QuickBooks Problems & Solutions

Solution: You should run Verify to check for damage whenever QuickBooks appears to be functioning improperly or erroneously. The Verify Data utility detects data damage, and then logs any errors it finds in a file named Qbwin.log. The Qbwin.log file is contiguous, so that every time you verify, rebuild, condense, or update your data, any integrity issues found will be appended to the end of the Qbwin.log file. It is common for the Qbwin.log to become very large. You can identify only current errors in the data file by renaming the Qbwin.log file, located in your QuickBooks directory, to Qbwin.old. QuickBooks will create a new Qbwin.log file to store the results of the utility you ran most recently.  To run the Verify utility:

1.      From the QuickBooks Windows menu, choose Close All.

2.      From the File menu, choose Utilities, and then choose Verify Data.

3.      If the Verify completes with the message QuickBooks detected no problems with your data, your data is clear.

4.      If the Verify completes with the message Your data has lost integrity..., then there is damage in the file, and QuickBooks will display a message with instructions for running the Rebuild Data utility to attempt to repair the damage. The Rebuild Data utility should never be run across a network. Before starting the Rebuild process, the file information from the Product Information window should be noted for future reference (press Ctrl + 1 to open the Product Information window).  If the file is on a network, it should be copied locally before the Rebuild Data utility is run.  You will be prompted to make a backup as part of the Rebuild process.  Make sure that you do not overwrite your existing backup.  The Rebuild Data utility will run as soon as the backup completes, and it should only be run once.  When the Rebuild process has finished, close your company file and then reopen it in order to refresh the lists in the file. Note: It is a good idea to run Verify again after the Rebuild to check for remaining damage.

4.      If the Verify run after rebuilding the file indicates that there is still damage, you should consider restoring a recent backup of your company file.  Make sure that you do not overwrite your existing company file.  From the File menu, choose Restore.  Any information entered in the company file since the backup was made will need to be manually reentered after you restore.

Solution: QuickBooks can run slowly in multi-user mode for several reasons as follows:

·        The data file size is too large to be handled efficiently by the system.

·        There are three or more users accessing one module at the same time.

·        A large report is being run (for example, Transaction report) in data files with more than 32,000 targets.

·        The data file is located on a slow computer.

·        The Audit trail is turned on.

·        A Network Interface Card (NIC) is slow or defective.

To resolve this issue, try one or more of these measures:

·        Condense the data file.

·        Limit the number of users accessing a module at any one time.

·        Narrow the date range on a large report.

·        Locate the data file on the fastest machine on the network.

·        Turn off the Audit Trail.

·        Upgrade to faster Network Interface Cards, cables, and hubs.

Solution:  If you use the built-in QuickBooks backup utility, you need to be in Single-user Mode to use the back up feature. The QuickBooks backup compresses data into a compact file that has the same file name as the company data file, but with the extension .qbb, rather than .qbw.  If you are backing up to a disk that already contains a file with the same name, the following message will appear: The backup file you chose already exists. Do you want to replace it? We recommend that you back up to a different name each time, preserving older back ups permanently in case they are ever needed.

Solution: You can only map a folder that is shared. For example: If a user on Computer 1 shares his or her C: drive, you will only be able to map the C: drive, not the subfolders contained within the C: drive. If you do not see the option Map Network Drive when you right-click the folder containing your company file, you will need to move up a level and check the higher-level folder (or the drive itself) for the mapping option. If you do not see the option, please check with your system administrator.

You should not map a network drive if your company file resides on the same computer where you are using QuickBooks – this will cause QuickBooks to operate slower. Instead, open the file from the drive where the data file resides. The default installation location is C:\Program Files\Intuit\QuickBooks. Navigate through the local C: drive and the appropriate folder levels to open your company file. To map a network drive from within QuickBooks:

• From the QuickBooks File menu, choose Open Company.

• Select Network Neighborhood from the Look in drop-down list.

• Double-click the computer where the company file resides.

• Right-click the folder containing the company file, and select Map Network Drive.

• Select an unassigned drive letter. Windows defaults to the first available letter, but you can choose any drive letter that is unassigned.

• Select Reconnect at Logon.

• Click OK.

• From the Look in drop-down list, select the drive letter you assigned, and then in the main window, choose your company file name and click Open.

• When the company file opens, press Ctrl+1 to open the Product Information window. Look at the path provided under Location in the File Information area. The location of your file should be something like:

G:\QuickBooks Pro\[company name].qbw.

 You can also map a network drive within Windows Explorer as follows:

·        Right-click the Microsoft® Windows® Start button, and choose Explore.

·        Scroll down the left side of Windows Explorer to Network Neighborhood.

·        Double-click Network Neighborhood to expand the network view on the right side.

·        Double-click the computer where the company file resides.

·        Right-click the folder containing the company file, and select Map Network Drive.

·        Select an unassigned drive letter. Windows defaults to the first available letter, but you can choose any drive letter that is unassigned.

·        Select Reconnect at Logon.

·        Click OK.

·        Start QuickBooks, and from the File menu, choose Open Company.

