Learn how users and passwords work in QuickBooks for Mac.
QuickBooks for Mac will require you to enter a password when you:
- open a company file.
- setup permissions like replacing the admin and Data Entry passwords.
- set a Closing Date for your company file.
- update a company file to a newer version of QuickBooks for Mac
- move between QuickBooks for Mac and QuickBooks Desktop for Windows.
How users and passwords work when you upgrade from a prior version
When you upgrade from a prior version, normally all your users and passwords are brought over. In QuickBooks for Mac 2024, data security is updated to support enhanced, industry-leading AES-256-bit encryption. These changes require all non-admin user passwords be automatically reset during the upgrade process and will need the administrator to update their passwords.
Administrator-assigned user passwords in QuickBooks for Mac 2024 are now single-use. Each user is required to update the password for their account after logging in with the single-use password.
How Users and Passwords work when you move from QuickBooks Desktop for Windows to QuickBooks for Mac
When you move your file, QuickBooks doesn’t move the users. A user named Migrated Administrator is created with the admin password from the original file.
Important: If the file you’ve converted from QuickBooks Desktop is asking for a password that wasn’t set up before, reset the password. |
Locate your password if it is stored in the OS X keychain
- Go to Finder, select Go, then Utilities.
- Double-click Keychain Access.
- Select Passwords.
- Locate the keychain with the name QuickBooks User Password. Double-click to open.
- Select Show Password.
- When prompted, enter your OS X user account password, then select Allow.
- Take note of the password.
Sign in to your company file
Once you have your password, you can sign in to your company file as the admin user. Here’s how.
- Double-click your username.
- Enter your password.
Rename the Migrated Administrator user
- Sign in to your company file as the Migrated Administrator user.
- Go to Company and select customers and Passwords.
- Select the Migrated Administrator account, and select Edit.
- Edit the Username field, and select Save.
Remove the Migrated Administrator user
If you opt to remove the administrator name as Migrated Administrator, follow these steps:
Step 1: Create a new admin user
- Sign in to your company file as an admin user.
- Go to Company, select Users and Passwords.
- Select Add to create a new admin user.
- Enter your preferred username.
- Set the type of access to Administrative, then select Save.
- Go to File, then select Close Company/Log Off.
Note: It's recommended to sign out whenever you're finished working with the company file.
Step 2: Edit the Migrated Administrator user
- Sign in to your company file as the new admin user.
- Go to Company, select Users and Passwords.
- Select the Migrated Administrator account, and select Edit.
- Edit the Username field, and select Save.
For more info about users and passwords in QuickBooks for Mac, go Help, then select QuickBooks Help.