Upgrade from 2008 to 2021

Good morning, John-OU812.

Thanks for taking the time to reach out for support here in the Community. I'd be glad to lend a hand so you and your friend are able upgrade from the 2008 to 2021 version of QuickBooks Desktop.

The first, and possibly most important step, is to create a backup of the current 2008 file. Here's how:

1. Open the File menu at top of the page.

2. Choose Back Up Company, then Create Local Backup.

3. Click Next, then choose where you want to save your backup copy. 

4. Once you've saved your backup of the company file, you can now install QuickBooks 2021.

You can use the following installer link to do this: QuickBooks Desktop Downloads & Updates

After the installer has been downloaded, it's time to run it:

1. Open the file QuickBooks.exe you downloaded.

2. Complete the following prompts, accept the software license agreement, and then choose Next.

3. Enter your Product and License numbers and click Next once more.

I'm sharing a few related articles I believe you'll find helpful during this process:

• What’s new in QuickBooks Desktop 2021

• Install QuickBooks Desktop

• Upgrade your company files after you switch to a new version of QuickBooks Desktop

That will do it. With this info your friend will be able to complete the upgrade of their Desktop account and get back to business quickly. Please don't hesitate to reach back out if you have any other questions. Myself and the rest of the Community have your back.

@John-OU812 

Contact Support and ask Data Service to upgrade your old file. Otherwise you may self upgrade it on 2011 and 2015 prior to opening it on QBD 2021. Contact us in private to ask the trial license of those versions.

I am upgrading my quickbooks 2006 to 2020. You mentioned you have the trial code for the quickbooks upgrade so I can use the new program.  Would you mind sharing with me. Thank you for your help

@Deir64 

Contact us in private and we may share the trial code for QBD 2011 and 2015.

I am trying to upgrade from 2008 to 2021. Can you share the trial codes with me?

I am trying to upgrade my data file from 2008 to 2021. I understand that I need to convert to 2011 and 2015. Can you share those trial codes with me?

@amreshjain 

Click my profile name and you will find our website address to send a direct message.

I saw a message from a user (tututerri) that upgraded from QB Pro Desktop 2008 to QB Pro Desktop 2021 in one step using the portable file. This seems to be an easier way to do it, but it seems to have some drawbacks. Does anyone know about any issues related to transferring data using the "portable file"?

@amreshjain 

Are you having problems upgrading your company file on QBD 2011? What kind of drawback do you mean?

I tried using portable file from Quickbooks Desktop Pro 2008 and was able to read it directly into Quickbooks Desktop Pro 2021. I have checked the new file and all the data seems to be there. The process was really straightforward. I did not need to install 2011, 2015 and 2018 as some others had suggested.

I want to thank everyone in this support community who gave me suggestions. I have been using Quickbooks since 1998 and was not aware of this community. Definitely a useful resource for all Quickbooks users.

That's good news, amreshjain.

We're glad to know that our colleague was able to help you and everything's working well on your end.

If you have other concerns, don't hesitate to let us know. We'll be happy to assist you. Keep safe!

Hi! Could you please share the process with me? 

@GerdaC 

You may need to install the trial version for QBD 2011 to upgrade your company file as the first step. Contact me in private and we will share the trial code.

Hello,. I'm also looking to receive a trial code for 2011 or 2015 to upgrade my 2008 installation.  Thank you. 

Thanks for joining this thread, @theblingfactory. I'm here to assist you in getting a trial code for the 2011 and 2015 versions of QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT). 

As of now, the only available trial version of QBDT is the most recent one (QBDT 2023). To help you get a code to download trials for QBDT 2011 or 2015, I highly recommend reaching out to our Customer Care team. They can provide you with the details and assist you in the upgrade process. 

Let me guide you on how:

1. In your QBDT account, select the Help menu.
2. Next, choose QuickBooks Desktop Help.
3. Then, click the Contact Us button. 
4. From there, enter a brief description of your concern.
5. After that, select Let's talk.
6. Choose either the Chat or Call option to connect with the support.

When you have the information needed, you can now proceed in downloading the program to install it on your computer. 

Then, to further help you upgrade your QBDT, here's the article that you can use as a guide: Upgrade QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, or Enterprise.

Feel free to visit again if you have additional concerns upgrading your QBDT program. I'll be here to help. Have a good one. 

@theblingfactory 

You can send me a private message.

When i click on "File", then "Back Up Company", "Create a local backup" is greyed out

Thanks for sharing your concerns, @Jade1952. 

Typically if we notice that the Create Local Back Up option is greyed out, this means you're not in Single User Mode. 

You must be in single-user mode to create a backup. This is because when in multi-user mode, users do business in the same company file while accessing it on the server. This mode may not save any data worked on by the other users on the server while creating a local copy.

Here's how to switch to single user mode and create a backup: 

1. In QuickBooks, go to the File menu and click on Switch to Single-user Mode.
2. Go to the File menu again and hover over Back up Company. Then choose to Create Local Backup.
3. In the window, select Local Backup and then Next.
4. In the Local Backup Only section, tap Browse and choose where you want to save your backup company file.
5. When you're ready, hit OK.
6. Select Save it now and Next.

For additional ways to create a backup, check out Back up your QuickBooks Company file.  

That should do it. If, for any reason, you still have issues creating a local backup, please let me know. Take care! 

Thanks for answering.  However, i am in Single mode.  The "Switch to Multi User mode" is greyed out.  

My problem is the accountant's copy is from an old version of QBs desktop, i am guessing.  It says i need to open in an earlier version, but the oldest one i have is 2018.  

@Jade1952 

My problem is the accountant's copy is from an old version

Ask your clients what year version of QB Desktop they were using.

Hey, @Jade1952. 

Thanks for reaching back out and clarifying a few things for us. 

Based on the details you gave, the best route would be to contact our Customer Support Team. They'll be able to review the account and see what the next steps would be for your business. Here's how: 

Contact QuickBooks Desktop Support

Keep us updated on how it goes. It's my priority that you get this squared away as soon as possible. Take care! 

Can you share if you did install your 2008 to 2021 directly? Did you have any issues? What file type did you save your 2008 as?

Amresh, what file type did you save your 2008 before importing to 2021?