sharing a Quickbooks database on network

[Pants]

I have a client with two users in his office. His secretary has Quickbooks installed and the company's QB database is on her computer.

My client uses the other computer which happens to be in the same room, and on the same subnet...Typical small office network set-up connected to a soho router.

I recently installed QB on my client's computer and he wants to be able to access the QB database on his secretary's computer, and be inside a QB file at the same time as his secretary... I think this feature is supported in QB, according to the QB website.

I'm not experiences in Quickbooks, but shouldn't this be a fairly standard type of set up? I've looked at the Quickbooks tutorials for setting up what they call "Multiuser mode" for to be able to do what he wants, but I'm not 100% sure what I'm doing.

I'm thinking I could share the QB database like you would share anything else, and either: 1) Set up QB on my client's computer to access the share directly, or 2) map a drive to the share from his computer, and have the QB app on his computer look to the mapped drive, instead.

Any tips to help me in the right direction would be appreciated.

 

[Mainstay]

0. Backup your QB's company file (just in case)
1. Buy QB w/ multi-user licensing
2. Setup users in QB and define permissions (and user names and passwords)
3. Share the folder from the Host computer (and open appropriate F/W rules)
4. From your client's computer map that shared folder (Q for quickbooks usually helps) & set Q to open automatically on startup of the computer (not necessary, but it helps sometimes)
5. Install QB on your client's computer
6. On the host computer, open the company file in multi-user mode (c:\path\company.qbw)
7. On your client's computer, open the company file in multi-user mode (q:\company.qbw)

If you encounter problems with the sharing, use: https://intuitcorp.quickbase.com/db/bd9yykidd?a=dr&r=w&rl=cc2

Sometimes for simplicity, I actually map everyone (even the local user) to the mapped drive Q:\

 

[nlinecomputers]

0. Backup your QB's company file (just in case)
1. Buy QB w/ multi-user licensing
2. Setup users in QB and define permissions (and user names and passwords)
3. Share the folder from the Host computer (and open appropriate F/W rules)
4. From your client's computer map that shared folder (Q for quickbooks usually helps) & set Q to open automatically on startup of the computer (not necessary, but it helps sometimes)
5. Install QB on your client's computer
6. On the host computer, open the company file in multi-user mode (c:\path\company.qbw)
7. On your client's computer, open the company file in multi-user mode (q:\company.qbw)

If you encounter problems with the sharing, use: https://intuitcorp.quickbase.com/db/bd9yykidd?a=dr&r=w&rl=cc2

Sometimes for simplicity, I actually map everyone (even the local user) to the mapped drive Q:\

What he said. The main thing to note is that for a second user to run QB at the same time requires a second licensed copy of Quickbooks.

You can use one license but the other user will have to log out when the second user wants to access it.

 

[Pants]

THANK YOU

Alright, I get the licensing thing. I'm pretty sure both QB installations are licensed, but not 100% sure. I'll ask him.

 

[Pants]

It looks like he purchased the QB license for 2 uers, according to the Inuit invoice.

 

[Pants]

Quickbooks has actually already been installed on the client's computer. Does it matter at what point in the set-up QB is installed on my client's computer?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Nope
Think of the company file as like a word document...just need to to file...open...browse..and select the file.
except on the rig it's hosted on...also just need that quickbooks database server component to "serve" it.

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

Make sure to open the firewall ports like mentioned above, that has had me scratching my head on this situation for a few minutes before I went, duh.

 

[lcoughey]

Quickbooks doesn't like network mapped drives, either. You have to use the UNC path to access the file in shared folder.

 

[Ed_Zipper]

0. Backup your QB's company file (just in case)
1. Buy QB w/ multi-user licensing
2. Setup users in QB and define permissions (and user names and passwords)
3. Share the folder from the Host computer (and open appropriate F/W rules)
4. From your client's computer map that shared folder (Q for quickbooks usually helps) & set Q to open automatically on startup of the computer (not necessary, but it helps sometimes)
5. Install QB on your client's computer
6. On the host computer, open the company file in multi-user mode (c:\path\company.qbw)
7. On your client's computer, open the company file in multi-user mode (q:\company.qbw)

With the new Quickbooks it allows you with 2 licenses to store the company file on the server. It is a choice during the installation to do a network set-up.

 

[tek9]

Quickbooks doesn't like network mapped drives, either. You have to use the UNC path to access the file in shared folder.

I didn't know that. I've always setup QB with mapped drives, and that is actually what Intuit suggests. http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/Articles/HOW12078

 

[lcoughey]

I didn't know that. I've always setup QB with mapped drives, and that is actually what Intuit suggests. http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/Articles/HOW12078

That was a long time ago, to the best of my knowledge. With the database server application, I've never been able to get it to work with a mapped drive. On top of that, with CryptoLocker and the likes, it is best to avoid any unnecessary network drive mapping anyway.

 

[tek9]

That was a long time ago, to the best of my knowledge. With the database server application, I've never been able to get it to work with a mapped drive. On top of that, with CryptoLocker and the likes, it is best to avoid any unnecessary network drive mapping anyway.

Right on the CryptoLocker part. I didn't think of that. I'll have to change these things going forward. Thanks.

 

[pcpete]

In my experience the only way to log into the same data base at the same time is with the 3pc multiuser version of quickbooks; it is designed just for that purpose. I am not familiar with the 2 user version, that may also offer multiuser(concurrent) support.

 

[CompConfig]

Learning Quick Books network installations is great as is asking questions if you get stuck. We have all been there. Trying to setup a Quick Books network install for the first time using your clients live bookkeeping data is not prudent. Practice on your own network with sample data at first to make sure you know what you are doing and are confident and capable of doing this. Nothing is hard once you take the time to learn how. I'm just not so sure using your client as your practice workshop is a best practice solution. (Imho)

 

[pcpete]

We all do things for the first time. That is inevitable. Just take precautions, like doing a full backup incase things don't go as expected.

 

[Pants]

Nope
Think of the company file as like a word document...just need to to file...open...browse..and select the file.
except on the rig it's hosted on...also just need that quickbooks database server component to "serve" it.

That's kind of what I thought. Thanks for pointing that out

 

[nlinecomputers]

In my experience the only way to log into the same data base at the same time is with the 3pc multiuser version of quickbooks; it is designed just for that purpose. I am not familiar with the 2 user version, that may also offer multiuser(concurrent) support.

All versions of QBs are the same the only difference in a 2 version or 3 version is how many workstations can log on with a single license key. If you want to expand you simply by more copies.

 

[pcpete]

All versions of QBs are the same the only difference in a 2 version or 3 version is how many workstations can log on with a single license key. If you want to expand you simply by more copies.

If you purchased two quickbooks pro singe user editions, how would you set up multiuser mode? I thought(very possibly wrong) that the multiuser and server options for install were not available to install with two singe user copies, you needed to buy a multiuser copy to install those versions.

 

[nlinecomputers]

There is only one way to setup multuser mode. The license you use has no effect on that. It is only checked when another workstation tries to connect. I've had clients cheat and install QBs on more then the allowed numbered copies and it works just fine so long as the amount of licenses connected don't exceed the actual keys. One of my clients has it installed on 5 workstations but only has two licenses because only the bookkeeper needs constant access. Everyone else might need to bring it up for a minute to cut an invoice but never more than one of them at a time. Originally there was only one license but the bookkeeper kept having to stop work when someone needed to cut an invoice that she threaten the boss that she'd quit, if he didn't get a copy for her alone.