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Convert a QuickBooks for Windows file to QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
Learn how to convert a QuickBooks Desktop for Windows file to QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.
If you’re moving from QuickBooks Desktop for Windows to Mac, don’t worry. You don’t need to start over. We’ll show you how to convert your company file to Mac and pick up where you left off. Here’s how.
Note: You can only move company files from QuickBooks Desktop Pro, Premier or Premier Accountant Editions.
Step 1: On your Windows computer
Open the file as the administrator.
Go to the File menu, then select Utilities. Select Copy Company File for QuickBooks Mac, then follow the onscreen instructions. QuickBooks will create a MAC.qbb (backup) file.
You’ll see a message that says "It looks like ‘QuickBooks for Windows’ might be a better fit for your company," Make sure to check what data isn’t converted from Windows. If you want to continue, select Yes.
Go to the folder you want to save the file in. Name the file, and select Save. Make sure to not use special characters in the file name.
Move the file to your Mac by using any storage device such as USB flash drive, etc.
Step 2: Restore the MAC.qbb backup on your Mac
A MAC.qbb file is a copy of a QuickBooks Desktop company file that you can restore in QuickBooks for Mac. Here’s how:
Close QuickBooks.
Copy the backup to the Documents folder on your Mac.
Reopen QuickBooks Desktop for Mac, then select File, then select Open Company.
Select the MAC.qbb file, then select Open.
Select OK when asked if you want to restore a QuickBooks for Windows file.
Enter a name for the restored file, and then select Save.
Data that's converted to QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
1099 categories
Account list (chart of accounts)
Admin password
All list reports
Audit trail
Budgets
Classes
Contacts data
Custom field definitions
Customer list
Customer message list
Customer type list
Employee list (notes will not be converted)
History of QuickBooks versions used with the data file
Income and expense tracking by class (available in QuickBooks for Mac using Profit & Loss by Class reports)
Item list
Job costing data (available in QuickBooks Desktop Mac using Job Profitability reports)
Job types list
Links between pay items and other items
Memorized transactions
Multiple estimates per job
Notes
Other names list (without notes)
Payment method list
Payment terms list
Vendor list (notes will not be converted)
Shipping via list
Vendor type list
To do list (alerts will not be converted)
Preferences
Company name and address
Which features are enabled
Reconcile
Reminders (alerts will not be converted)
Shipping via list
Time and activity records
To do list (alerts will not be converted)
Transaction statistics
Transactions and their links:
Bills
Deposits
Invoices
Payments
Transfers
Vehicle list
Vendor list (notes will not be converted)
Vendor type list
Data that isn’t converted from Windows to QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
Important: QuickBooks for Mac doesn’t support multiple currencies. Because accounts and balances are affected by the multiple and home currency settings, these settings can’t be changed in QuickBooks for Windows once they’ve been set. If you’ve used multiple currencies in your Windows company file, you’re not able to convert your data to QuickBooks for Mac.
Some features and data won’t be converted from Windows to Mac, including (but not limited to) the following:
Any data if you have used multiple currency in QuickBooks for Windows.
Intuit integrated payroll and payroll list items
Online banking transactions that have not been accepted into a register (transactions that have been accepted will appear as payments, deposits, and transfers with associated links)
Online banking aliases
Customized settings for forms like invoices, estimates, statements, and purchase orders (forms can be customized in QuickBooks for Mac)
Multiuser data, such as usernames
User passwords (QuickBooks for Mac supports administrator password)
Memorized reports
Business planning, expert analysis, and business optimization tools
Customized price levels
Integration with third party applications, including Microsoft Word, Outlook, and ACT
Merchant account services (you’ll need to set this up again in QuickBooks for Mac)
Sales order and back order tracking (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows)
Assembly items (available only in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows) will be converted into non-inventory part items
Budgets created without an associated account
Transaction type “EFP payroll” (will convert into a payroll liability check)
Workers comp list
Fixed asset item list
Multiple “ship to” addresses, Preferred Send method, and payment information for Customer:Jobs
User-added columns to lists
Unsupported reports
The following reports are not supported by QuickBooks Desktop for Mac. If you’d still like to use them, you can create most of these reports using the customization, filtering, and memorization features in QuickBooks for Mac.
Profit & Loss Unclassified
Open Purchase Orders by Job
Sales Tax Revenue Summary
Pending Builds
Income Tax Preparation
Profit & Loss Budget Performance
Fixed Asset Listing
Voided/Deleted Transactions (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows)
Voided/Deleted Transactions History (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows)
Closing Date Exception (available only in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows)
Open Sales Orders by Customers (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows)
Open Sales Orders by Item (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows)
Adjusted Trial Balance (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows)
Adjusting Journal Entries (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows)
Forecast Overview (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows)
Forecast vs. Actual (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows)
All payroll and workers comp reports
Unsupported report filters
The following report filters are not supported by QuickBooks for Mac. The balances of memorized reports that were created using these filters won’t match balances in the original data file.
Name Email
Paid Thru
Sales Tax Code
Template
Online Status
Printed Status
Voided
Workers Comp Code
Is Adjustment
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