Migrate quickbooks for Mac 2020 to new computer

Greetings, @An Apple A Daycare Ny Inc.

The easiest way to move your file is by creating a backup and putting it in a flash drive. Don’t forget to ready your product and license number before downloading and installing QuickBooks Desktop for Mac on the new device.

Make sure to check the minimum system requirements for your Mac version for faster installation. Here’s an article for your reference: System requirements for QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

Follow the steps below to create a backup:

1. Go to the QuickBooks menu and select Preferences.
2. Choose Backup.
3. Name the file and save it in the removable drive.

Once done, download your version of QuickBooks Desktop on the new computer. Here's how:

1. Go to https://downloads.quickbooks.com/app/qbdt/products.
2. Select your country, product, and version.
3. Click the green Download button and wait for it to complete.
4. Close all running applications in the background.
5. Double-click the downloaded installer.
6. Drag the QuickBooks icon to the Applications folder.
7. Open the application by double-clicking the QuickBooks icon.

For the detailed steps, take a look at this article: Install and set up QuickBooks Mac Desktop.

Right after, start moving the backup company file by following the steps to restore it. I’m adding this resource to serve as your guide: Restore a backup (.dmg).

I’m only a couple of clicks away if you need anything else. It’s my pleasure to help. Take care!

I got a new laptop and am following the instructions for dragging the backup QB file to the new QB icon on the new computer. Each time I get 

The document “XXXX.qb2019” could not be opened. 

I even tried re-making the backup file on the old computer 3 times in case the file was not completed properly. 

Every time I try to drag the backup file into the QB app it says 

The document “XXX.qb2019” could not be opened. 

I am following all of the instructions to open and use a backed up company file on a new computer

We can restore your company file instead of opening it, Savannah2.

Let's make sure that we already installed QuickBooks on your computer. Restoring the company file can help you get rid of the error.

If you haven't downloaded QuickBooks to your new computer, you can follow the steps provided by my colleague KhimG. From there, we can restore the company file.

Here's how to restore the company file:

1. Go to the File menu and click Open or Restore Company file.
2. Select Local backup and open the file saved in your flash-drive.
3. Then, you can refer to this article to complete the process. You can proceed to Step 2: Restore your backup company file.

Also, you can contact our specialist for further assistance when doing this process. Here's the link to get in touch with them: https://help.quickbooks.intuit.com/en_US/contact. Select QuickBooks Desktop Mac to talk to one of our specialists.

Please know that we are all right here to help you more if you have other questions about this. Take care!