Open MAC files in PC without access to a MAC computer

tracyoeser1 · ‎July 10, 2020

I have two company files saved as .qb2019 on an external drive. My MAC motherboard crashed and I can't turn it on or access my QB for MAC program. I don't have any friends with a MAC to help.

I have purchased QB for Windows. How can I get these two company files over to the Windows program?

I tried changing the extension of the file from .qb2019 to qbw and that didn't work. I tried changing the extension to a .qbb file and got further but then Quickbooks wanted me to insert a disc so that's not feasible.

I don't see that I can use the Utilities function in QB for Windows to pull in a MAC file, only if I was going to push a Windows file over to MAC.

Now I'm thinking I need to upload my MAC qbw files up to Quickbooks online and then move it over to the QB for Windows on my PC but don't know if that's even possible. Reaching out for any other options there may be.

Thank you.

Nick_M · ‎July 10, 2020

Hi there, tracyoeser1.

I'm happy to help you with the transition from Mac to Windows. I know it may seem daunting but don't worry, follow these steps below and you'll be up and running on your Windows PC in no time.

Open your company file as the admin. Go to the File menu and select Export. Select To QuickBooks for Windows.
If you’re prompted to verify before you back up, select Verify.
Name the file and choose the folder to save it in. Then, select Save. Note: Make sure you don't add special characters in the file name.
Enter and confirm your password and select OK.
Select OK on the confirmation window.
Move the file to your Windows computer. Most people do this with a USB flash drive, cloud storage, or email if the file is small enough.
Restore the file in QuickBooks for Windows.

You can find this information in more detail here: Convert a QuickBooks for Mac file to QuickBooks for Windows. Now these steps are the recommended process for transitioning from Mac to Windows. If for any reason, you experience trouble or need 1-on-1 personal help with this transition, I would recommend reaching out to our support team, as they have the tools to guide you through the process step-by-step. You can find the steps to reach them here.

If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to post them here, thank you for your time and have a nice afternoon.

tracyoeser1 · ‎July 10, 2020

Thank you for this. As I stated, I can't do step #1 because I don't have a MAC to which I can open the program and export it to Quickbooks for Windows. All I have is a file with an extension of qb2019. I would guess that the conversion process changes the file to something that QB for Windows can read. Just changing the extension name of the file to .qbw isn't working.

Fiat Lux - ASIA · ‎July 10, 2020

@tracyoeser1

I wouldn't recommend migrate your QBD Mac file to QBO then convert it back to QBD Windows. You will miss some data during the conversion. You may have 2 options:

1. Call and ask Intuit Data Service to convert your QBD Mac file to QBD Windows.

2. Purchase a 3rd party conversion service.

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Open MAC files in PC without access to a MAC computer