What Is a QuickBooks .ND File and How to Open It Safely
Last reviewed 2026-07-17
When you navigate to the folder holding your QuickBooks company file (.QBW), you will usually spot several files sharing the same name but carrying different extensions. Among these is the .ND file. Understanding what this file does—and how to handle it properly—can save you a lot of headaches when troubleshooting network connectivity issues in QuickBooks Desktop.
What Is an .ND File?
The ".ND" stands for Network Data file. QuickBooks Desktop creates this small configuration file automatically whenever you set up a company file in multi-user mode. It acts as a map or a pointer, telling the QuickBooks Database Server Manager exactly where the company file is located on your network.
When a workstation tries to access the company file over the network, QuickBooks reads the .ND file to find the correct path to the host computer. Without it, or if it contains outdated information, QuickBooks will fail to locate the data, resulting in common multi-user errors like Error H202 or Error 6000.
How to Open an .ND File
An .ND file is not a data file you need to interact with directly. It is a plain text file, which means you can open it using any basic text editor like Notepad.
To open it safely:
- Right-click the .ND file.
- Select Open with.
- Choose Notepad (or your preferred text editor).
If Windows prompts you with a warning about changing file extensions, simply ensure you do not accidentally remove the .ND extension when saving.
When Should You Modify It?
Generally, you should not need to edit the contents of an .ND file manually. The most common reason users open this file is to verify the server name and the file path listed inside it. If you recently renamed your server computer or moved your company file to a new location, the .ND file will still hold the old information, causing QuickBooks to fail to connect.
If the information inside the file is outdated, the best practice is not to fix the text manually, but to let QuickBooks rebuild the file from scratch.
How to Recreate a Damaged .ND File
If the .ND file is corrupted, missing, or pointing to the wrong computer, deleting it is completely safe. QuickBooks will automatically generate a fresh one the next time you open the company file.
To recreate the file:
- Close QuickBooks on all computers.
- Navigate to the folder containing your company file.
- Right-click the .ND file and select Delete.
- Open QuickBooks Database Server Manager on the host computer.
- Run a Folder Scan on the directory holding your .QBW file.
The Database Server Manager will create a brand new, perfectly configured .ND file. Once that is complete, open your company file normally to resume working in multi-user mode.