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J
Jvasconcelos
November 10, 2022
Question

HELP - Quickbooks Desktop Enterprise - Proper Network Setup

  • November 10, 2022
  • 12 replies
  • 63 views

Hello Everyone...
Need some guidance on how to properly setup a Quickbooks Desktop Enterprise 21 on a network recently inherited.


Current Setup:

       Users: 20

        QB Server: Hosts Database/Company File + QB Database Manager - NO Quickbooks Application Installed.

        Terminal Server & Workstations: Running Quickbooks Desktop Enterprise 21 as MUILTI-User Mode

 

Issue: On a daily basis, users get locked out with a message file is being used by someone else or someone is using QB in Single-User mode.

 

 

Is it safe to say the proper setup should be:

          QB Server: Hosts Database/Company File + QB Database Manager + INSTALL Quickbooks Desktop Enterprise application in Multi-User mode and activate Host Multi-User Access

          Terminal Server & Workstations: Run Quickbooks Desktop Enterprise 21 in SINGLE-User Mode

 

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

12 replies

AlcaeusF
AlcaeusF
Level 14
November 10, 2022

Hello @Jvasconcelos,

 

Thank you for posting here in the Community. I'd be glad to lend a hand with setting up QuickBooks for multi-user access.

 

When hosting in multi-user mode, it's crucial to set up everything correctly. Since the computer storing a company file (the host) allows other computers to access the file, the proper setup varies from the mode chosen.

 

There are three hosting modes available depending on what you prefer for your Enterprise 2021 version. Dedicated hosting, Peer to peer hosting, and Alternate hosting.

 

Begin by checking our link about hosting, which includes diagrams illustrating the connectivity process: Hosting your company data in multi-user mode in QuickBooks Desktop.

 

On a multi-user network, one computer hosts your company files (server computer). Computers that connect to your network but don't host your company files are your workstations.

 

These additional links will guide you further with setting up QuickBooks in a server:

 

 

Also, aside from manually backing up your company file, QuickBooks can do it automatically on your behalf. For more information about how you can schedule a backup, I recommend checking out this article: Back up your QuickBooks Desktop company file.

 

Drop a comment below if you need more guidance with setting up QuickBooks Desktop. I'll keep an eye on your response. Take care.

J
JvasconcelosAuthor
November 10, 2022

Hi @AlcaeusF 
Thank you so much for your assistance and resource articles. Best graphic to describe our current setup is the one below:


Again, on this server we only Database Manager installed, Quickbooks desktop is NOT installed - Should I install it and turn on Hosting?

This afternoon I been reaching out to our users and personally check if their QB is set for Hosting under Utilities and no one is, setting is OFF. Yet almost every morning we will get the message the company file is locked or being used by someone, sometimes error H505, H202.. Only solution is to reboot the server where company file and QB Database Manager resides.

J
JamaicaAQuickBooks Team
QuickBooks Team
November 11, 2022

@katherinejoyceO / @AlcaeusF 
Do I run BOTH Quickbooks Desktop with "Hosting On" & Database Manager on the same server at the same time?
On the clients side, will they still sign-in in Multi-User mode (Hosting Off) OR do they sign in in Single-User?


Thank you for clarifying and adding screenshot, @ Jvasconcelos. I appreciate your patience in setting up your QuickBooks Desktop.

 

For your first question, you’ll need to install Database Server Manager and turn on Multi-user Access on your server computer. Your server computer should be the only computer with this feature on.

 

For your second question, you’ll need to set admin rights for your client. See the Step 5: Set admin rights section of this article: Install QuickBooks Desktop on a server. This will help you determine what administrator privileges are required.

 

Furthermore, you can sign in as a user with admin permissions whenever you wish to access your multi-user network on your server computer and workstations.

 

You may also want to consider Fiat’s suggestion of running QuickBooks Diagnostic Tool to automatically identify and fix issues. I’ll show you how:

 

  1. Download the QuickBooks Install DiagnosticTool.
  2. Save the file to your local Desktop.
  3. Close any open programs and run the QBInstall Tool.
  4. Reboot the computer after running the tool to ensure the components are properly updated. 

 

You can also follow the rest of the solution if you're still having issues with QuickBooks:  QuickBooks Desktop won't open, has stopped working, or not responding. 

 

Also, if you have a large file and performance is slower than what is needed, you can reduce the size of your company file.

 

If the issue persists, you'd want to optimize your server and workstations to help minimize the issue. You can read through this article for the step-by-step instructions: Resolve QuickBooks Desktop performance issues - Manage your computers. 

 

Don't hesitate to reply to this thread so we can answer further questions about setting up your network in QuickBooks. Keep safe always.

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