Advice on combining company files.

Thanks for reaching out to us in the Community.

When exporting and importing company data files from QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) to QuickBooks Online (QBO), changes will impossibly happen with the data. Yes, you're right. We can create a backup of your QBDT company data before migration. Doing so will help you save your data and supporting files. 

If your QBO version is updated, we can seamlessly migrate your QBDT company file to QBO so you can start working on the new platform in January. 

If otherwise, we can manually export and import the created backup file to QBO. Also, if your company file exceeds 750,000 targets, we're unable to move it to the Online version. That said, I suggest condensing the file to reduce its size.

After successfully migrating your data, you can check out this article to keep track of your financials in QuickBooks: What to do after you move from QBDT for Windows or Mac to QBO.

Furthermore, I've added these articles to help you understand what data is exported and how to resolve errors when migrating from the desktop to the online version:

• Learn how features and data move from QBDT to QBO.
• Fix errors when you move from QBDT to QBO.

Let me know if you have more queries about migrating from QBDT to QBO. I'd be glad to assist you. Take care!

Hello Fiat Lux - ASIA,

I have reviewed the solution you’ve shared and it's correct and accurate. Thank you for sharing your inputs to help address the issue.

We love to see members supporting one another! Have a great day. 

I had purchased a subscription to the Migration software recommended, While the export went beautifully and without issue, the import was not so easy. the old QBO company files were missing information that made it impossible to import. No offense to QBO but their import tool is all but worthless for any sort of large import. One export alone was over 7000 lines and the QBO import tool would only import 1000 at a time. Add to that the fact that the first line of the import file has to be the column header so you have to delete the report header that QBO automatically includes, delete the Column A and then wade through and remove the blank line spacer between different transactions and the merge became too cumbersome. 

While I didn't end up doing so, it was theorized that the best way to combine the company files would be to convert from QBO to QBDT, then once verified all data is present in the QBDT file, download that company file and upload to the other QBO file. Of course, that would require a subscription to the QBDT software in addition to the QBO subscription. 

Hi Al Jones,

Thank you for your feedback. About using QBDT for conversion, you can use the free trial so you don't have to pay for the desktop version. See about downloading a trial of QuickBooks Desktop. 

Feel free to go back to this thread if you have more questions.

@Al Jones 

To combine multiple QB Desktop company data files, the chart of accounts in both files cannot have the same account name with different types. For example, if one company file has an account with name 'Accounts Receivable' of type AccountsReceivable, the second company cannot have an account name with the name 'Accounts Receivable' of another type. To resolve this issue, rename one of the accounts to 'Accounts Receivable1'. 

Please note, during the conversion process from QB Online to QB Desktop, and QB Desktop to QB Online again, you will find some data types missing (e.g. non-posting transactions, attachments, jobs, classes, custom fields). You will have to spend time doing manual work to migrate them.