Installing QuickBooks in Selective Startup or Safe Mode on Microsoft Windows XP or Vista

Ocassionally, third party applications, such as antivirus and anti-spyware programs, can interfere with the successful installation of QuickBooks. . As a result, it may be necessary to install QuickBooks in a special diagnostic mode of Microsoft Windows called Selective Startup. . Selective Startup mode enables you to start Windows while selecting which specific items to run.

Intuit used Installshield to install QuickBooks 2004 and earlier versions. . QuickBooks 2005 and later use the Microsoft Windows Installer, which requires the Windows Installer Service to be active during the installation. . Since running Windows in Safe Mode deactivates the Windows Installer service, it is no longer an option for troubleshooting potential third party installation conflicts for QuickBooks 2005 or later.

Important!: These instructions require that you restart your computer. . You may want to print them instead of reading them onscreen. . To print them, click the Print Page icon in the upper right of this page.

Important: These troubleshooting steps may help resolve your issue. . They focus on the Windows operating system, which is not an Intuit product. . Intuit recommends if you are not comfortable doing these steps on your own, you can find expert assistance by consulting your computer's manufacturer or a Windows expert. . If the difficulty persists after performing these steps, contact your computer's manufacturer or Microsoft.

To install QuickBooks 2005 or later in Selective Startup mode:

1. Open the Run window:
   • Windows XP: Click theWindows Start button and select Run.
   • Windows Vista: Click the Windows Start button and select All Programs > Accessories > Run.
2. Enter msconfig in the Open field.
3. Click the OK button.
4. Click the General tab
5. Select the Selective Startup radio button.
6. Select the Load System Services checkbox.
7. Clear the Load Startup Items checkbox.
8. Click the Services tab.
9. Select the Hide all Microsoft Services checkbox at the bottom of the window.
10. Click the Disable All button to clear all selected services.
11. Clear the Hide all Microsoft Services checkbox.
12. In the Service list, verify the Windows Installer checkbox is selected. . If it isn't, select it.
13. Click OK.
14. Click the Restart button in the System Configuration window to restart your computer.
15. Once your computer has restarted, run the QuickBooks installation from the CD-ROM. . Refer to Installing QuickBooks for Windows from a CD for detailed installation steps.
16. If the installation is not successful, follow the steps in Performing a hard drive installation of QuickBooks to perform a hard drive installation of QuickBooks while in Selective Startup mode.

After the installation is complete, follow these steps to restore your system to its normal configuration:

1. Open the Run window:
   • Windows XP: Click theWindows Start button and select Run.
   • Windows Vista: Click the Windows Start button and select All Programs > Accessories > Run.
2. Enter msconfig in the Open field.
3. Click the OK button.
4. Click the General tab.
5. Select the Normal Startup radio button.
6. Click OK.
7. Click the Restart button in the System Configuration window to restart your computer.

If this solution does not resolve the issue, you can read discussions and post messages and questions relating to your issue on the Intuit QuickBooks Community site for free or you can contact a technical support agent for additional guidance. . Fees may apply.