We have a similar situation, only the two computers are in different locations, thus not on the same server. Can we share the data file on two computers that are located 15 miles apart? We are a non-profit organization (Habitat for Humanity) and our Executive Director (me, a very part time position) needs to be able to see the QB datafile that the treasurer is working from. It would be easier if we can share the file without having to go to each other's location, or copy to a USB drive, or email back and forth.

@h4hmc 

A remote desktop solution needs a small price. But should you need two users or more working on the same file at the same time, consider deploying a private cloud solution. It costs $25/access/month and your mobile or remote users may utilize the access in turns.

Hey, h4hmc. 

Fiat Lux is correct. If your two computers aren't connected to the same network, a remote desktop would be the best fit for you. We work with a great software company that can provide this service, Right Networks. Feel free to check out the articles below for more information. 

• What is Right Networks hosting?
• Intuit Hosting Powered by Right Networks.

I'm here as well to help just reply below.

How do i find the start menu

Hello there, @Watkins Express!

The Start menu is located at the bottom-left corner in your desktop for Windows operating system.

Here are a few articles you can read to help manage your account: Help Articles for QuickBooks Desktop.

Keep me posted in the comments if you have any other questions. I'll be here to help.

Hello

I am new to QB and I have installed it on desktop at the shop but I would like to be able to access it from home using laptop is it possible and how? 

Thank you 

@Selma1 

Utilize a remote desktop app

https:// my.splashtop.com/splashtop_referral/AAHHq6GG344maw

You will need another solution to run both computers working on the same company file at the same time.

You can use one of the various remote desktop apps or you can just take a copy of the QBs file home - more on that at the bottom. 

There are paid remote desktop apps, one was pointed out, or free ones that would probably work just fine for your needs.  Some of it depends upon what you're going to do. 

The paid versions obviously have extra options, most of which probably don't matter to you, but there is one important one.  If you're going to be working on QBs remotely and there are people in your office you don't want to see the numbers or Accounts you're working on, then you need to make sure you get one that allows for the Remote Monitor to be blacked out.  

For paid versions, I use AnyDesk and have had good luck with it. 

On the free side there is CloudBerry, NoMachine and both Windows & macOS have a built in Remote Desktop program.  TeamViewer, an excellent program, also offers a free version for Personal Use - you'll need to determine if your use would be "personal" or not. 

In addition to Remote Desk, you have the option of just copying the file and taking it home.  And there is one BIG advantage to this....  You will have a fully functional installation of QBs on a machine that is not in the office is there is a fire, flood, theft, etc.  No remote desktop needed.

Down side is that you need to remember to make a copy of your Company File to take home if you intend to work on it.  You could just get in a habit of making a copy before you go home AND before you go back to the office.  You could just get in a habit of making the copy.  Then your home "backup" will always be current. 

And a "blend" option would be to get one of the free versions and  use it to just copy the files to from the office whenever you need them.

How can I share QuickBooks between two computers in a network without a server. As all the two computers are used

I can guide you in setting a multi-user network so you can access your QuickBooks company files from other computers. , @Justinhelium80.

Let's first determine which between the two computers will store the QuickBooks Desktop company file. Once completed, you can start setting up QuickBooks on your first computer. Here's how:

1. Download and Install QuickBooks Desktop.
2. Choose Custom and Network install for the install type.
3. Select I'll be using QuickBooks Desktop on this computer, AND I'll be storing. 
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the install.

Now, we can set up QuickBooks on the second computer. You can refer to this article for the step-by-step instructions: Set up and install a multi-user network for QuickBooks Desktop.

Also, I've added these articles as an additional reference on how QuickBooks allows other computers and/or users to access your company file:

• How to host a QuickBooks Desktop company file
• Hosting your company data in multi-user mode in QuickBooks Desktop
• Fix company file and network issues with QuickBooks File Doctor.

Keep me posted if you have other questions about managing your company file. I'm always here to help.

