valuable resource in the tech and financial sectors.

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