Does anyone know if there is a way to remove the icon bar from the top of the page?

Hi @lyndaj,

Thanks for reaching out to the Community to change the location of your icon bar. I can definitely help you with that.

Here’s how to move the icon bar from the top of your screen to the left side:

1. Click on View from the icon bar.
2. Check Left Icon Bar.

That should highlight the selection in green, and you’re good to go.

Do you have any other questions about the menus or anything else? Feel free to let me know. I’m happy to help anytime.

I have done that - it is currently in both places - side bar and at top of page.

Let's get this sorted out so the icon bar will display on your preferred side of the QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) screen, @lyndaj. I'm here to guide you how.

When you change the location of the icon bar from the top to the left side of the screen, it shouldn't be displayed in both places. You can start fixing this matter by using the test company file. This way, you're able to identify if this is a minor data issue with your company file. Here's how:

1. Go to the File menu.
2. Select Close company.
3. You'll be routed to the No Company Open window where you can open the sample file. Click the Open a sample file drop-down arrow. 
4. Select Sample service-based business or any other sample file available.
5. Click Open.

On the sample company file, toggle the location of the icon bar through the View menu. When it'll be displayed according to your preferred location (please see the attached screenshot below), you'll have to return to your company file and repair any minor data issues using the Verify and Rebuild Data tool.

In case the issue continues, I'd recommend performing other solutions provided in this article starting Solution 2: Fix data damage on your QuickBooks Desktop company file. 

Also, I'm adding this article to further guide you in everything you need to know about QuickBooks: Get QuickBooks Desktop user guides. It includes do-it-yourself articles and training to help you get familiar with the system.

Let me know how it goes in the comments below. If you have other concerns about navigating QuickBooks and managing the growth of your business, I'm just around to help. Take care always.

I have been fascinated with this issue over a number of years.  All of a sudden the issue manifests itself.  I have discovered one detail of QB 2016 desktop which - I hesitate to suggest - might not actually have received attention in the subsequent versions.  As others have pointed out, there is a file qbw.ini, and inside it are some lines in a section headed [WINDOWSTATE].

I think I might be in company with possibly a majority of users in keeping the application window maximized in normal use.  That causes the item STATE to be set to 1.  It isn't necessary to go beyond the first "No Company Open" dialog to verify this.  The option to use a "normal" window size, i.e. not maximized, is available, of course, but most of us probably don't normally use it.

If we do use a non-maximized window size, and if we pay attention to the number of pixels it comes up with for width and height, AND if we don't do anything to resize the window while it is open by dragging (one or more of) its borders or corners, we will find that the width reduces each time the application is opened by a certain few pixels, and the height by another certain few pixels each time the application is closed and reopened.  What seems to happen is that, with this combination of circumstances, 2 changes are made each time the application is closed: a small subtraction adjustment to the width and height values in the [WINDOWSTATE] section of the qbw.ini file.  (Dragging interrupts this and causes the values to realign with the new reality.)

To any user who actually works with the application in a non-maximized window this is not a problem because sooner or later that user will resize the window to get it back to their preferred size.  But to a user who works with the application in a maximized window this happens continually "in the background", so to say, without their knowledge.

...without their knowledge, that is, UNTIL the pixel numbers get so small that they start to trigger problems with this issue of the icon bar, search field appearing, etc. when the user takes the next step and opens a company file from the "No Company Open" dialog.  Problems include the icon bar showing up in a "greyed" state rather than its proper color.

So one thing that needs fixing is preventing the application from modifying the pixel numbers for width or height so that they are different from the values set manually whenever the window is resized.  If the window size isn't changed manually, the pixel numbers in the qbw.ini file should hold steady.

To reproduce this issue, open and close the application repeatedly but without opening an actual company file, using a "normal" window or a maximized window, (in the "normal" window case making no changes to the window size manually), and observe the pixel numbers for width and height in the qbw.ini file after closing it each time.