Fix QuickBooks PDF Converter Not Working | Error -20 & Missing Component

Error Code 20 means QuickBooks lost access to your printer or PDF converter. Run the QuickBooks Print & PDF Repair Tool from the Tool Hub, or reset registry permissions for HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Software. Call +1-866-513-4656.

You are three invoices deep. Payroll runs in thirty minutes. You click Save as PDF, and the universe stops.

“Printer Not Activated. Error Code -20.”

Not a paper jam. Not out of toner. Just a wall. Your QuickBooks error has decided that today, it simply will not print .

Printer Not Activated? Fix QuickBooks Error Code 20 with official repair tools. Save PDFs again. Certified help: +1-866-513-4656.

Take a breath. This error is not a hardware failure. It is a communication breakdown between QuickBooks and your system. We have verified fixes from Intuit and confirmed workarounds from Windows engineers. If the steps below feel overwhelming, the direct line to a certified technician is +1-866-513-4656.

Let us clear the screen.

What Error Code 20 Actually Means?

Error -20 (or Error Code 20) appears almost exclusively in QuickBooks Desktop during three specific actions:

• Converting a report, invoice, or check to PDF.

• Emailing forms directly from QuickBooks.

• Printing using the QuickBooks PDF Converter .

Historically, this error exploded when users upgraded from Windows Vista or XP to Windows 7. The new OS stopped updating a specific registry key—HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Software—and QuickBooks could not save its settings .

In 2025, the same code appears for three reasons:

1. Permissions failure – QuickBooks cannot write to Windows temp folders or the registry.

2. Driver conflict – The Amyuni PDF converter (QuickBooks native driver) is corrupted or missing.

3. Print spooler trauma – The service is asleep or configured incorrectly .

Why This Affects Payroll and Tax Deadlines?

Here is the part that raises heart rates.

A QuickBooks payroll issue rarely announces itself with a payroll-specific error. Sometimes, it hides inside a printer error. If you cannot save a PDF of a payroll check or a tax form, you cannot transmit it. Employees do not get paid. Tax filings stall .

The same logic applies to a QuickBooks tax problem. You have the numbers. You have the form. But Error 20 locks the door. You need the file to e-file or attach. Without it, you are legally compliant but functionally stuck.

Resolving the print issue resolves the downstream crisis.

4 Verified Causes (And Only the Real Ones)

Cause 1: The Registry Ghost

When you upgrade Windows instead of performing a clean install, the HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Software key becomes static. QuickBooks looks here for printer configuration. It finds nothing. It panics .

Cause 2: Amyuni Driver Meltdown

QuickBooks uses the Amyuni Document Converter to turn transactions into PDFs. If this driver is damaged, missing, or blocked by antivirus, Error 20 appears instantly .

Cause 3: Temp Folder Lockdown

QuickBooks needs Full Control of your Windows Temp folder. If security software or a Windows update restricts this, the PDF process terminates .

Cause 4: The Printer Isn’t Actually There

Sometimes, the default printer is a network printer that is offline, or the XPS Document Writer is disabled. QuickBooks refuses to guess. It errors instead .

Step-by-Step: Fix Error Code 20

Solution 1: The Intuit-Approved Tool (3 Minutes)

Intuit built a free fix. Use it first.

1. Close QuickBooks completely.

2. Download the QuickBooks Tool Hub (version 1.6.0.5 or later) from the official Intuit website .

3. Install the Tool Hub. Open the desktop icon.

4. Select Program Problems.

5. Select QuickBooks PDF & Print Repair Tool.

6. Wait sixty seconds. Restart QuickBooks.

This tool replaces damaged print components, resets the PDF converter, and clears corrupted spooler data .

If the error vanishes, you are done. If it persists, move to Solution 2.

Solution 2: Unlock the Registry (5 Minutes)

This resolves errors caused by an OS upgrade.

1. Press Windows Key + R, type regedit, and press Enter.

2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Software.

3. Right-click the Software folder. Select Permissions.

4. Select the Users group.

5. Check Full Control. Click Apply and OK .

Why this works: You are granting QuickBooks the access that Windows Update revoked .

Solution 3: Manual Amyuni Driver Reinstall

If the Print Repair Tool fails, replace the driver manually.

1. Open Devices and Printers from the Control Panel.

2. Select Add a Printer > Add a local printer.

3. Select Create a new port > Local Port.

4. Port name: QBD_PDF .

5. In the driver list, select Amyuni Technologies > Amyuni Document Converter 300.

6. If prompted, Replace the current driver.

7. Name the printer QuickBooks PDF Converter.

8. Do not set it as default. Finish the wizard .

Restart your machine. Open QuickBooks and set this printer as the option for PDF conversion in File > Printer Setup.

Solution 4: Reset Temp Folder Teeth

QuickBooks cannot save a PDF if it cannot write to the sandbox.

1. Press Windows Key + R. Type %TEMP% and press Enter.

2. Click inside the folder. Press Ctrl + A to select all.

3. Delete everything. (Skip files in use).

4. Right-click an empty space in the folder. Select Properties.

5. Go to the Security tab.

6. Ensure every user group has Full Control checked. Apply changes .

Solution 5: Wake the Print Spooler

1. Press Windows Key + R. Type services.msc. Press Enter.

2. Scroll to Print Spooler.

3. Right-click > Properties.

4. Set Startup type to Automatic.

5. If the service is not running, click Start .

Prevention Tips (So You Never See Error 20 Again)

• Perform clean Windows installations, not upgrades. Error 20 is almost always an upgrade hangover .

• Update QuickBooks Desktop monthly. Patches include printer driver refreshes .

• Do not disable the XPS Document Writer. QuickBooks uses it as a bridge to create PDFs. Keep it enabled in Windows Features .

• Run the Tool Hub quarterly. Think of it as a dental cleaning for your software.

• Keep your support number visible. When prevention fails, speed matters. Save +1-866-513-4656 now.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the main cause of QuickBooks Error 20?

Either a permissions gap in the Windows registry (HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Software) or a damaged Amyuni PDF converter driver .

2. Can Error 20 cause a QuickBooks payroll issue?

Yes. If you cannot print or save paychecks/stubs as PDFs, payroll processing halts. The error blocks the output, not the calculation .

3. Will reinstalling QuickBooks fix Error 20?

Sometimes. A clean reinstall writes fresh registry entries and replaces the PDF driver. However, the QuickBooks Print & PDF Repair Tool is faster and should be tried first .

4. I have a QuickBooks tax problem with e-filing. Is this related?

Possibly. Many tax forms require a PDF attachment or printed copy for records. If Error 20 blocks PDF creation, you cannot generate the required documentation, which delays filing .

5. Why does this error show up after a Windows update?

Windows updates occasionally reset registry permissions or disable the XPS Document Writer. Both actions starve QuickBooks of the resources it needs to print .

6. Is there a phone number for immediate help?

Yes. If you are on a deadline and the steps are not clearing the error, call +1-866-513-4656 to speak with a QuickBooks-certified technician.

Final Takeaway

Printer Not Activated Error Code 20 looks like a hardware problem. It is not. It is a software handshake failure between QuickBooks, your registry, and your print drivers.

You have five legitimate ways to fix it today:

1. Run the Print & PDF Repair Tool.

2. Grant registry permissions.

3. Reinstall the Amyuni driver manually.

4. Unlock the Temp folder.

5. Wake the Print Spooler.

If you have tried all five and the error mocks you, use the line.

Ten minutes from now, you will be printing again. Payroll will run. Taxes will file. And QuickBooks will remember who is in charge.