Archiving old Quickbooks desktop account data but keep accessible as read-only in QBO?

Thanks for the complete information you've shared regarding your concern, Billy. I've got the details to verify your insights about moving from outdated QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) to QuickBooks Online (QBO).

To begin with, you can't directly export your old QBDT version's data to QBO. To achieve this, you'll need an updated software version.

That said, I recommend upgrading QBDT to the latest release so you can proceed with the exportation process. If you don't have the option to upgrade your old QBDT, you can download the free trial version to initiate the transfer.

It's also essential to note that you only have 60 days after the QBO account creation to commence the exporting procedures. You'll also need to consider these factors for a seamless exportation process:

• Ensure all your vendors, customers, or accounts are no longer in use with Inactive status to avoid data issues.
• Delete or Void unbilled charges and time linked to inactive accounts, customers, vendors, or employees.
• Your company file isn't too big to export:
  • Each transaction in your file has links or targets to every other associated entry. For example, an invoice has a target for the customer and each item, account, estimate, sales tax, and payment it touches.
  • Your company's total targets should be less than 750,000 for your file to be migrated to QBO. To verify this, press Ctrl + 1 or F2 on your keyboard. If it exceeds the limit, I recommend condensing your data.
    
• Take note of the files that can and can't be moved and how QBO reads or treats them. You can review this link as your reference: Learn how features and data move from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online.
• Save a copy of your sales tax liability report. It will be essential when entering adjustments after the migration.

Once ready, you can start exporting your QBDT file to QBO. For complete guidance, please see Steps 2 and 3 from this resource: Move your QuickBooks Desktop file to QuickBooks Online.

Furthermore, after canceling your QBO account, it's correct that you'll only have one year of read-only access to your data.

You may also access this link once your client decides to renew their QBO plan sometime in the future: Resubscribe to or reactivate QuickBooks Online.

Should you have more concerns about data migration and accessibility in QuickBooks, add a reply to this thread. Take care.

@billymoon 

The Desktop data file for that company has many years of historical data for the business

Questions:

1. Which QB Desktop year version did they use?

2. Which macOS do you run now?

Hi Chrea,

Client data is in Quickbooks Pro 2016.

I am on Mac OS 14.

Thanks,

Billy

Are you thinking I could transfer data from Quickbooks Pro 2016 to current Quickbooks Desktop for Mac Plus? Would I have continual read-only access to the file in a expired Quickbooks Desktop for Mac Plus version?

Thanks!

Hi Ivan,

Thank you for the links and information on preparing and exporting the QBDT data. Sorry I didn't confirm previously - data is in Quickbooks Pro 2016 - would that be different process than from QBDT?

At the end of the below linked article, it says:

"If you have multiple QuickBooks Online accounts, at least one account with the same login should remain active to have read-only access indefinitely." (https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/cancel-products-services/cancel-quick...)

Does this not mean that there is a way to have a current QBO account and have read-only access to a "closed" account "indefinitely" (as is beyond a year)?

Or, alternatively, if I convert the Quickbooks Pro 2016 data to Quickbooks Desktop for Mac (as in reply to @Chrea), would I be able to access the data as read-only in expired trial version "indefinitely"?

Thanks for the advice!

Billy

@billymoon 

You can convert your data to QB Desktop Mac file format and use QB Desktop Mac with a non subscription license to access the archive file for good. You should contact @Fiat Lux - ASIA for details.

Thanks, @Chrea.

But they'd still have to buy the Mac desktop license, and not switch to QBO for active company data.

What I'm getting at is that there seems to be no way to keep and view historical Quickbooks data without having an existing desktop license. And you can't do it using QBO because a "closed" account is only viewable for a year, even if you have an active QBO "account"/subscription. Is that all correct?

You can purchase QB Desktop 2019 or 2020 to run on Mac for $100-200. You should ask Fiat Lux for details.