Resolve QuickBooks Desktop performance issues

Resolve QuickBooks Desktop performance issues: Manage your data file

If you are having issues with the performance of your QuickBooks Desktop, your company file may be the root cause. You have options you can use to resolve such issues.
Be sure that all QuickBooks installations, including the data manager on the host /server, are running the latest release of your current QuickBooks version. To update QuickBooks, from the menu bar, select Help and then choose Update QuickBooks.

Your company data file size

QuickBooks' performance decreases as the size of the company file increases. There are no actual limits on the size of your company data file, but performance may be hindered if your network is not capable of handling files that have:

• More than 500 MB in Pro or Premier.
• More than 1.5 GB in QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions.
• More than seven years of transaction history.
   

Reduce the size of the company file

If you have a large file and performance is slower than what is needed, you can reduce the size of your company file. Be aware that all of these options are complex and require a lot of time and work. You can:
Run the Condense Data Utility
Truncate your company file 
This capability is not built in to QuickBooks, nor does Intuit offer truncation as a separate service. You can remove transactions up to a selected date and then set up opening balances as of that date. You can truncate by (1) Sending your company file to a third party vendor OR (2) Obtaining third party data transfer and opening balances applications. Truncating your file in a previous calendar year should not affect DIY with DD payroll. If you have Assisted Payroll, consult Payroll Support before truncating your file.   Start a new company file. Starting a new company file will not affect DIY with DD payroll. If you have Assisted Payroll, consult Payroll Support before starting a new file.  If you decide to start a new company  file, you have two options:

1. Use the Condense Company Data option to delete all transactions. This leaves you with a shell that has only your lists.
    
2. Create a new file from scratch. This sounds simple, but it is not. It is a lot of work and will take time.
   1. In the old file, go to File > New Company. Follow the wizard that appears.
   2. In the old file, export your lists. Open the files and clean them up by deleting inactive or no longer needed list entries.
   3. Import the cleaned files into the new file.
   4. Set up the opening balances. Go to www.marketplace.intuit.com to find utilities that will do this for you.

Set company and personal preferences

Company Preferences

1. Log in to your company file as the Administrator.
2. Switch to single user mode.
3. From the Edit Menu, choose Preferences.
4. Click the Company Preferences Tab.
    
5. In the side bar, choose Bills.
   • Clear the Warn about duplicate bill numbers from the same vendorcheckbox.
   • Click Yes in the Save Changes window.
      
6. In the sidebar, choose Items & Inventory.
   • Clear Warn about duplicate purchase order numbers.
   • Click Yes in the Save Changes window.
      
7. In the side bar, choose Sales & Customers. Clear these checkboxes:
   • Warn about duplicate invoice numbers .
   • Warn about duplicate Sales Order numbers.
   • Click Yes in the Save Changes window.
      
8. In the sidebar, choose Search.
   • Clear the Update automatically checkbox.
   • Click Yes in the Save Changes window.
      
9. When all of the company preferences are set, click OK.

Personal Preferences

1. From the Edit Menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the My Preferences Tab.
    
3. In the sidebar, chose Desktop View.
   1. Select Don't save the desktop radio button.
   2. Clear the Show Home page when opening company file checkbox.
   3. Clear the Show Getting Started window checkbox.
   4. Click Yes in the Save Changes window.
       
4. In the sidebar, chose General.
   • Select the Keep QuickBooks running for quick startups checkbox.
   • Click Yes in the Save Changes window.
   • Note: This option is a tradeoff:
     • If checked, QuickBooks starts faster, but may run slower.
     • If unchecked, QuickBooks starts slower, but may run faster.
        
5. In the sidebar, chose Reminders.
   • Clear the Show Reminders List when opening a Company File checkbox.
   • Click Yes in the Save Changes window.
      
6. In the sidebar, chose Reports & Graphs.
   1. In the Reports and Graphs section choose Don't Refresh.
      Note: Reports will refresh only when you choose to do so. This preference can increase your performance if you have several reports open while you are entering transactions.
   2. Click to select the Prompt me to modify report options before opening a report checkbox.
       
