Need help creating a quickbooks desktop read only file.

You can create a new company file without any transactions

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/data-systems/create-new-company-files-existing-ones-quickbooks/L1zSANEcs_US_en_US

The, delete any List data you do not wish to share (e.g., vendor list, employee list).

Alternatively, you can ask a 3rd party service provider to do so.

You can't create a read-only setting for a company file. However, you can create a new user and restrict their access. This prevents them from editing Accounts Receivable while still allowing them to view it.

Here's how:

1. Go to the Company menu, select Users, and then click Set Up Users and Roles.
2. Select the Role List tab, then click New.
3. Give the role a clear name (e.g., Read-Only AR Buyer).
4. In the Area and Activities box, expand Customers & Receivables. Highlight it and select the View permission on the right side.
5. Expand Lists and ensure they have View access to the Customer List and Memorized Transaction List.
6. Go through all other primary categories (Banking, Company, Employees, Vendors, etc.) and explicitly set them to None.
7. Once done, click OK to save the role.

Let us know if you need anything else.