Problem Description

Begin Session Failed. S0000 00000 [QODBC] QB Begin Session Failed. Error = 80040408, Could not start QuickBooks.

Begin Session Failed. S0000 00000 [QODBC] QB Begin Session Failed. Error = 80040408, Could not start Reckon Accounts.

Begin Session errors can be caused when running ASP or other system service and not setting the "Advanced" button option of either "Use DCOM Servers" or "Remote Connector"

Solutions

Your QuickBooks file should be accessible and should not be in the restricted folder.

Please start QuickBooks application, log in to your QuickBooks company file as QuickBooks Admin user. Try connecting to QuickBooks Data using your application.

If you are still facing the issue, Please make sure that your QuickBooks is not running as "Run as Administrator". You can verify it by right-clicking QuickBooks shortcut, go to "Properties" & navigate to "Compatibility" tab & make sure that "Run this program as an administrator" option is unchecked. If this option is enabled, then please disable it & apply the changes.

Click "Change settings for all users", verify that "Run as Administrator" is not selected.

Right click on QuickBooks application shortcut from the Desktop

Make sure "Run as Administrator" or "Run this program as an Administrator" is unchecked.

Click Change settings for all users.

Make sure "Run as Administrator" or "Run this program as an Administrator" is unchecked.

Please navigate to the QuickBooks folder under program files.

Right click on QBW32.exe and other QuickBooks applications that starts with QBW32

Make sure "Run as Administrator" or "Run this program as an Administrator" is unchecked.

Click Change settings for all users.

Make sure "Run as Administrator" or "Run this program as an Administrator" is unchecked.

Please restart Close QuickBooks application and restart your machine.

After restart please start QuickBooks and login to your QuickBooks company file as QuickBooks Admin user.

Optional - You may switch to single user mode.

Try connecting with your application.

If you are still facing the issue, please try connecting to QuickBooks using QODBC Support Wizard. 

QODBC and QuickBooks Auto Login:

If you are trying to run QODBC/QuickBooks in auto login? And is your machine having Terminal serviced/remote desktop enabled? i.e. multiple user logging into your machine using the Remote desktop connection. Then, I would like to inform you that QuickBooks SDK has a known issue with this type of Environment setup and cannot start the QuickBooks in the background. (If more than one user is logged into machine and QBW32.exe is running on more than one user account). 

Workaround for the above issue.

1) Make sure you unselect the option of "Keep QuickBooks running for quick start-up" under QuickBooks -- Edit Preferences -- General.
Close all other QuickBooks instances of all other users and then try. (Please verify no instances are running of QBW32 under task manager --processes -- view all user processes)

Also, Please verify the company file path on QODBC and QuickBooks, these two paths should be the same. You can find QODBC company file path via QODBC setup screen -> General tab.

You could find the QuickBooks company file via QuickBooks UI, press F2 key you will see the file information.

OR

You can select "Use the Company file that's open in QuickBooks" and test again.

OR

2) Keep QuickBooks running ( No need to login to company file, just keep QuickBooks window open ) and try connecting

OR

3) For QODBC 13.0.0.291 and upwards, under the Advanced tab, enable "Force Start QuickBooks", Make sure you unselect the option of "Keep QuickBooks running for quick start-up" under QuickBooks -- Edit Preferences --, General

If QuickBooks is already open and you are getting this error then please make sure you are not running Your Application in elevated user context, i.e. you should not run it as "Run as administrator". 

Additional Information:

20140321.113817 I 3404 RequestProcessor Connection opened by app named 'FLEXquarters QODBC'
20140321.113817 I 3404 CertVerifier The Authenticode signature validated OK.
20140321.113817 I 3404 RequestProcessor OS: Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter Edition Service Pack 1 (build 7601), 64-bit
20140321.113817 I 3404 RequestProcessor Current Process is elevated
20140321.113817 I 3404 RequestProcessor Current User is in AdminGroup
20140321.113817 I 3404 RequestProcessor Current Process is ran as Admin
20140321.113817 I 3404 RequestProcessor Current Process Integrity Level : 3000
20140321.113817 I 3404 RequestProcessor Previous instance of QB is going down..! Wait and retry to get a new instance.
20140321.113818 I 3404 RequestProcessor Previous instance of QB is going down..! Wait and retry to get a new instance.
20140321.113818 I 3404 RequestProcessor Previous instance of QB is going down..! Wait and retry to get a new instance.
20140321.113819 I 3404 RequestProcessor Previous instance of QB is going down..! Wait and retry to get a new instance.
20140321.113819 I 3404 RequestProcessor Previous instance of QB is going down..! Wait and retry to get a new instance.
20140321.113820 E 3404 RequestProcessor Could not find or create an instance of QuickBooks using InstanceFinder
20140321.113820 I 3404 RequestProcessor Connection closed by app named 'FLEXquarters QODBC'
20140321.113820 I 3404 RequestProcessor ========== Ended Connection ==========

Solution:

This is showing that your app is running under an elevated permission. QB and the app have to be running at the same level, either both as the standard user or both using Run As Admin. They cannot be mixed.  Try fixing the permissions and see if that resolves the issue.

This also happens when there is more than one user logged in (and has QBW32.exe running in user process) to the machine using ( remote desktop connection ) and trying to run QuickBooks with auto Login.  QuickBooks SDK shall not able to find the instance in such case.  A workaround is to keep QuickBooks running, No need to login to the machine, just keep the window open.

Refer :

https://intuitpartnerplatform.lc.intuit.com/questions/834524-failure-to-connect-to-qb-13-after-update-could-not-find-or-create-an-instance-of-quickbooks-using-instancefinder

https://intuitpartnerplatform.lc.intuit.com/questions/805619-getting-error-2147220472-could-not-start-quickbooks

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20905010/getting-error-2147220472-could-not-start-quickbooks

https://intuitpartnerplatform.lc.intuit.com/questions/817461-could-not-find-or-create-an-instance-of-quickbooks-using-instancefinder

Keywords : 80040418, autologin