·        From the Look in drop-down list, select the drive letter you assigned, and then in the main window, choose your company file name and click Open.

·        When the company file opens, press Ctrl+1 to open the Product Information window. Look at the path provided under Location in the File Information area. The location of your file should be something like:

G:\QuickBooks Pro\[company name].qbw.

Solution: You should run the Rebuild Data utility if you receive the message that the Verify Data utility has failed, if the Verify Data utility returns a b-check error, or if a QuickBooks Help & Support Knowledge Base article calls for a data rebuild to fix errors. The Rebuild Data utility will attempt to fix damage in a QuickBooks data file. If the file is on a network drive, copy the file locally before attempting to run this utility.  Follow these steps to rebuild the data file:

• From the QuickBooks Window menu, choose Close All.

• From the QuickBooks File menu, choose Utilities, and then choose Rebuild Data.

• Rebuilding requires that you back up your company file. Click OK on the message informing you that a backup must be made.

• Do not replace your current backup. Instead, use a different 3.5-inch disk (or other media) for this backup, or back up to your hard disk. Click No if you see a message asking if you want to replace the backup file. To avoid overwriting your current file, enter a new name in the Filename field.

• At the bottom of the Back Up Company File window, click Back Up.

• The Rebuild Data utility will begin as soon as the backup is complete. Click OK on the message informing you that the rebuild has completed.

• Close your company data file and then reopen it to refresh the lists in the file:

  • From the File menu, choose Close Company.

  • From the File menu, choose Open Company.

  • Select the company you want to open, and then click Open.

Solution: This situation can occur if the computer you are using has either Microsoft® Windows® 2000 or XP as the operating system – the permissions to the shared folder where the QuickBooks company file resides may be set to Read Only.  The default permissions are Everyone = Read.  To resolve this problem, the share permissions need to be changed to give QuickBooks users "full control" access to the shared folder where the company file resides.

Solution: This error might appear on three different occasions as follows: 1. When you click Send in the Online Banking Center; 2. When you are attempting to add a financial institution during the online banking setup process; 3. If you are a CheckFree® client (on July 3, 2002, CheckFree issued a new security certificate, and you may need to update your QuickBooks program). If the message occurs when you click Send in the Online Banking Center, it may indicate a server issue, and you should try the procedure again later. However, if you receive the message after repeated tries, or over an extended period, there may be a problem with your network configuration. Make sure that your Internet access is functioning properly outside of QuickBooks, and that the Internet Connection Setup is configured correctly in QuickBooks. Additionally, if you use firewall software, make sure it is configured to allow QuickBooks access to the Internet.

If you receive the message while attempting to add a financial institution during online banking setup, it will be followed by a second message: "Warning: There has been an error which has prevented the retrieval of Financial Institution information. This may have been caused by a network service problem, which will prevent you from using QuickBooks Online Banking features. Please check your network setup and try again." This message should not prevent you from adding the financial institution, nor from using online banking functions, unless you are also signing up for Online Bill Payment. If you are acquiring Online Bill Payment, you may encounter a separate sign-up issue.

Solution: The most probably cause for this problem may be that the computer may be running low on resources. As a short-term fix, either restart your computer or end tasks for specific programs that are not responding. As a long-term fix, either add more memory to the computer, or purchase a new computer.

Solution: If one computer is running a utility, such as Verify Data, all other computers accessing the same company file in multi-user mode will be locked out until the process has finished.  If the company file is large, or if the file is stored on a computer that has slow or limited resources, the utility may take a long time to complete.  To allow utilities to complete in the shortest time possible, have all users who are not running the utility exit QuickBooks, and then switch to single-user mode on the remaining computer to run the utility.  (From the QuickBooks File menu, choose Switch to Single-user Mode.) When the utility is complete, choose Switch to Multi-user Mode from the File menu and have other users log in again.

Solution: Make sure you have security privileges on the network drive.  It could be that the "File and printer sharing for Microsoft Networks" component is installed on Microsoft® Windows® 95 or 98, and the data file is being opened from a shared folder that was set up with read-only access. To resolve this issue, change the shared folder's access type to “Full Control” on the computer that the shared folder is stored on.

Solution: This problem is usually caused when you rename the folder where the QuickBooks company data file is stored. To resolve this error, on your desktop, right-click the Network Neighborhood or My Network Places icon and choose Disconnect Network Drive. A list of mapped drives will appear in the Disconnect Network Drive window. Select the drive noted in the error message. Click OK. The next time you start your computer, you should not receive this message.

Solution: Your financial institution or CheckFree® may be experiencing server difficulties, or your company file may be in an "error recovery" status. Contact your financial institution or CheckFree at (630) 692-3030 to learn if they are experiencing server difficulties, or to have them clear the "error recovery" status from your company file. To find your financial institution's contact number: From the QuickBooks Banking menu, choose Online Banking Center. From the Financial Institution drop-down list, select your financial institution. Click Contact Info.  Call the Customer Service phone number listed in the QuickBooks Information window to confirm the server status.

