Rough Friday for Online users of QuickBooks

While working on the forum on Friday, I saw many emails regarding the Online version of QuickBooks.  Apparently the servers at Intuit were down for awhile on Friday.  This means no access to your data file, folks. You could read/feel the frustration of the online users.

Now, I know no system is perfect.  I have checked out the online version and although I feel that this may be the wave of the future, QuickBooks online  is inferior to the Premier program.  Imagine having to have a project that needed be completed and you cannot access your files?  Not good.  I do not know how long the system was down and I am going to assume QuickBooks has some kind of redundant system for when issues arise like they did on Friday. 

So, I guess is my critique of  QuickBooks Online.  I give it two thumbs down. 

Lynda

Check out my website www.artesanibookkeeping.com

Using the Audit Trail Report Effectively

One of the questions that you see on the Live Community Forum is that someone wants to see "who" has logged into QuickBooks.  Maybe something changed in their data file and they want to know "who" changed it.

Unfortunately there is not a way to check to see who has logged into QuickBooks.   There is an Audit Trail Report that will give you the details of "who"entered/changed/deleted data (not lists) but actual transactions.  You can find the audit trail under Accountant & Taxes Reports from the Reports Menu.  

To make it easier to track the transaction detail by user, you have to Export the Audit Trail Report to Excel, and when you do, select the Advanced Tab in the Export Wizard to select Collapse/Expand and Sort Options because you can search and sort by a user this way.

Lynda

Check out my website www.artesanibookkeeping.com

Upgrading to a newer version of QuickBooks

Did you purchase  the newest version of QuickBooks and don't know how to update your data file?

All you have to do is install the newer QuickBooks program on the your computer and open your company file in the new program.  All of your data will convert to the newer version when you open an existing company file for the first time with the new software. 

Now this really becomes an issue if you are upgrading from a much older version of QuickBooks.  The changes and modifications each year are not that bad, but if you try to move a data file from 2006 (or earlier) up to the newer versions of the QuickBooks program,  you may have data file problems.  That is too much of a leap in technology for the move to be smooth.   I recommend backing up your file in the older version and restoring it to the newer version.  That usually makes the transition a smooth one for you.  If not, your best bet is to find a ProAdvisor  or an accountant who may have the older versions of QuickBooks and can step your file up to the current version for you. 

Lynda

Check out my website www.artesanibookkeeping.com