Items and Services Column Width Resets

Bump

It's my pleasure to assist you today, Big_W.

At this time, there's no option to permanently re-size the columns in QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise.

I can only imagine the convenience of being able to save the column adjustments you've previously made. For now, you can click the + sign or Expand Columns to see the complete details, just like what you're doing now.

For more information on the available customization options in QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, check out this article: Customize reports in QuickBooks Desktop.

While the option is not yet available, I want you to be updated with our latest features and news about the product, I encourage you to visit our QuickBooks Updates: New QuickBooks Accounting Software Updates.

Stay tuned for updates and don't hesitate to get back to me should you have any follow-up questions or concern. Have a good one. 

I'm using Quickbooks Enterprise 18.0 on Windows 10 if that makes a difference

Hello,  Big_W.

Thanks for adding some clarifications. I've made a few updates with my answer. Though the option to adjust the columns permanently is still not available, the articles shared are already for QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise.

Be sure to get back to me if you have additional questions. I'd be more than happy to help. Have a good one.

Could you forward my original post with the screenshots to the developer team?

I'm a part-time developer myself, and I know how easy this would be to implement.

I've scoured forum posts and blogs that have had this issue for years, and are very vocal about it.

Just recently it has changed when you can expand the columns but can no longer make them narrower. Why did this change? It makes the font on the printout so small it can hardly be read.

I'd like to share some steps where you can change the fonts, Ginger01.

For your sales forms, you can open the template to update the font. 

Here's how:

1. Go to Lists > Templates.
2. Right-click on the template and select Edit Template.
3. In the Basic Customization window, click the Change Font button.
4. Change the Font Size and click OK.

Please see this sample screenshot for a visual guide:

To change the font size on your reports, you can follow these steps:

1. Go to Edit > Preferences.
2. On the left panel, select Reports & Graphs and select Company Preferences.
3. Under Default formatting for reports section, click the Format button.
4. Click Fonts & Numbers and select Change Font.
5. Change the Font Size and click OK.

Please see the sample screenshot below:

You can also check this article to change your Windows DPI and screen resolution: QuickBooks Desktop display issues. 

To check for other guides and articles, please feel free to browse for a topic in our general support page.

If you have any follow-up questions or other concerns, please let me know by leaving a comment below. Take care and stay safe. 

I don't understand why simple things can't be resolved with QB, especially Enterprise.  We're paying top dollar for a program that won't save column width.  Toss in that it's using a custom version of Internet Explorer, and half the features available for Desktop Enterprise don't work in real world conditions, like attempting to properly use Bank Feeds.  Don't worry, I've done the default response already, which is to read about all the new features available in the updates that may or may not work properly, and to use the "Suggest Features" option.  Which is equivalent to an oldschool manager's "Comments & Suggestions" box.  

I have nothing to add, just wanted to say that such a simple fix SHOULD HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED, since this column issue has been around since at least QB 15.  But I'll keep suggesting it be fixed.

Hearing the same answer over and over from QB is getting annoying.  Its like listening to a broken record! I couldn't agree more with SunRotor, these are simple problems and we (the costumers) are not getting any solutions from QB. We good money for the program and if feels like any problems simply fall on deaf ears.

Hi 

I am doing reconciliations and for every transaction I have to resize the columns. It is 2021 is there a fix for this?

This question has been raised in the past.

Let me share some insights about changing the size of the window during the reconciliation process, Hoitytoyti.

You can resize the column by manually dragging it. Just point the mouse to the three (3) dots of each column, then move it. Here's the sample screenshot for your visual guide.

You can also optimize the settings to change the displayed window in QuickBooks. Check out this link for instructions and detailed steps: Fix screen issues in QuickBooks Desktop.

If there's anything else you need with bank reconciliation, please let me know. I'm always here to help you.

The problem is we have to do that column resize every single time on every window. Estimates, Sales Orders, Invoices, Items and Services, etc. It forgets what we size it to every time.

Hi, Big_W. I appreciate you getting back to us.

I know how important it is to have control over to your items and services column width in QuickBooks Desktop, However, the option to save its customization is currently unavailable.

I'll take note of this and add it to our list of ideas. While this feature isn’t currently in our development roadmap, we are working on big improvements that will be helpful for the majority of our customers, and you’ll see those rolling out soon through our QuickBooks Blog.

You can visit the What's New section on your QuickBooks Desktop, to stay informed with our latest news and updates including product improvements.

