Disable auto update in Quickbooks Desktop 2023

Thanks for responding. However, I included in my post that running as administrator does not help. We are all at the latest update because we discovered the out of sync condition with the server. We have now updated the server file

The auto is greyed out even as administrator. 

Hello, @pennees. Thanks for raising your concern in the Community and for performing troubleshooting steps. Let me provide you with additional instructions to disable automatic updates on your QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT).

Since the option to turn off automatic updates is grayed out once it's activated, you can resolve this by uninstalling and then reinstalling QBDT.

If the issue persists, you can delete the contents of the folder where QB stores waiting patches and then deny write permissions to the folder. Here's how:

1. Open QBDT.
2. Navigate to the Help menu and select Update QuickBooks Desktop.
3. Open the Options tab to find the folder listed under the Download Location section.
4. Use your desktop file manager to locate the folder.
5. Delete the contents of the folder (not the folder itself).
6. Right-click on the folder and select Properties.
7. Click on Security, then choose Edit to modify permissions.
8. Deny Write permissions for the Everyone and System users.
9. Hit the Apply button to save the changes.

Following these steps will prevent QB's ability to update itself automatically or manually from the Help menu.

If you ever wish to manually update your QBDT and access the latest features and product improvements, refer to this article for guidance: Update QuickBooks Desktop to the latest release.

I'm still ready to back you up if you have any other QBDT-related concerns. Feel at ease to add a reply to this thread. Take care and have a great day!

Thank you. There is a much simpler solution in a video from Quickbooks. We found it on Youtube and followed the instructions and were successful in stopping the one desktop. I am hoping for the simple solution. IT does not know how to solve this.

Thanks, but this is very complicated and I am not IT. This is not a true workable solution.

@pennees 

Don't bother to call this rexona98. A scammer is detected.

Good luck on this one. We set this up months ago and turned it off each month to get the monthly updates it any.

HOWEVER TODAY WE FIND THAT QUICKBOOKS ADDED A COMMAND TO THE UPDATES TO RESET THE PERMISSIONS ON THE DOWNLOAD FOLDER. THEY LITTERALLY MODIFIED ON COMPUTER TO ALLOW DOWNLOADS NO MATTER WHAT AND IF YOU TRY AND BY PASS IT QUICKBOOKS WILL NOT START.

THEY ARE ARBITRARILY MAKING THESE CHANGES WITHOUT CONSENT. THIS HAS CAUSED ISSUES WITH EVERYTHING DATA RELATED TO QUICKBOOKS ON AND OFF. 

MY RECOMMENDATION TO EVERYONE IS SEEK ANOTHER SOFTWARE AND THERE ARE A TON WITH LESS THE CONTROL ATTITUDE LIKE THIS COMPANY.

We are running version 2024, but same issue. Has a solution been identified? 

I see that there are some concerns regarding the automatic updates in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) 2024, @wchomak. I'm here to provide some clarity on the matter.
 

In the 2024 version, especially for those using subscription-based installations, the feature to turn off automatic updates is unavailable. This change is made to ensure that you're always using the latest version, which keeps your software functioning optimally and securely.

To add an extra layer of security, it's a good idea to create back up files.This way your data remains protected and be easily restored in case of any hardware failures or unexpected issues.

If you have further questions and concerns about updating your software or anything within the program, please let me know. 

Thank you, can I schedule? Updates require admin access to deploy. A user logs in to do work and QB says, update pending or needs to be installed. They cannot kick off because they are not an admin and also cannot work now. We'd LOVE to schedule for weekends or after hours. Lately it seems to always be at the worst possible time. 

Hey there, @wchomak. 

I appreciate you coming back and asking additional questions. 

To perform the updates, the only two options are automatic and update now. With the being said, there isn't a way to have a set schedule for updates. 

I'll make sure our Product Developers receive your feedback so they can consider adding this as an option in the future. 

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask. Take care! 

Are the devs that disconnected from reality? With auto update even my small office will have 1 or 2 machines updated, but the others not, creating a mismatched version. Or, as in today, the server needed a reboot after the work day started...causing work stoppage as people needed to get out, have the reboot occur and then log back in. This is a delay that has always been handled by doing the update off hours.

I totally understand needing to be on the same version for all machines. This auto update DOES NOT SOLVE THAT. It literally makes it more likely. Please fix that in the next up coming builds so the admin can go back to controlling their environment.

Its not a good thing at all if you have a major update and you multiple computers and only a few at a time get updated. I seem to remember that one of the thing required was to have all computers using the same version with the same updates as a difference could cause a database issue.

The best thing to do is search for a way to circumvent the auto update and update all the computers at one time. Its a joke the way it is now and the ability to have qualified programmers figure out the mess they created by do this stop to manual update.

Its becomming a real JOKe to use this software.

Or...and this is a crazy thought, but hear me out, put back the ability to set Auto Update to "No".

I am not going to turn folder permissions on and off every time I want to update my users computers.

I am glad this work around exists. But it shouldn't have to.

Yeah, I'm not doing that even of my small office of 10-20 machines.

Good to know though, but Intuit needs to enable manual updates again.

Well I understand all this, but wait till the splash screen crashes and QB wont start up at all. Seems to happen after an update, but so far I've only experienced it with Windows 11 Pro, but there are many who have the same happen under Windows 10 Pro. It's a nightmare being forced to update one by one when you have multiple computers and you start getting notices of that your verison is older than someone else accessing. Off peak hours updating was just a minor inconvience, not you have deal with everyone during peak hours of business. They didn't resolve any issues they created more issue and one of them is more burden for the users.

"In the 2024 version, especially for those using subscription-based installations, the feature to turn off automatic updates is unavailable. This change is made to ensure that you're always using the latest version, which keeps your software functioning optimally and securely."

This is what we are telling you though. The above is false. It's a lie. It is not the way QB software updates the machines. Not all the machines download the software at the same time. Some are off, some not networked all the time, but most of the time your software literally does not deploy to all the machines at the same time.  By not allowing manual updates you have created an unstable environment. That is what the devs need to understand. Look at it this way, most IT groups don't even allow Windows to update instantly when a new build comes out. So I don't know what team though this was a good idea. 

I guess you think I'm trying defend the lock on auto update, which is not the case. I hate it and it is in 2023. That would work for the standalone single user without network aka multiple computers. 

And you are 100% correct that IT groups do not want computers to update automatically as well without further testing with in the network hence the fiascle when Microsoft forced updates work around were coming out by the ton. The fact that software rights are no longer an option at all, everything is or is becoming subscription based many IT groups have been dump the normal OS and apps for linux based product as the become available.

Subscription based products are no more than a means to milk customers and to control and thats it nothing more. They are looking to get rid of internal IT groups and state they would handle it all, but they just create a new hurricane of issues that evolved with subscription based products.

It appears that everyone is having the same issues with these forced automatic updates. Hopefully, a scheduling option will become available soon.  We've been using QB for 25 years now and this is the first time we're considering moving to another accounting software. Which is sad.