Solution: Various situations may cause this message to appear. For example, another user may already be logged in as Administrator (Admin). A temporary image file has not refreshed properly. The User list is damaged. To resolve this issue, use a name other than Admin to log in to the company data file. From the QuickBooks Company menu, choose Set Up Users. If Admin (logged on) appears in the User List window, another user has already logged in as Administrator. The other user must log off before you can log in as Administrator. If Admin (logged on) does not appear in the User List window, click Close. On each workstation, including the one that you are trying to log in from, exit QuickBooks and all other programs that are running. Turn off each workstation by choosing Shut Down from the Microsoft® Windows® Start menu, selecting Shut down from the drop-down list, and then clicking OK.

Important: Do not select Restart from the drop-down list. After all workstations have been turned off, turn them on again. Restart QuickBooks on your workstation and then try to log in as Administrator. If the message persists, try restoring a recent backup copy of your company file (however, you will need to reenter any new information that was entered since the backup was made).

Runtime error -91

Runtime error -2147418105

Runtime error: 429 Active X components cannot create object

Runtime error ID = 1AD

Runtime error ID = 1CE

Solution: The possible cause of this problem may be caused by incomplete registration of all QuickBooks files during program installation. To resolve these messages: Restart your computer, and then restart QuickBooks. If the message persists, search for the file reboot.bat, and then double-click the file in the search results. (If the search results contain multiple files named reboot.bat, only double-click the file in the current QuickBooks installation folder.) If the message persists, install QuickBooks over the existing installation. If the issue is still unresolved, uninstall QuickBooks, and then install the program again.

QuickBooks Problem: Trouble getting QuickBooks Pro and Enterprise Solutions to use multi-user mode.

Solution: When running on a network, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions will allow up to 10 users to work in the same data file at the same time. When more than one person is using the same company file, the file is in multi-user mode. To set up a multi-user environment, make sure you have your computers connected to the network properly. Install a copy of QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions on each user's computer. Each user must have a unique copy of the same version of QuickBooks with a unique Installation Key Code. Choose a location for the QuickBooks company file. Be sure each user has read/write access and create/delete rights to the directory where the QuickBooks company file is stored. On a peer-to-peer network you may want to put the company file on the computer of the person who uses QuickBooks the most. This allows that person to have the fastest access to the file. On a Client-Server network you will most likely put the company file on the server. Make sure you have the network drives correctly.

Solution: To locate your registration number:  In QuickBooks, press Ctrl+1 to open the Product Information window. Your registration number will be located in the top left corner of the window. To close the Product Information window, click OK.

Solution: This message sequence can occur when your computer has less than 62 megabytes (MB) of hard disk space available. To resolve this message, erase some un-needed files make available approximately 62 MB of hard disk space. In many cases, this is a good indication that a new computer is needed. Once your computer has more hard disk space available, you can attempt the update again.

Solution: The latest versions of QuickBooks require Microsoft® Internet Explorer (IE) version 6.0 or higher. If you do not have the required version of IE on your computer when you install QuickBooks, it will be installed along with QuickBooks. If you ever need to reinstall IE, you can install it directly from the QuickBooks CD, or you can download and install the latest version from the Microsoft Web site. To install IE from the QuickBooks CD: Insert the QuickBooks CD in the CD-ROM drive. Click Reinstall QuickBooks when the installation starts. (If you are asked if you want to install QuickBooks now, click Yes.) Enter your Installation Key Code and click Next. (The code from the previous installation should be displayed just above the entry field, or you can find the code on the sticker on the back of the CD envelope.) Click Next past the QuickBooks installation location (you will not be reinstalling QuickBooks). Select Custom as the Setup Type and click Next. Clear the QuickBooks checkbox and select Internet Explorer 6.0. Click Next. Follow the onscreen instructions for the remainder of the installation.

Solution: If you are in the Sample company and go to the Easy-Step Interview and then choose any type of business, QuickBooks will return the error. Click OK on the error. The chart of accounts selected will be set up correctly. Intuit is aware of this issue, however, there is no resolution at this time.

Solution: By design, there are two separate numbering sequences used for QuickBooks checks. One sequence is used for printing sequential groups (batches) of checks, whereas a different sequence is used for manually written checks. If you select the To be printed checkbox in the Write Checks window, the check will grouped with others for continuous (batch) printing. When printed, the check will be assigned a number from the sequence used for batch printing. If you do not select the To be printed checkbox, QuickBooks assigns a check number from the numbering sequence used for manually written checks. To correct the check number in the Write Checks window, double-click the incorrect check number in the No. field and then enter the new number (this will not affect the batch numbering sequence). After you save the corrected check, the next assigned check number in the Write Checks window will continue sequentially from the number you entered. Note: You can correct the starting check number for a batch sequence as well (from the QuickBooks File menu, choose Print Forms, choose Checks, and then update the First Check Number field).