You can take a look at this article to help guide you with utilizing your sales form templates in QuickBooks Desktop as well as on what other information you can add: Use and customize form templates. Also, this will provide you steps on how to import or export templates.

If you have any other customization concerns or need help with anything in QuickBooks, please let me know. I want to make sure you're taken care of. Have a great rest of your day!

The bane of my existence is re-sizing columns in QB Enterprise desktop. I HATE it.  As you put it, the program is NOT cheap and yet, every function, every day, I'm re-sizing columns to be able to see or copy/paste the info I need to record against my transactions - mainly because it will not accommodate the customization I need.

Even the fixed fields can't be resized such as "customer message" in estimates, or even the terms field.  Those boxes are TINY.  I don't want to have to print preview in order to view BASIC info.

I keep checking back (like today when I saw your post) and there has been ZERO movement on this front.  I can't even get it to retain a re-sequencing of columns.  Example:  I need my PO# in the memo field, so I add that as a display column and it will only show me part of the number, so I have to re-size to see it.  I try moving the column to the left, but no, it still shows me only part of the data.  Then the next time I go to look at the PO field, it's shrunken again or moved back to the far right.  It's infuriating.

And QBO is NOT any better.  In fact, it's WORSE.  There's no way I could do my normal functions if I had to rely on QBO to do it.  It will only do BASIC functions and it's in no way laid out like the desktop Enterprise version.

Agree 1,000%.  It's so inefficient.  I put off doing QB tasks during my day because I know I'm going to have to fight the program to just accomplish my tasks.  Things that take moments in excel take infinitely longer in QB because you have to fight with the format deficiencies.  If I have to reconcile something, I definitely DON'T sort it out in QB - I go to excel and then input only what I have to in QB.

And I'm not a novice user.  I've used QB Enterprise daily for 10+ years.  How can fixing the displays be such a low priority for Intuit?  I know people have complained about this for YEARS. 

It's so crazy to me! I have a computer science degree, and I know how simple it would be for the Quickbooks engineers to implement this. There's already variables in place to keep track of these columns; they're just not being saved. It would take an hour, at most, for someone familiarized with the source code; yet it's costing business owners and employees using Quickbooks thousands of hours cumulatively fighting the software. Intuit needs to prioritize quality of life improvements on their software instead of adding new features like a warehouse mobile app for barcodes. I check the change logs every single update and roll my eyes at how small and trivial the changes are. Incredible mismanagement and/or lack of resources are given to the software development team for such an expensive and widely known business management suite.

They need to fix this now. Such a troublesome issue with such an easy fix should be at the top of the priority list. There cannot be a reasonable excuse for putting this off.

I can not agree more. This issue should be fixed asap

Agreed, fix it already!!

I agree with all the users complaining about columns resizing issue.

This is a simple fix. And it's just a basic user interface concept. QB lacks 'user-friendly' design. And so many other minor things that makes this program very slow to operate. 

We just purchased QB, and as soon as we can, we'll find a substitute program. It's unbelievable. I'd rather build my own software, than keep using QB beyond our yearly subscription. 

Probably, the majority of users aren't computer savvy, so they don't even realize how badly QB is designed.

It's time to make a change, find another accounting software, or push QB to listen to feedback (because similar basic-functionality features have been requested for a decade, and no one does anything about it). QB looks like an older version of Windows, similar to Windows 7 or prior.

QB can't seem to make simple neccessary fixes after years of complaints.  Also looking to replace QB with a software company that listens to its' customers.

I just wanted to point out to everyone who's interacted with this thread, and particularly to the Intuit team that it's now been well over a year since I originally brought this problem to their attention. This is especially frustrating because of how simple of a fix it would be. There's already a variable that records column widths! It just needs to be saved to the local preferences file. It's such a small change that would save everyone at my company so much time. 

I have the same problem and it's so frustrating. This appears to be yet another example of the only official advice is to submit your comments to the developers. If you're not familiar with that, don't expect it to EVER be resolved. They always say they're working on it, it'll be fixed in a future release (which I think is different than an update) - but it won't be. QuickBooks is not a cheap software to use, but the end users are ignored much of the time.

Let me add my voice to the column-width-saving thread.  It's extraordinarily annoying to have to resize columns all $%^&# day long.  We're an Enterprise Platinum customer.  We're in QB all day every day.  PLEASE fix this productivity-killing gap in your product!!!!!   As multiple people have indicated, it shouldn't be hard.....

Mike Racine | VP Operations | TerraClear Inc.