Adding to what @IamjuViel posted.  

You need to determine which computer you want to have the Company File stored on and which computer will be the "2nd" one accessing the data.  The two biggest issues I see are Security and Workload on the computer.  Those two are followed closely by how powerful the computers are (and disk space - which is easily fixable).

• If you have security issues for your data (Company File) then you need to have the Primary machine be the one that is in a locked office or otherwise more secure.  If that is not an issue....
• Next consideration is how the machines are used.  If one of the machines is used heavily and always  has multiple programs running, then consider using the other machine to be the Primary QBs machine.  Especially if that other machine is used for basic email, word processing, etc. and is never really has a heavy processing load. 
• Finally, even if one of the machines is used heavily, if the other machine is an older, slower processor, slower speed on the drive, etc. and both machines are used about the same as far as open programs, etc.  Then be sure to make the Primary QBs machine the fastest newest one. 

Two other notes:

• The two machines really should be on a WIRED network, not WiFi.
• You can also share a folder on the Secondary machine and set up where the QBs Backup goes to that other machine.  Then if something happens to the Primary QBs machine, you actually have the file on the Secondary machine.  Within a few minutes you could have your QBs file open (as of the last backup) on what was the Secondary machine. 
  • It will mess up the sharing setup, but you can recover and then follow the original steps again once you have two computers again.

Do I need to download anything on my laptop once I have completed the steps on my desktop? Both on our in multi-user modes?

Hey there, @wilson128. 

Thanks for following thread. 

Once you've set up your multi-user connection on your desktop, the only thing you'd need to do on your laptop is open the company file that's shared from your desktop. Once you're logged in and in multi-user mode, you're good to go.

If you need some help locating the company file on your laptop, you can contact our technical support team. They have the tools available to remote into your computer securely and locate the company file for you. 

In the meantime, if you have further questions or concerns, please let me know. I'll be here every step of the way. You can reach out to the Community any time. Take care!

I need some help with this also. The computer at my business is used to create invoices, and receive payments for the bank deposit. I backed up the file this morning and accessed it at home to make some additional entries. How can I merge the progress today? There were entries made on both computers. I'm assuming in this case I will have to look back at today's work I did at home and manually redo it at the work computer. What would be a solution for future?

The computer at the workplace needs to stay there as invoices are created daily. But I also work from home a lot because I have small children. 

@bschreifels 

Basic question, is there someone else at your office working on the same file you need to access from your home at the same time?

So this is a brand new company we opened last week! I was at home doing opening balance equity transactions, and things like that.

At the shop My employee created several  invoices. Then I went to the business and received payments  and did bank deposit. 

We wouldn’t have to be in the file at the exact same time, no

We wouldn’t have to be in the file at the same time 

A remote desktop app is enough for your case. 

https:// my.splashtop.com/splashtop_referral/AAHHq6GG344maw

Otherwise you may prepare data in XLS at home and import them in bulk by one of these importer tools.

https:// transactionpro.grsm.io/qbd

https:// partners.saasant.com/affiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=5051_2

Hi there, bschreifels.

You'll need to use online hosting so you can manage the company file from home and office. We can check the list of Intuit's authorized hosting providers through this link: What hosting providers are authorized by Intuit?.

I've also added these articles for more details:

• Hosting your company data in multi-user mode in QuickBooks Desktop
• How to host a QuickBooks Desktop company file

Post again here if you have more questions. Stay safe!

Correct!   DO NOT take your file  back to work! 

Sorry, but this is the big issue with A) Working Remotely -or- B) Taking the File Home as discussed above.

In your case, with someone else working on the fie, you CANNOT take the file home.  You would need to set up a Remote Desktop to your machine at work so you can log in and both of you can be working on the SAME file.  There is no way to "merge" the work you did with the work the person in the office has done.  (This assumes the person at work is not using the same machine and you have a multi user license.)

