Unrecoverable Error When Attempting to Pay Employees or View Payroll Messages
When attempting to pay employees or view payroll messages, you may experience an unrecoverable error with one of these codes:
- 20888 39915
- 20888 39771
- 20888 39931
- 19991 92811
- 20862 55793
- 19952 60651
Update QuickBooks to the latest release and download the latest payroll updates. Before downloading the entire Maintenance Release update, verify that Payroll is marked in the Options Tab of the Update QuickBooks Window. After downloading the update close and reopen QuickBooks.
If you are working in a network, ensure all computers running QuickBooks are on the latest program release and update.
If you continue to experience the same message:
- Resort the lists.
- Close and reopen QuickBooks
- Run a rebuild of your company file.
- Reset the QuickBooks Product Updates.
- Download the QuickBooks Product Updates.
- On the Update Now tab remove the checkmark next to Maintenance Releases.
- Place a checkmark next to Reset Update.
- Click Get Updates.
- Update the Payroll Tax Table.
- Download the latest payroll updates.
- Choose the Download only changes and additions to currently installed payroll files option.
- Click Update.
- Restart the Computer.
Check the Processes:
- Close QuickBooks.
- Open Task Manager (Hold down Ctrl + Alt + Del):
- Click on the Processes tab.
- Select QBUpdate.exe.
- Click End Process and then click OK (this process will not show up in the Processes list if the automatic update has been already completed).
- Open QuickBooks.
- Download the latest QuickBooks product updates and then download the latest payroll updates.
Perform a Clean Uninstall/ Reinstall of QuickBooks.


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