Solution: If the Print splits detail checkbox is selected when printing from a register, account numbers will print for single-account transactions, but not for multiple detail accounts. To see account number detail, you can print a Journal report instead of printing from the register. To do this, from the QuickBooks Reports menu, choose Accountant & Taxes, and then choose Journal. Click Modify Report, and in the Columns box, clear the checkmark from Trans #, Type, Debit, and Credit. Also, in the Columns box, select Clr, Amount, and Balance to add these columns. Click the Filters tab. Select Account in the Filter list, and then select the specific account from the drop-down list. Under Include split detail? Select Yes. Select Date in the Filters list, and then enter the appropriate date range. Click OK. Click Print at the top of the report. Memorize the report if you would like to use this setup again. Intuit is aware of this issue, however, there is no resolution at this time.

Solution: If a form is printed from the Print Preview window, QuickBooks does not perform the spelling check, even though the preference to always check spelling may be active. (Preferences are found on the QuickBooks Edit menu.) To ensure that the spelling check will be performed, click Close in the Print Preview window, and then print directly from the form.

Solution: Time detail reports can display 99 characters in the notes column. If the customer notes are longer than 99 characters, then they will not display completely. To see important customer note information on time detail reports, your notes can either be reduced in length, or rearranged to ensure that the most important information appears at the beginning.

Solution: To center the report header in Excel, change the Advanced Printing options:

Run the report in QuickBooks. Click Excel, and then click Advanced. In the Printing options section of the Export Report to Excel window, select Send header to Page Setup in Excel. Click OK. When you print the report, the header will now be centered. Note: Excel features are not available in QuickBooks Basic.

Solution: To reconcile a QuickBooks account with its financial statement, from the QuickBooks Banking menu, choose Reconcile. Enter or select the appropriate account in the Account field. Compare your statement’s opening balance with the amount shown in the Beginning Balance field. If you reconcile regularly and the QuickBooks Beginning Balance differs from the beginning balance on your statement, the discrepancy could be caused by clearing a transaction directly in the account register (as opposed to the Reconcile [Account] window), or by changing or deleting a previously reconciled transaction. Enter your statement’s ending balance in the Ending Balance field. Enter any new service charges, finance charges, or interest earned from your statement. Click Continue to open the Reconcile [Account] window. Now you are ready to reconcile individual transactions. When you find a transaction that matches one on the statement, click the checkmark column to clear it. If you click Leave in the Reconcile [Account] window before you are completely finished, QuickBooks does not retain the transactions you marked. You will need to start over at step 1 the next time you reconcile. For each transaction that you clear, verify that it matches one on the statement. If the transaction does not match and the statement is incorrect, please contact your financial institution. If the statement amount is correct, double-click the transaction in QuickBooks to display it.  Correct the error, and then click Save & Close. Click the corrected transaction to clear it.  When you have finished clearing transactions, look at the Difference amount in the bottom right corner of the Reconcile [Account] window. If the amount is 0.00, click Reconcile Now. You have successfully reconciled the account with the statement. If the amount is anything other than 0.00, the account does not balance for the period of time covered by the statement. Choose one of the following options: Start again, making sure that all amounts and transactions have been recorded correctly. Click Reconcile Now, and then click Enter Adjustment to finish the reconciliation for the time being. (QuickBooks will enter an adjustment to your account.) Eventually, however, you should locate and correct the cause of the discrepancy.

Solution: The beginning balance in the Begin Reconciliation window may be incorrect if any of the following have occurred: A transaction was cleared directly in the account register, causing the transaction to be excluded from the beginning balance in the Begin Reconciliation window. To include the transaction in the beginning balance, you must clear it in the Reconcile [Account] window. Unlike QuickBooks 2001 and earlier versions, transactions cleared directly in the register are no longer used to calculate the beginning balance for reconciliation. If you are familiar with the way QuickBooks formerly calculated beginning (opening) balances, the amount may be different than expected. A previously cleared transaction was somehow modified since the last reconciliation. This includes: Voiding or deleting a cleared transaction. Changing the amount of a cleared transaction. 

Additionally, there may be data damage in the company data file. If so, and if you are certain that the discrepancy is due only to transactions cleared in the account register, choose one of the following options: Complete the reconciliation with the beginning balance discrepancy. If you ignore the discrepancy in the Begin Reconciliation window and click Continue to proceed to the Reconcile [Account] window, any transactions cleared through the register will appear and will already have checkmarks next to them. Use your bank statement to select all other cleared transactions for the period. Assuming there are no other issues, the reconciliation should balance correctly. Complete the reconciliation of the transactions cleared in the register before reconciling to the bank statement. Because the sum of transactions cleared in the register is causing the variance between the QuickBooks and the bank statement beginning balances, if you complete the reconciliation of these items, you should then be able to reconcile properly to the bank statement. Enter the beginning balance from the bank statement in the Ending Balance field of the Begin Reconciliation window, and then click Continue to proceed to the Reconcile [Account] window. The transactions cleared in the register will already have checkmarks next to them, and the Difference amount in the lower right corner should be 0.00. Click Reconcile Now to finish reconciling these transactions only, and then begin the reconciliation process again. The QuickBooks beginning balance will now match the bank statement beginning balance.