If you're the only one working with the QBs file, then just taking the file home is a great option - assuming you remember to take it both ways all the time.  It gives you a great off-site backup in case something happens at the office (computer stolen, fire, flood, etc.)

I’m getting a new computer, soon. Can I install a single user version on my old computer, then uninstall and reinstall on my new computer?

Hey there, @markcyoung. 

Thanks for following the thread. I'm happy to provide some insight about installing QuickBooks on both your new and old computers. 

Great news, you can install on both computers with no worries. To break down the installation process with single-user mode activated, you can install on however many computers you wish. Since you have one user, this means only one person can access the file at one time. Verses if you had multiple users, for example, three. Then three users could access the file at one time and still have QuickBooks installed on different computers. Unless, of course, you only want QuickBooks to remain on one computer. 

I've included some steps below to install and uninstall QuickBooks below. 

Install QuickBooks:

1.  Use the Installation link to download your version of QuickBooks.  
2.  Open the file QuickBooks.exe you downloaded.
3.  Follow the onscreen instructions. Accept the software license agreement and then hit Next.
4.  Enter your Product and License numbers. Then click Next.

Uninstall QuickBooks:

1. Open the Windows Start menu. Search for “Control Panel”, then open the Control Panel.
2. Choose Programs and Features or Uninstall a Program.
3. From the list of installed programs, pick the version of QuickBooks Desktop you're needing to uninstall.
4. Hit Uninstall/Change and then Remove. Select Next. 

You can see additional details in the articles I've included below. 

• Install QuickBooks Desktop
• Clean install QuickBooks Desktop
• Move your company files to another computer

Additionally, when moving your QuickBooks to your new computer, you can also use our Migrator Tool. If you’re using a US version of QuickBooks Desktop 2018 or newer as a single user, you can use the Migrator Tool to move QuickBooks Desktop and up to three company files to another computer as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Don't hesitate to let me know if you have further questions or concerns. You can reach out to us here in the Community at any time. We will be here for you every step of the way. Have a wonderful work week ahead! 

And to add to what @Tori B said...

I would NOT uninstall QBs or Delete the Company file until you are sure that the QBs installation is working properly on the new computer.  (Assuming this is not a company machine you have to give back right away.)

Also, you can put your Company file anywhere you want on the new machine.  So if you're in a habit of making extra Backups of your Document folder or whatever, put create a new QuickBooks Data folder there.  I personally have a Data Folder that I move all of my User Data from all programs, including Documents, Desktop, Photos, etc.  In addition to a full backup, I just make a copy of that folder on a regular basis to have a second non-compressed copy of the data.  (Use a little comparison program so I don't have to recopy the unchanged files.)

Once you've copied over your Company file to the folder you want it in, then install QBs.  When it finishes the installation you'll be at the No Company Open box and one of the options at the bottom will be to Open or restore an existing company.  Click on that and follow the prompt to find where you put your Company file.

You probably should go to Help and Update QBs before you start to do any work.

You should also move all of your Backup Files to the new machine.  If you have more than one Drive on the new machine, put the BU files on the OTHER drive.  Then if you have a drive failure (either one) you will not loose all of  your data.  When you run Backup for the first time, just follow the prompts to find the folder your BU files are in.  If you only have one drive, QBs is going to warn you about this.  If you don't have a choice, then accept the warning and say you want to continue to use the same drive.  

If you do only have one drive.  Maybe every Friday you copy off the QB file to a USB drive and lock it up someplace safe.  If something happens (fire, flood, robbery, etc.) you will at least have your data since your last copy. 

Once you're done and everything has been working for a while - including the new computer - you can delete the files off the old one.

Hello,

I have 1-user/QB Pro Plus 2021 Desktop Version & would like to have a laptop in another state to work on remotely.  I would like data in either state to be instantly updated wherever I am working.  How do I go about setting this up?

Thank You for any information you may have.