deleting all inventory items from quickbooks desktop

Hello there, @paintman1.

I have some information to share about deleting an inventory items in QuickBooks Desktop.

Yes, you can delete all the inventory items that you've copied and start over. Take note that deleting them needs to be done manually since eliminating items in bulk is currently unavailable.

 To do that:

1. Click on Lists at the top menu bar.
2. Select on Item List.
3. Choose the item you want to delete.
4. Right-click on it and press Delete Item.

However, you can also check out for a third-party application that integrates with QuickBooks Desktop and supports the ability to delete multiple items.

Know that our developers are always gathering and considering new features to be added in the program to cope with our customers' needs. 

For your reference, you can visit these links below to guide you in modifying items and importing inventory files in QuickBooks Desktop:

• Add, edit, and delete items
• Import or export MS Excel files

Please know you can get back to me anytime you have additional questions and concerns. The Community ensures your success.

@paintman1 

Utilize the trial period of these 3rd party deleter tools

https:// transactionpro.grsm.io/qbd

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

Will that work on 2018 Quickbooks that we've been using for 1.5 years? We had it running with Quickbooks POS 18. So now we're opening a new company file without that nightmare. You'd think in would be easy to move inventory from POS to Quickbooks. Thank you for your help with this.

Thank you. I'll get working on that. :)

THANK YOU FOR THE QUICK RESPONSE.

OK, I TRIED THAT. IT SAYS THAT I CAN'T DELETE ITEM WITH QTY OTHER THAN 0. AND I CAN'T EDIT THE QTY. THERE ARE MORE THAN 1700 ITEMS IN THIS INVENTORY LIST. I NEED TO REMOVE ALL OF THEM. IS THERE NO WAY TO DO THAT? 

You can export the data out, modify the quantity to zero, and reimport back it into your company file in bulk.

I have deleted a few items, about 500 of them, but QB is telling me I cannot add any more as I have 14500, when my list only show 13317???  can you tell me how to fix this problem?

I have deleted @ 500 items, but QB will not let me replace them, it continues to tell me I have a full 14500, when my list only shows 13317. Any way to fix this?

Thanks for joining the thread, @pmorrell.

To isolate the issue of why it continues to prompt that you have a full of 14,500 items. Let's check your Product Information to verify the total number of Items. 

Here's how:

1. Open your QuickBooks Desktop account. 
2. Press F2 on your keyboard. 
3. Go to the List Information section and look for the Total Items.

From there, you'll know why the prompts continue. Please know that inactive items are still included in the list limit. And since you've reached the maximum number on your usage limits for items, you'll need to delete the items that you no longer need. 

To delete an item, you can continue following the steps provided by my colleague @BettyJaneB above.

For more information about the list limitation, see this link here: Maximum number of list entries (list limits and custom fields)

If you have other questions about list limitations, please let me know in the comment. I'll be right here if you need anything else. Have a good day.

There are no "inactive items"  It shows item list at 13,317, but the reviews list is at 14506.  We have never used these item numbers.  Son once deleted, it will not let us use those available item spaces.  

I'm grateful for the update that you gave regarding your inventory item list concern, @pmorrell.

I've got additional troubleshooting steps to provide that can help fix this issue since deleting the items didn't free up the list.

Let's go ahead and re-sort your item lists to better isolate this matter. This process resolves any odd behavior in your master names list, Item list, or Chart of Accounts in the system.

Before doing this, switch to single-user mode. Click the File menu, then choose Switch to Single-User mode. Let's also ensure to update QuickBooks to the latest release to avoid issues in the program. 

Once done, please follow these steps to re-sort the list:

1. Click on List.
2. Press on Item List.
3. Hit on the drop-down arrow beside Item.
4. Select on Re-sort List. 

For complete details about this process, please see this link: Find out how re-sorting helps you with your lists in QuickBooks Desktop.

On the other hand, if doing this doesn't make a difference, I recommend verifying and rebuilding your data. This can fix any possible data-related issues on your company file.

To do that:

1. Go to the File menu.
2. Hover over Utilities and select Rebuild Data. 
3. On the QuickBooks Information window, select OK. Follow the onscreen steps to save a backup.
4. Let the tool repair your file. It may take some time. QuickBooks may seem stuck, but as long as you can move your mouse, the tool is working.
5. When the tool finishes, select OK.

After that, you can now verify the data:

1. Go to the File menu.
2. Hover over Utilities and select Verify Data. 
3. Let the tool check your file for data issues.

You can utilize this article for more information regarding this procedure: Learn how to fix data damage on your QuickBooks Desktop company file.

Let me know how it goes by leaving a comment below. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll be here to help. Have a most pleasant day!

Unfortunately, neither of these worked.  It is still recognizing the deleted items as part of my 14500. I cannot add items, I can only take unused items and edit them.  There must be a way to "dump" the deleted items.  Any other ideas?

Thank you for taking the time to complete all those steps, as mentioned by my colleague,pmorrell. For this situation, I encourage you to contact our Support Team to investigate this matter more. They have the tools to do a share screen in a secure environment and escalate your case if needed. Here's how:

1. Go to the Help menu, then click Quickbooks Desktop Help or press the F1 key.
2. Hit the Contact Us button, as seen in the display.
3. Enter a brief description of the problem.
4. Select Continue.
5. Choose which method you would like to connect with. The options will be chat or our call back feature.

Please let me know how it goes and if there is anything else I can help you with. I'll be around. Take care and be safe.

@pmorrell 

If you are using QBD 2019 or later, utilize the Condense Data utility to split the file. Otherwise consider to purchase a 3rd party service to remove unneeded Customers, Vendors, or Items

Paintman you should not be so polite to Quickbooks

IT IS ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS that you can't multiple delete items.

OUTRAGEOUS.