QB Desktop for Mac moving to new computer and need to upgrade

It's great to see you here, @LLR911,

Allow me to share some information on how you can upgrade your software.

Regarding your first question, you can use the Desktop for Mac 2021 edition. It requires a minimum of MacOS X v10.15 (Catalina) to work.

For your second question, see this link to verify the system requirements you need: QuickBooks Desktop for Mac 2021 System Requirements

While the 2016 and 2021 versions doesn't have the same system requirements, installing the upgraded file might not work on the old PC. All you need to do is to create a backup copy of the old company file, then restore the data onto the new computer.

The steps to restore backups in a Mac file are listed in this article: Restore your backup company file for QuickBooks Desktop for Mac

Just a reminder, when upgrading QuickBooks 2016, you must first restore it to a file that is 3 years higher. This means that you will need to restore the backup to a Mac 2019 file, create another backup copy there, and then restore it to 2021 (2016 > 2019 > 2021).

To get help extract data from the 2016 file and assist you with the upgrade, tap this link to start a chat with a live rep: QuickBooks Desktop for Mac chat

Kindly post here again if you have any additional questions about the upgrade. I'll be more than happy to assist you. Have a nice day!

@LLR911 

QBD Mac 2019 and 2020 supports Mojave. If you are able to find the license on marketplaces, you may try installing it on your old Mac.

I am planning to do the same, move from 2016 to 2021 and to a new computer.

Should I install 2019 on the new compluter, upload the 2016 QB file to that, then install 2021 and upload again??

Thank you

Thanks for checking in with us, dspurr.

Yes, we'll need to restore the backup copy to a Mac 2019 file and create another backup copy there. Then restore your backup company file for QuickBooks Desktop for Mac 2021. If you need further assistance about this one, please reach out to our Technical Support Team. they'll pull up your account in a secure environment and help you with this one.

You may send a message via chat, call us at a time convenient to you, or we’ll get in touch with you instead. To ensure we address your concern, our representatives are available from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekdays and 6:00 AM - 3:00 PM on Saturdays, PST. See our support hours and types for more details about this one. Here's how to reach them: 

1. Click this link: https://help.quickbooks.intuit.com/en_US/contact.
2. Select QuickBooks Mac Desktop. 
3. Click the hyperlinked Company file. 
4. Scroll down to the page and click the Get Phone Number button. 

Feel free to visit our Install, upgrade, and register page for more insight about managing your company files. 

I'd like to know how things going after contacting our support agent, as I want to ensure this is resolved for you. Feel free to reply to this post and I'll get back to you. Take care always.

I have a similar question... I currently use QB 2016 for Mac and want to upgrade to 2021 Mac version.  I am not switching computers.  Do I need to purchase 2019 version then 2021? 

Thanks for getting in touch with us here, at2612.

I'll be glad to share insight on how to upgrade to QuickBooks 2021.

You can upgrade directly, but we suggest that you should restore it to a file that is 3 years higher to avoid data damage due to feature differences. 

You may try the 30-day trial of QuickBooks Mac 2021, before installing the QuickBooks trial version, ensure that the system meets the proper configurations to run the QuickBooks smoothly. 

Let me provide you the steps on how to install the latest version of the QuickBooks Mac version.

Here's how:

1. Go to this link: Download a trial of QuickBooks Desktop.
2. Select QuickBooks Mac 2021, and then open the QuickBooks.exe file you downloaded.
3. Close all running applications.
4. Double-click the downloaded installer The QuickBooks installation window opens automatically.
5. Drag the QuickBooks icon to the Applications folder. The Applications folder opens automatically.
6. Double-click the QuickBooks icon to open the application.

 I'm also adding this article to learn more about the changes, improvements for Mac 2021.

• Release notes for QuickBooks Desktop for Mac 2021

Keep me posted if you need clarifications, I'm always around to help. Have a great day!

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@at2612 wrote:

Do I need to purchase 2019 version then 2021? 

---

@at2612 

You don't need to purchase QBD 2019 Mac edition. Contact us in private and we may share the trial license of it.

I followed the instructions to move one company file from a mac to another new mac but it will not open?

backup the file on a zip drive, on the new mac opened the zip put the file in the quickbooks backup file I browse the files and it came up and let me click "open"  then said it could not open the file?

'

Thanks for following the suggested steps above, @@Hawaiian22

Can you share with me the exact error message you're getting when opening the file?  

Right now, we can perform some troubleshooting steps so you can get back to your business.

To start, run the Verify and Rebuild Data tools. These tools can scan your company files for any possible data damage. Once verified, you can rebuild your company file to fix any errors or data damage that's found.

Here's how to verify your company file data: 

1. Select File, then click Utilities.
2. Select Verify Data, then click OK to close all windows. If you see “Your data has failed the integrity check” you need to rebuild your file. 

To rebuild your company file data, follow the steps in this article: How to find the most common data issues in a company file and fix them.

If the issue persists, you can contact our Customer Care Support. They have the tools to pull up your account and help you find the cause and fix the issue.

Additionally, here is the list of system requirements for QBDT MAC versions: 

• System requirements for QuickBooks Desktop Mac 2019
• System requirements for QuickBooks Desktop Mac 2020

Please leave a message if you need further assistance. I'm always here to help. Take care!