Accessing the same company file on the same computer by two different users QB for Mac 2016

Glad to see you in the Community, bpmd.

After reading your concern, I'd like to verify some additional details with you if you do not mind. Do your bookkeepers log in at the time? If so, you'll want to set up a multi-user network to share your QuickBooks Desktop data with multiple users and access your company files from other computers. 

You can follow the step by step instructions in this article: Use multiuser mode in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

If you're already on the multi-user mode and the other user can't access the company, we can try to delete and add them again.

Here's how:

1. Go to Company > Users and Passwords.
2. Select the user name, then click the minus sign (-) to delete the user.
3. In the Users and Passwords window, select the plus sign (+) to add the user. Make sure to enter a username and password, then set the user permissions.
4. When you’re done, close the Preferences window.

For reference, check out this link: User and password preferences in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

I'm also adding this guide to learn more about the different task in a single-user mode or multi-user mode: Features available and tasks you can perform in single or multi-user mode.

Please know the Community has your back if you have additional questions or need help with other concerns. Take care and stay safe!

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply. Let me clarify: only one bookkeeper will be working on QB at a time. The problem is that somehow, the second bookkeeper cannot access QB from her Mac user account, even though it is not open and the first bookkeeper is signed out of the computer. This has been the way I have always done it as I have a one user file. I am just trying to get the second bookkeeper access from her Mac user login without having to login to the other bookkeepers user file just to use QB.

I hope that makes my question clearer.

Thanks for the help!

Thanks for getting back to us and providing other info with your concern, @bpmd. Allow me to chime in and help you sort this out.

We can perform a few troubleshooting steps so your bookkeeper can log in to the company file to get back to business and work with QuickBooks accordingly.

To start with, let's download and make sure to install the latest released version of QuickBooks for Mac. Let me show you how.

1. Tap the QuickBooks drop-down to select Check for QuickBooks Updates.
2. If a newer version is available, choose Install Update.
3. When prompted, select Install and Relaunch.
4. QuickBooks for Mac automatically opens when the update is complete.

Once done, try to open the QuickBooks Desktop for Mac. Then, let your bookkeeper access again. For more insights into this process, see the Update QuickBooks for Mac to the latest release guide.

Also, you can perform the verify and rebuild your data in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac. QuickBooks verify and rebuild tools find the most common data issues in a company file and fixes them. You can also check this link for more details about the process: Verify and rebuild data in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

You might also want to check out our QuickBooks for Mac site to be updated with our latest happenings and product road-maps: 

• What's new with QuickBooks for Mac
• QuickBooks Desktop Mac 2021 User’s Guide
• Help articles for QuickBooks Desktop for Mac

Keep in touch if you need any more assistance with this, or there's something else I can do for you. I've got your back. Have a good day, @bpmd.

Thanks again for your assistance. I took some additional steps as suggested, but the problem remains:

1. I verified that I had the most recent version of QuckBooks for Mac 2016

2. I verified and rebuilt the data successfully

3. There are 3 users on this Mac, all with administrator privileges

4. The company file is kept in the Shared user folder so should be accessible to all users

• When bookkeeper 1 logs in and opens QB, a Migrated Administrator window opens and allows successful input of the password and access to the security question I set up
• When I (owner of the QB license) login and open QB (same company file as bookkeeper 1) a Migrated Adminstrator window opens. I enter the same password as above and it is not accepted. When I click on the question mark to get to the security question, a message appears: "No security question and answer was provided for this user."
• When bookkeeper 2 logs in and opens QB, the same thing happens as when I try to open QB, again the message "No security question and answer was provided for this user."

It seems like we should all be able to open the same company file in the Shared user folder. I don't understand why we cannot.

Thanks!

Hi there, bpmd.

I appreciate all the steps that you've exhausted just to get this working. At this point, I'd recommend contacting technical supports. This way, we'll be able to pull up your account and then check why the other admins are unable to access the company file.

You can go to this page to connect with us: QuickBooks Desktop Support. Once you're in, scroll down to the Contact QuickBooks Desktop for Mac section, then click the link to start a chat.

I've also included an article that will help you in managing the permissions and user roles in the program: User and password preferences.

Feel welcome to reach out to me again with any concerns you may have. I'll always have your back.