If you suspect that any transactions have been altered or deleted, choose one of the following options: Run a reconcile discrepancy report. From the QuickBooks Reports menu, choose Banking, and then choose Reconcile Discrepancy. Select the appropriate account, and then click OK to display a listing of transactions that have changed since the last reconciliation. Run a reconciliation detail report. From the QuickBooks Reports menu, choose Banking, and then choose Reconciliation Detail. Select the appropriate account, select the statement ending date, and then click Display to open a prior reconciliation detail report. Compare this report to reports printed for past reconciliations to look for differences. Locate the discrepancy amount. (This option will work only if the discrepancy was caused by a single transaction.) From the QuickBooks Edit menu, choose Advanced Find. Select Amount in the Filter list, select the equals (=) option, and then enter the discrepancy amount in the field to the right. Click Find. If a transaction is found, determine whether it is the transaction causing the discrepancy, and correct it as needed. Note: If the transaction was previously reconciled but is now uncleared, correct the status through the account register by clicking in the checkmark column, and then clicking Record to save the change. If the transaction has been marked cleared but has not been reconciled, see the solutions above regarding how to handle transactions cleared in a register.

Run an account QuickReport: Use this report to determine if transactions have an incorrect cleared status. From the QuickBooks Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.  Select the account you want to reconcile.  Click the Reports button at the bottom of the list, and then choose QuickReport. Click Modify Report, and then click the Display tab.  Select Clr in the Columns list. Click the Filters tab. In the Filter list, select Cleared. To the right of the Filter list, select either Yes (to filter for cleared transactions) or No (to filter for uncleared transactions), and then click OK to return to the report. Look at recent transactions. If you see transactions incorrectly cleared or uncleared, update them in the account register by clicking in the checkmark column, and then clicking Record to save the change. (See the solutions above regarding how to handle transactions cleared in a register.)

Run an audit trail report: This report can help identify transactions that have been deleted, changed, or added since the last reconciliation. A close examination of this report can often help locate a problem, however, if the audit trail feature has not been active, you will not be able to see changes or deletions that occurred while the audit trail was inactive. To activate the audit trail feature: From the QuickBooks Edit menu, choose Preferences. Click the Accounting icon on the left. Click the Company Preferences tab.  Select the Use audit trail option, and then click OK. To run the report, from the QuickBooks Reports menu, choose Accountant & Taxes, and then choose Audit Trail. You may need to adjust the report dates to see modifications for the appropriate time period. If the options listed above do not resolve the issue and you suspect damage, use the QuickBooks Verify Data and Rebuild Data utilities to detect and repair the damage.

Solution: There are various reasons why transactions might be missing from the Match Transactions window after downloading a bank statement. The transactions may not have reached the Intuit server yet. Your financial institution uploads transactions to the server once a day, and until transactions are on the server, they cannot be downloaded. Historical or older information may not have been sent with your statement. Financial institutions decide how far back historical information goes, and they will send you a confirmation letter indicating how old your first downloaded statement transactions will be. Additionally, the server will not hold statement information older than three months.

The Show Matched checkbox in the Match Transactions window may have been cleared. This prevents matched transactions from showing on the QuickStatement.

If you find transactions missing from the Match Transactions window, choose the appropriate solution below:

If the only missing transactions are from within two business days, try the download again tomorrow, when the transactions may have reached the server. If you would like to contact your financial institution: From the QuickBooks Banking menu, choose Online Banking Center. Select the correct name from the Financial Institution drop-down list. Click the Contact Info button in the upper right corner of the Online Banking Center window.

If the only missing transactions are your oldest transactions, in the first statement, try entering the missing transactions manually. All future transactions should download correctly. Make sure the Show Matched checkbox is selected in the Match Transactions window: From the QuickBooks Banking menu, choose Online Banking Center. Click Send (if you have not already done so) to download transactions that have occurred since the last time you downloaded transactions. After the download has completed, select an account from the Items Received From Financial Institution area. Click View to display the QuickStatement in the Match Transactions window. Select the Show Register checkbox if it is not already selected. This will allow QuickBooks to match transactions from your QuickStatement with those in your register. Transactions that have already been reconciled will not be matched. Verify that the Show Matched checkbox is selected in the bottom left corner of the Match Transactions window.

Solution: C=43 errors indicate possible damage to the data file. To resolve this issue, run the Verify Data utility described earlier. (If data damage is detected, you will then be prompted to rebuild your data file, also described earlier.)

Solution: A possible cause of this problem could be that your financial institution's information may need to be updated. To update your financial institution's data: From the QuickBooks Banking menu, choose Set Up Online Financial Services, and then choose Online Financial Institutions List. Scroll through the Financial Institutions Directory Web page and select your financial institution. Click the Apply Now button. After the page loads, close the browser using the X in the upper right corner. You do not need to fill out the application. QuickBooks will connect online to receive updated online financial institution information. Once the transmission is complete, you should be able to use online banking functions, as well as open transaction windows, and edit online entries in the register. If the above did not solve the issue, follow the steps below completely and without interruption: From the QuickBooks Banking menu, choose Online Banking Center. Check for any online service notifications or e-mails, view and then delete them.

