Installation & Setup

Before you move on:

Make sure you've completed all the items in Step 1. It's important to install the same version of Enterprise on all computers.

If you haven't already done so, download the latest version of Enterprise. Then proceed with the steps below, which will instruct you when to open the file.

Provide access to company files

To share the folder containing your QuickBooks company files across your network, make sure that all users have read/write access and create/delete rights to the directory where the files are stored. Consult with your network administrator to learn about sharing folders and providing sufficient access.

These next steps can easily be performed on the server if it's being used as a workstation (e.g., if the full QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise software is installed on the server). If only the Enterprise Database Server Manager is installed on the server, perform these steps on a user workstation.

To perform these steps, you'll need a financial professional or office manager who understands the company's financial needs, can set up a company file, knows which users should access the company file, and knows what areas of QuickBooks those users will need to access. You'll need to have QuickBooks administrator privileges.

After installing Enterprise, you can use it for 30 days without registering. After that, you must register Enterprise on every computer on which it is installed.

Registration allows you to take advantage of the many valuable benefits that come with your software, including access to technical support.

To register:

1. Start Enterprise.
2. Go to the Help menu and click Register QuickBooks.
3. Click Begin Registration and follow the onscreen instructions.
4. If web registration isn't successful, you can register Enterprise by phone. The registration line is available from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time) seven days a week. Within the U.S., call toll-free 1-800-316-1068. Outside the U.S., call 1-520-901-3220.

Note: If you move your installation from one computer to another, you'll need to re-register Enterprise on the new computer.

Depending on your business, you may have a few more steps to complete. Please review this information to make sure your company file is properly set up and your data is complete.

 After creating your company file, QuickBooks Setup will walk you through how to add critical information, such as:

• The people you do business with (so you can invoice customers, pay vendors and track employees)
• The products and services you sell
• Your bank accounts
• Your payroll information
• An audit trail of your existing transactions

Setup is easy. Just follow the onscreen prompts, then click the Start Working button.

Quick Start Center

Use this feature to complete common startup tasks like creating invoices, entering sales receipts and bills and writing checks. You can also view customer and vendor account balances. 

Review your Chart of Accounts

During the Setup process, QuickBooks created a chart of accounts based on your type of business. Now is a good time to review it and make sure it accurately reflects the accounts you need to run your business.

You can easily change account names and edit, delete or add accounts as needed. For example, you may want to add a business-related bank, credit card or loan account. To view your Chart of Accounts, go to the Lists menu and click Chart of Accounts. 

Enter historical transactions

If you'd like your reports to include past information, you'll need to enter it. Select a date in the past as your start date. Then enter past transactions from the start date to today.

Enter historical transactions in chronological order within transaction type. QuickBooks won't know how to apply a payment unless you've previously recorded the customer invoice.

Note: Entering historical transactions is especially important if customers don't pay you at the time they receive goods or services. If you don't enter historical transactions, QuickBooks can't help you track and collect late customer payments for those past transactions.

We recommend this entry order (please verify with your accountant):

1. Invoices you've sent out since your start date
2. Purchase orders you've issued since your start date that you haven't received in full
3. Cash or checks you've received since your start date
4. Deposits you made before your start date but that didn't appear on statements before your start date
5. Bills you've received since your start date
6. Bills you've paid since your start date
7. Deposits you've made to any accounts since your start date
8. Any other checks or payments you've made (for things other than bills) since your start date
9. Checks or other charges that happened before your start date but didn't appear on statements before your start date (uncleared)
10. Bank charges, fees and interest
11. Employee year-to-date information paid from January 1 through your start date
12. Payroll liabilities owed at the time of your start date (for manual payroll and tracking payroll transactions only)
13. There's no need to enter all past transactions before you start using QuickBooks for new transactions. Just enter new ones as they occur, then catch up with historical transactions when you can. However, your account balances and reports may be inaccurate until you enter all past transactions.

Payroll

If you subscribe to a QuickBooks payroll service, you'll be asked to add year-to-date payroll information during payroll setup. If you fail to provide this information, your payroll tax information may not be accurate.

Refer to the in-product Help for step-by-step instructions on how to enter these transactions to make your account registers accurate.

Enter optional adjustments

After you've created your company file, you might have to make a few adjustments regarding your start date. Depending on your company, you may need to:

• Enter any sales tax liabilities
• Adjust the Uncategorized Income and Uncategorized Expense accounts (accrual basis only)
• Adjust for current income and expenses if your start date is not at the beginning of the fiscal year

For step-by-step instructions on how to enter these optional adjustments, refer to the Help feature within QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise. Check with your accountant if you're not sure whether you need to enter these optional adjustments.

Back up your company file

Enterprise can create a backup file, which is a compressed version of your QuickBooks company file containing all transactions through the date the company backup was made. A backup file insures against accidental data loss and can be used to restore your data. QuickBooks backups have a .qbb extension and cannot be opened directly.

The best way to back up your company file is to utilize the online backup service that comes as a complimentary part of an active subscription. This stores your backup file safely offsite.

Alternatively, you can manually back up your company file: Go to the File menu and click Create Backup. Select a safe location for your file, ideally on a separate computer or server.

To restore your backup, go to the File menu and click Open or Restore Company.

To learn more about backing up your company file, refer to the Help feature within QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise.

Proceed to the Next Step

You've finished configuring QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise to run your business, now it's time to move on to Step 6: Create Users and Roles.

Create users and roles

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise lets you apply user permissions to different activities by assigning distinct user-access levels including view-only, create, modify, delete and print. You can also restrict access to specific lists and report groups based on user roles.

Your QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise application also comes with many predefined roles, with preset access to certain activities, lists or reports. Examples include Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Banking, Sales and Payroll Manager. You can use any of the pre-defined roles, customize them to suit your needs or create your own. All users must be assigned a role.

To set up a role:

1. Start QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise.
2. Go to the Company menu, click Users and then click Set Up Users and Roles.
3. Click the Role List tab and then click the New button.
4. Enter the name of the role in the Role Name field or select an existing role.
5. Assign access levels to the activities and click OK.

To set up a user:

1. Click the User List tab and then click the New button.
2. Enter the name of the user in the User Name field.
3. Enter a password in the Password and Confirm Password fields.
4. Assign roles to this user and then click OK.

Congratulations, you are done!