Hello, @kenc.
I understand how this concern causes delay to your business, let me help you out with this. Let's ensure that you're accessing the correct company file. By doing so, you'll be able to see your recorded bank accounts.Here's how:
1.Once you open your QuickBooks.
2.From the "No Company Open" page, locate your company file.
3.Double-click on the name of your company file to access it.Once you're able to open QuickBooks successfully, you can now write a check to pay your bills
To write a check,follow the steps below:
1.Go to the Banking menu then click on Write Checks.
2.On the drop-down select the bank beside Bank Account.
3.Also on the drop-down beside Pay To The Order Of, select where the check to be associated.
4.Fill in the needed information under the Expenses or Items.
5.Click Save and Close.
To pay bills on your QuickBooks desktop, you can refer to this article: Pay bills in QuickBooks Desktop.
If you'll also want to know how pay bills using QuickBooks bill pay, feel free to read this article:Use QuickBooks Bill Pay.
You can always post here in Community for additional questions, have a great day!