QuickBooks Found an Error 0x80040400

Xml Text stream error occurs when a post is made to QuickBooks. If the Direct Connect method is used to connect ESC then this error will appear in the ESC client. If the ESC accounting server is used to connect QuickBooks with ESC, then the error 0x80040400 will be noticed in that particular program, and as a result, ESC hangs.

The reason behind QuickBooks Found an Error When Parsing the Provided Xml Text Stream

Illegal characters present in XML data that ESC sends to QuickBooks can be one of the reasons behind this error. This error 0x80040400 appears due to the pasting of data directly to ESC from another program. It may also occur due to the usage of invalid symbols in some fields.

There can be many reasons for this error to occur. some of them are below:

• This error is caused, by you may have a special character.
• Using invalid symbols.
• And if you are pasting another program data directly into the ESC.

Read More: Fix QuickBooks XML Error

Solutions of QuickBooks Found an Error 0x80040400 When Parsing the Provided Xml Text Stream

There are two solutions you can try to fix this error. They are here:

• Modifying ESC
• Remove illegal characters from XML stream

Solution points, which we will discuss below, along with corrections for the same:

Solution 1: Modifying ESC

If the data is pasted directly to the ESC from another program, use the steps below to modify the ESC:

• Click on the Invoice List view by opening the Sales menu. Locate the Unlisted Invoices list, under the Views panel
• Get the invoice numbers recorded for the unposted invoices, for the duration that you want to post on QuickBooks
• Post the invoices individually, not as per the period, by returning to the Post to QuickBooks screen, mentioned under the File menu. Keep on posting the invoices individually, till the time error appears. It will help you to recognize which invoice contains the illegal character
• Then open that particular invoice in the screen of Sales Invoicing in ESC and go through each of the line items. If you find any text that was copy-pasted out of the ESC and then pasted to the invoice, then delete it and add the text manually by typing. This will help remove the hidden characters and formatting that was copy pasted in ESC and is not visible. Check that the item description does not have any special characters other than standard punctuation marks
• After correcting the invoice, re-save it
• Get back to Post to QuickBooks, mentioned under the File menu, and then post the invoice to QuickBooks. This invoice now will get posted without any disruption or error. Post other invoices too, to QuickBooks by following the normal procedure.

If the error doesn’t stop occurring then keep repeating the process, until you correct all the invoices.

Read more: Import Payroll Into QuickBooks From XML

Solution 2: Remove illegal characters from the XML stream

Presence of Illegal Characters in XML Data that ESC Sends to QuickBooks Use the steps below to remove illegal characters from the XML stream:

• Remove the illegal characters from the XML stream, to get rid of the issue. To get this done, complete the instructions present on your computer system, and try posting invoices to QuickBooks.
• Open the Start screen or Start Menu in Windows write %APPDATA% and click on Enter
• When you see that the Application Data folder is visible on the screen then open the folder of ESC from the given list
• Now get the QBXML.log file deleted from this folder’s contents
• Try again posting to QuickBooks. The same error should be created, click on OK to close it
• If you are trying to connect to QuickBooks through the ESC Accounting Server, then you will notice that the ESC client hangs. By using the task manager, end the program and restart it
• While attempting to post the QBXML.log file regenerates in the directory of Application Data\ESC. Check the last entry by opening the QBXML.log file. Here you will be able to see the transaction that is causing the error
• Search for the illegal characters by opening the record in ESC. Remove these illegal characters and re-save records.