Select the message and click View. If you want to retain this information, click Print to print the message for your records. Click Close to close the message window. With the same message selected, click Delete. Make sure any transactions in the Match Transaction window are either matched, added to the register or deleted. (For more information on matching transactions, from the QuickBooks Help menu, choose Help Index, and then type matching online transactions.) Send any payments waiting in the Items to Send section. Back up your company file. Disable any accounts that use online banking and/or online bill payment services.  From the Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.  Select any accounts that are set up to use online banking. (These accounts have a lightning bolt to the left of the Type column.) Click the Account button and choose Edit. Click the Online Info tab. Record all online account information on this tab.

Clear the Online Account Access and/or Online Payment checkboxes.

You will receive a message "You have just disabled online services for this account. Do you wish to retain the online information associated with this account?" Click No. Repeat Step 6 for any other online bank accounts. Re-enable all online accounts: In the Chart of Accounts window, select the accounts you want to re-enable. Click the Account button and choose Edit. Click the Online Info tab. Reenter all online account information on this tab as recorded in Step 6e. Select the Online Account Access and/or Online Payment checkboxes as appropriate. Click OK to save your changes.

Solution: AutoRecall memorizes the information on the first transaction recorded for a specific name on a given date. The information from that transaction is used on all subsequent transactions until a new transaction for the same name is recorded on a different date. If a second transaction with different information is entered on the same date, AutoRecall does not store the new information. To resolve this issue, either update your transactions manually, or follow these steps to use AutoRecall to create updated transactions for the same day: Create a new transaction with updated information using a future date. Click Save & New, and then click Previous. Change the date back to today’s date. Click Save & New again.  AutoRecall works with bills, checks, or credit card charges. AutoRecall does not work with purchase orders, invoices, sales receipts, payroll liability checks, or credit memos. In addition, AutoRecall cannot transfer information from one account to another. For example, if you have two checking accounts, you cannot write a check in the first account, and then AutoRecall the check information in the second account.

Solution: Custom fields let you add to the information that QuickBooks tracks about your customers, vendors, and employees and the items that you purchase and sell.  You can add your own custom fields to the windows where you set up customers, vendors, employees, or items. Information you enter into the fields can be just for your use, or it can prefill on certain forms when you enter a name or item on the form.  You can also include data from custom fields in your reports. QuickBooks treats the information you enter into a custom field the same way it treats information entered into any other field. If you memorize a transaction that has a custom field, QuickBooks memorizes what you entered in the field along with the other details of the transaction. If you export a list that contains data in custom fields, QuickBooks exports that data along with the other data from the list. For example, if you want to track your sales by region:  Add a field titled Sales Region to the New/Edit Customer window.  Fill in the sales region for each customer on your Customer:Job list. Add the new Sales Region field to each form. From then on, a customer’s sales region prefills when you enter a sale. You can filter your reports so they show only sales for a particular region.

Solution: During the synchronization process, each name from your contact manager (Outlook or ACT!) needs to be selected and placed in a QuickBooks list. To assign the contact names to the appropriate lists in QuickBooks: From the QuickBooks Company menu, choose Synchronize Contacts. Follow the instructions in the wizard. Once the synchronization has started, you are prompted you to assign the contact name(s) to the appropriate QuickBooks list. Select the contact name(s) from the list. At the bottom of the window, select the appropriate list in QuickBooks in which to place the contact name(s). (You can select multiple contact names by pressing the Ctrl key on your keyboard as you click each name. Continue to press the Ctrl key until all names have been selected.) Click Apply. This categorizes the contact names so that they will automatically synchronize with the correct QuickBooks list. After all of the names have been categorized, click OK to resume synchronization. When the process is complete, a Synchronization Complete window will appear with an option to view the Sync Log file. You may view the file for information on the results of the synchronization.

Solution: You cannot memorize receipts or deposits of payments, bill payments, paychecks, time records, sales tax payments, or year-to-date (YTD) payroll adjustments. If you are entering the transaction information for future use and do not want to record the transaction now, click Clear to close the transaction window. To memorize a transaction in QuickBooks: Enter the transaction. If the content of certain fields will change each time you recall the transaction, leave those fields blank. For example, your monthly utility bill should be memorized with a blank Amount field. From the QuickBooks Edit menu, choose Memorize. In the Name field of the Memorize Transaction window, enter a name that will help you recognize the transaction in the Memorized Transaction list. In the Detail area of the Memorize Transaction window, indicate how you want the transaction handled. (If you need assistance, press F1 while the Memorize Transaction window is open.)  Click OK to memorize the transaction.

