We appreciate you taking the time to always respond to us about the challenges when logging in to your account, artamous. I wanted to join this discussion and provide more information to address your concern.

To explain further about the login issue - QuickBooks Desktop requires a functioning built-in browser to handle any online communication and connectivity in the background. This internal browser is utilized during the login process.

Previously, the built-in browser was not present because QuickBooks used to default to Internet Explorer for its online components. However, after Internet Explorer was discontinued, Intuit developed an integrated browser within QuickBooks Desktop itself to replace IE.

This means that any login and other online processes rely on QuickBooks' own embedded browser.

Please note that this update is only available in the 2020 and newer versions of QuickBooks Desktop. You can read more details about this in this article: Use Our Built-in Browser In QuickBooks Desktop.

Because QuickBooks Desktop 2018 is an already discontinued version, no new maintenance updates can be released for it. This means the built-in browser component cannot be added to QB Desktop 2018 retroactively.

With no way to install the needed browser, any outgoing and incoming online communications will fail in the 2018 version. This is what is causing the error when trying to log in - without the built-in browser, the login process cannot be completed.

Feel free to respond if you have any other questions at all related to QuickBooks Desktop, artamous. Our team is always here and ready to make sure all of your questions get fully answered.