7. When all of your personal preferences are set, click OK.

Automatic Updates

1. From the Help menu, choose Update QuickBooks.
2. Click the Options tab.
3. In the Automatic Updates section, select No.
4. Click Close.
5. Click OK.

Optimize operations

Optimize operations

1. Reduce your DB File Fragments.
    
2. Resort your Master Name List  (customers, vendors, employees and other names), your Chart of Accounts and and your Item List. your lists weekly. 
    
3. Verify your company file weekly.
    
4. Make a manual backup with full verification to reset the transaction log file (TLG)  This backup resets your TLG to its normal size. Large TLG files can cause performance issues. Do not delete or rename the TLG.
    
5. Create and restore a portable company file..
    
6. Do not enter zero lines on transactions.  A zero line (with a zero price or quantity) adds another target to your data file and increases the size of your data file. Zero lines slow QuickBooks' performance and, if you run cash basis reports with inventory, your COGS could be incorrect.
    
7. Run accrual reports instead of cash reports: Many transactions, e.g., more than 50,000, tend to degrade the Sybase Sequel server. Cash basis reports take longer to run because QuickBooks must check a transaction's links to determine what is paid and unpaid.
    
8. If QuickBooks runs slowly when doing payroll, have other users log off and do payroll in single user mode.
    
9. Close QuickBooks windows that you are not currently using.
    
10. Clear the queues of forms to be printed or e-mailed.
     
11. If you are the only user in the data file, switch to single user mode.
     
12. Reboot your workstations daily.
     
13. Log out of the data file if you are not actively using it and do not stay logged in to the company file overnight
     
14. Perform long tasks in off-peak hours (e-mail or print batches of invoices or statements) in the off-hours (before normal hours, lunch time or overnight)so they do not take resources from other users.
     
15. Optimize reports. Running reports is an intensive operation within QuickBooks because the can draw on a lot of data. Optimizing reporting and printing reports can save considerable time and resources. The Sales Tax Liability Report and the General Ledger report tend to be long reports. Here are some hints:
1. Run long reports in the off-hours, during lunch, overnight, over the weekend.
    
2. Customize and memorize long reports.
    
3. Copy your company file to an unused workstation, set the driver to print directly to the printer and print your report.

Maintain lists

To Dos (before you start with any of the steps below):

1. Create a backup of your data file.
2. Be aware that once two entries are merged together, the merge can not be undone.
3. Create an archive copy of your file. If you merge any list entries , open the archive copy to view the history of the merged entries .

List characteristics that can hinder  performance

1. Your lists are approaching the list limits.
2. Your lists have a large number of inactive entries that you no longer use.
3. Your customer list has many jobs underneath customers.
4. Your account list has many sub-accounts.
5. Your item list has many sub-items.
6. The Customer, Vendor, and Employee centers have custom-sorted name lists.

Custom Sorted Lists

1. Open the center that has performance issues.
2. To the left of the Name column, ensure there is no diamond column.
3. If there is a diamond column, click the diamond to remove it. You do not need to be in single-user mode to remove the diamond.
4. Close the center and reopen it.

Modify Lists

Chart of Accounts: If you are using subaccounts to track source of income or use of expenses, merge subaccounts together or into the parent accounts and set up Classes to do the tracking.
Item List: Merge together old and/or inactive items that are no longer sold.  Merged items lose their identity; be sure you have an archive copy with the history of each item.
Customer LIst: If your Customer:Job list has several, old jobs underneath Customers, merge them together. If you have old, inactive Customers to whom you no longer sell, merge them together. The merged customers and jobs lose their identity; be sure you have an archive copy with their individual history.
Vendor List: If you have old, inactive Vendors from whom you no longer purchase goods, merge them together. The merged vendors lose their identity; be sure you have an archive copy with their individual history.
Employee LIst: If you have old, inactive Employees whom you no longer employ, merge them together. The merged employees lose their identity; be sure you have an archive copy with their individual history and be sure that you have all of their tax forms up to date, printed and submitted to the appropriate tax agencies.