Solution: This option is available for accountants or users who prefer the traditional system of accounting in which transactions are entered into a general journal. If you are not an accountant, you might use the general journal to transfer amounts from one income or expense account to another, or from one class to another. In order to complete your year-end activities, your accountant may instruct you to record miscellaneous journal entries in QuickBooks. To record a journal entry: From the QuickBooks Banking menu, choose Make Journal Entry. In the General Journal Entry window, change the Date field, if desired. If you number your general journal entries, enter the number in the Entry No. field.  In the detail area, enter distribution lines: In the Account column, enter or select the first account in your transaction. If you are using an A/R (accounts receivable) or A/P (accounts payable) account, the first account in the general journal transaction should be the accounts receivable or accounts payable account. In the Debit (or Credit) column, enter the debit (or credit) amount for the account you selected in the previous step. (Optional) Enter a memo about the amount in the Memo column. The memo appears on reports that include the general journal entry. Enter or select the customer, vendor, employee, or other name associated with the transaction in the Name column (required for A/R or A/P accounts.) (Optional) If you selected an expense account along with a customer or job, you can make the amount billable to the customer. To avoid billing the customer for an expense, click the billable icon to put an X through it. (Optional) Assign a class to the amount. Repeat Steps 4a through 4f to enter distribution lines until the transaction reaches a zero balance (that is, the total in the Debit column equals the total in the Credit column). Click Save & Close to save the journal entry and close the window, or Save & New to save the journal entry and create a new one. 

Solution: QuickBooks creates this account the first time you enter an opening balance for a balance sheet account. As you enter the opening balances, QuickBooks records the amounts in the Opening Bal Equity account. This ensures that you have a correct balance sheet for your company, even before you have entered all your company's assets and liabilities. After you have entered all of your opening balances, you may want to move the amount in Opening Bal Equity to your other equity accounts. This is an optional adjustment if you want to identify retained earnings or the equity of several owners.

To transfer all or part of the amount:  From the QuickBooks Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts. Double-click the Opening Bal Equity account to open its register. Enter a transfer transaction: In the Account field, select the equity account that you are transferring the money to from the drop-down list. Enter the amount to transfer in the Decrease column of the register. Click Record, and then repeat steps for any other amounts you want to transfer.

Solution: When a customer's check has "bounced" (returned to you for insufficient funds), handle it in the following manner: First, create items for tracking bounced checks and their associated charges if these items do not already exist in your company data file. From the QuickBooks Lists menu, choose Item List. Click the Item button and choose New. Select Other Charge from the Type drop-down list and name this item Bad Check or similar. Leave 0.00 in the Amount or % field and select Non from the Tax Code drop-down list. Select your bank account from the Account drop-down list and then click Next.

Repeat steps to create a second item named Bad Check Charge or similar. This is for the service charge you will assess customers for bounced checks when you send them another invoice. Select an income account (such as Returned Check Charges) from the Account drop-down list. If the account does not exist, click the drop-down arrow and choose Add New, and add the new income account. Click OK to save both items.

Record your bank's charges for a bounced check: From the Banking menu, choose Use Register. If prompted, select the appropriate bank account and click OK. Create a new transaction, naming it NSF Fee or similar. Enter the bank charge amount in the Payment field. In the Account field, enter the income account. Enter a memo if desired, and then click Record. Record a credit memo to reverse the original sale: From the Customers menu, choose Create Credit Memo/Refunds. Enter all of the items from the original invoice or sales receipt, including the sales representative and sales tax if applicable. Enter the Bad Check line item from Step 1.c with a negative amount. This amount should match the total of all the items on the credit memo, creating a credit memo with a zero total. Click Save & Close to record the credit memo. Choose Create Invoices from the Customers menu to send the customer a new invoice, which should include all of the items from the original invoice, plus a line item for Bad Check Charge. If the original transaction was a statement charge, print a new statement charge. If the original transaction was a sales receipt, you still need to recreate an invoice to send to your customer.

Tip: QuickBooks Pro and Premier versions have a "bounced check" letter that you can send in addition to the new invoice. This is one of the prewritten letters available through the Write Letters feature in the QuickBooks Pro and Premier versions. For more information, from the Help menu, choose Help Index, and then type writing letters.

Solution: QuickBooks checks the system date when a company data file is opened. It does not continually update the date if the file is not closed. If QuickBooks is left running overnight with the company file open, transactions are created with the date the file was originally opened. To resolve this issue, close your company file and then reopen it.

Solution: If the QuickBooks time format preference is set to decimal, the message appears as a reminder that although the time will display in hours and minutes while recording, it will revert to decimals when stopped. To resolve this message, choose one of the following options: In the Stopwatch Time Format message window that appears, select the Do not display this message in the future checkbox. Change the time format preference: From the QuickBooks Edit menu, choose Preferences. Click the General icon, and then click the Company Preferences tab. In the Time Format section, select Minutes.

Click OK to save your changes.

Solution: A possible cause is QuickBooks has been installed on a non-U.S. version of Microsoft® Windows®. QuickBooks is designed to run on the U.S. version of the Microsoft Windows operating system only. Therefore you must install a U. S. version of Windows.

Solution: The payroll may not have updated correctly, or the computer's date and time setting is incorrect. To resolve this issue: First, check your computer's date and time setting and correct it if necessary. From the QuickBooks Employees menu, choose Get Updates, and then choose Get Payroll Updates. While holding down the Ctrl key, click Update. After the download is complete, a message will appear. Click OK. Reopen the Get Payroll Updates window (see Step 2). Your updated tax table version should now appear at the top of the window. If the issue persists, select the Download entire payroll update option, and then click Update. It may take several minutes to download the update. After the download is complete, click OK at the message, and then reopen the Get Payroll Updates window to check your tax table version.

