Logging out users

Hello there, Deadwood. Let me share information regarding logging out users of your company files in your QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT).

In QBDT, if a user leaves their system logged in, the admin cannot log them out, and the system won't automatically log them out either abruptly. To address this, you can request that the user log out of the company file every time they step away from their desk.

However, as a workaround, we can configure the Manage login settings in your account and set the logged-in time. In that way, the user will be signed out if they are inactive or away from their area if they reach the hour limit of 24 hours. This feature helps to ensure the security of your account by preventing unauthorized access if the session is left unattended for a certain amount of time. You can follow the steps provided below:

1. At the top of the page, click the Company.

2. Choose Users, then select Manage Login Settings. 

3. At the left panel, select General, then click the Company Preferences tab.

4. On the Manage Login Settings section, select the Keep user logged in and specify the login period..

5. Once done, click OK.

Users will be automatically logged out of QuickBooks at the end of the login period set in this preference. For more detailed information on this topic, please refer to the following article: Stay logged in to the QuickBooks Desktop.

Additionally, you can check this article you might utilize on changing your QuickBooks Admin password: Use the Automated Password Reset Tool for QuickBooks Desktop.

Don't hesitate to return to this thread if you need further assistance setting up your user login in QBDT, Deadwood. I'll be at your aid as soon as I get your reply.

Thank you for the response ... it was interesting, but didn't really answer the question I thought I asked. Perhaps I should phrase it differently.

Even if we utilized the settings the article described, and allowed a user to remain logged in for (let's say) 1 day, if part way through that day the user left the area and was still logged in and while they were gone, a need arose to use single user mode, how does the admin log out the user in order to go into single user mode? Does the admin have a way to log a user out of the system in case of needing single user mode? I would think this is something that should exist regardless of whether a user is a limited for x-number of days. Personally, I believe it would be better to limit a login to x-number of HOURS rather than days, and even an automatic log-off if the users system remains INACTIVE for an hour or so.

Is this kind of system control beyond the capabilities of the software that QuickBooks is built upon?

Thank you for replying to the thread, Deadwood Al.

Switching to Single User Mode from the File Menu is a simple procedure that requires selecting a certain menu item to start the mode shift. Once, you have QuickBooks open, follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to the File menu at the top left corner of the window.
2. Click on Switch to Single-user Mode from the dropdown menu.
3. A prompt may appear to confirm the switch, simply click Yes to proceed.

This will switch the software to Single User Mode, so one user can modify the company file. In Single User Mode, users can make changes to the data without being interrupted by others.

One method to log someone out of QuickBooks Desktop is to manually terminate the session from the admin account. By accessing the User List, an administrator can select the specific user and end their session, effectively revoking their access.

Just in case you want to know the tasks and features available you can use in single or multi-user mode, you can read this article for more information: Features available and tasks you can perform in single or multi-user mode.

Let me know in the comment if you have other QuickBooks-related concerns. I'll be back to help. Stay safe.