Solution: In QuickBooks, employee summary reports contain hyperlinks so that you can access a particular employee record. When summary reports are exported to Excel, the records they were linked to in QuickBooks are not accessible from Excel. Do not click the hyperlinks in Excel. You may remove broken hyperlinks from the Excel spreadsheet. For information on how to remove them, please refer to the Help files in Excel. Note: Employee summary reports are produced by the Employee Organizer. The Employee Organizer is available only by subscription and is not available for QuickBooks Basic.

Solution: The employee summary reports that you print from the Employee Organizer use the Microsoft® Internet Explorer Page Setup settings for printed headers and footers. To resolve this problem, change the Page Setup settings in Internet Explorer:

Start Internet Explorer. From the Internet Explorer File menu, choose Page Setup. Delete or edit the information in the Header and Footer boxes. Note: Headers and footers can consist of both text and codes. Codes begin with an ampersand (&), and you can use them to print information that changes, such as the date or time. You can use codes alone or in combination with text that you type. To display information about the codes you can use in headers and footers: Click the Help button (the small ? at the top right of the Page Setup window). Click anywhere in the Header and Footer areas of the window.

Solution: Each employee can only have up to 50 historical leave of absence records. QuickBooks will not accept any further records. You must supplement QuickBooks with some other record keeping method, such as a spreadsheet.

Solution: When you choose any of the following in the Edit Employee window, a wizard starts, and the Edit Employee window closes: Raises & Promotions on the Payroll Info tab  Process Leave or Return from Leave on the Leave of Absence tab Terminate Employee or Termination Details on the Termination tab. To continue making changes to an employee record, you will need to reopen the Edit Employee window by double-clicking on the Employee List the name of the employee whose record you want to edit. 

Solution: A possible cause for this problem is that Microsoft® Word is not installed on your computer or it is not set up as the editing program for rich text format (RTF) documents. If possible, install Microsoft Word on your computer or set it up as the editing program for RTF files (see "File types: associating extension with," in Microsoft® Windows® Help). If that is not possible, you can save a copy of the document and then open it with a different word processing program. In this case, your word processing program must be capable of editing RTF documents.  To save a copy of an Employment Regulations document: From the QuickBooks Employees menu, choose Employment Regulations. Click Forms and Letters. Click the link for the document you want to save. In the File Download window, select Save it to disk.. In the Save As window, choose where you want to save the file, and then click Save. After you save the file, you can edit the document with your word processing program.

Solution: If you have been using another financial software product, you can import information from that product into QuickBooks if the product allows you to export to a spreadsheet or text file. You can import lists that correspond to individual transactions, budgets, and QuickBooks lists. To transfer transaction data from another product, the data must be in Intuit Interchange Format (IIF). Important notes for importing data:  All account, customer, and vendor names must be either added to QuickBooks before importing data, or placed in the spreadsheet before the transactions using them. When using the INVITEMTYPE header for item type, all the data in the column must be in upper case. Note: The easiest way to see and understand the format QuickBooks needs to import data is to export some lists from the sample company and view the resulting file in a spreadsheet. To create an IIF file for your company, choose one of the following options: Download and open one of the several sample IIF files that are available online. Use the existing spreadsheet headers and replace the sample data with your own. Then see steps below to import the data into QuickBooks. Create your own IIF file: Start the spreadsheet program that contains the data that you want to import into QuickBooks. Move the contents of all the cells in your spreadsheet one column to the right by inserting a column so that the first column is blank. Please refer to the Help files in the spreadsheet program for instructions on inserting columns and rows. Move the contents of all the cells down one row by inserting a row so that the first row is blank. Check the structure of the spreadsheet. If it contains more than one type of list or a mixture of lists, budgets, and transactions, make sure that each type of information has its own block in the spreadsheet. Insert a blank row to separate the blocks. For example, a list of customers might fill rows 12 through 75, row 76 would be blank, and rows 77 through 150 would be made up of vendor information. In the first cell in the blank row above each block of information (row 76 in the example above), enter a keyword. Be sure to include the exclamation point (!). Complete the first row by adding the headings that QuickBooks expects to find for the information. From the QuickBooks Help menu, choose Help Index, type the topic importing data, and choose Creating an import file to see a list of the headings you can use. Make sure that the content of the columns in each block matches the headings you just added.  Note: If a vendor's entire address is in one column, divide it so that the first line of the address appears under the ADDR1 column, the second line under the ADDR2 column, and so forth. The same can be done with customer addresses.  Save the spreadsheet as a text file. Click Yes to the message asking if you want to save the file as tab delimited. Search for the file, and then rename it with the extension .iif. Start QuickBooks. From the File menu, choose Utilities, and then choose Import. From the Look in drop-down list, locate the folder containing the new file and select the file name from the list. Click OK.

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