Resolve QuickBooks Desktop Performance Issues: Manage Your Data File

QuickBooks is great accounting software but sometimes you may face some performance issues due to various causes. The most common factor that leads to the performance issues is the company file. However, you can easily resolve such issues by performing the steps provided in this article. In this article, we will be discussing about how to Resolve QuickBooks Desktop Performance Issues: Manage Your Data File. You can also contact QuickBooks Payroll Support Phone Number +1-866-701-7446 toll-free to get an instant solution for your issues.

Performance of QuickBooks gets down when the size of the company file increases. This can lead to various issues such as QuickBooks is not responding, QuickBooks keeps freezing, QuickBooks won’t open, QuickBooks unrecoverable error etc. There is not any precise limit for the company data files but the performance may be hindered if your network can’t handle large data files.

Before going on to the steps, you need to assured that all the QuickBooks software and all other important applications such as Database Server Manager on the host server are installed properly. You also need to update the QuickBooks software to the latest release.

Recommendations To Resolve Performance Issues

Reduce The Size Of The Company File

If the size of your company data file is large and the performance is not up-to the mark then you can reduce the size of your company file. To do so, follow the below mentioned steps:

Important: The provided steps are a bit complex and you are recommended to perform the steps only if you have good technical knowledge.

• Run the Condense Data Utility
• Truncate your company file: This option is not available for QuickBooks and Intuit also doesn’t provide such services. You can delete transactions up to selected date and then set up opening balances as of the date. You can do it by following steps:
  • By sending your company file to a third party vendor or
  • Through obtaining third party data transfer and opening balances applications.
• Start a new company file:
  • Starting a new company file won’t be affecting Desktop Payroll DIY with Direct Deposit.
  • If you have Assisted Payroll, consult Payroll Support before starting a new file.
  • If you are starting a new company file then you have two following options:
    • From the old file, navigate to File > New Company and follow the on-screen prompts.
    • Export your lists from the old file. Open the files and clean them up by deleting inactive or no longer needed list entries. See Export or import IIF files for steps to export your lists. Open the files and clean them up by deleting inactive or irrelevant list entries.
    • Import the cleaned files into the new file. See IIF Overview: import kit, sample files and headers.
    • 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

• Log in to your company file with administrator rights.
• If you are in multi-user mode then navigate to File > Switch to Single User Mode.
• Now go to the Edit > Preferences.
• Click on Bills from the left menu.
• Go to the Company Preferences
  • Unmark the Warn about duplicate bill numbers from the same vendor
  • Click on Yes in the Save Changes
• From the left menu, choose Items & Inventory.
  • Unmark the Warn about duplicate purchase order numbers.
  • Click Yes in the Save Changes
• From the left menu, choose Sales & Customers. Clear these checkboxes:
  • Warn about duplicate invoice numbers.
  • Warn about duplicate Sales Order numbers.
  • Click Yes in the Save Changes
• From the left menu, choose Search.
  • Unmark the Update automatically
  • Click Yes in the Save Changes
  • When all of the company preferences are set, click OK.

Personal Preferences

• Navigate to Edit > Menu > Preferences.
• Go to the My Preferences
• Click on Desktop View.
  • Click on Don’t save the desktop
  • Unmark the Show Home page when opening company file
  • Unmark the Show Getting Started checkbox.
  • Click on Yes in the Save Changes
• From the left menu, choose General.
  • Mark the Keep QuickBooks running for quick startups
  • Click on Yes in the Save Changes
    • If marked, QuickBooks will start faster, but may run slower.
    • If unmarked, QuickBooks will start slower, but may run faster.
  • From the left menu, choose Reminders.
    • Unmark the Show Reminders List when opening a Company File
    • Click on Yes in the Save Changes
  • From the left menu, choose Reports & Graphs.
    • In the Reports and Graphs section, select Don’t Refresh.
    • Click for selecting the Prompt me to modify report options before opening a report
  • Once you are done with all your personal preferences are set, click OK.

Automatic Updates

• Go to the Help menu and from the drop-down list, click on Update QuickBooks
• Go to the Options
• From the Automatic Updates section, click on No.
• Click Close.
• Click OK.

Optimize QuickBooks operations

• You need to decrease your DB File Fragments because increased DB File Fragments can reduce the performance of your system and QuickBooks.
• Resort your Master Name List such as customers, vendors, employees and other names, your Chart of Accounts and your Item List. Perform this process to your lists every week.
• Validate your company file every week.
• Transaction log files (TLG) keeps track of modifications to the file since the last backup. Large TLG files can lead to the performance issues. You must not remove the TLG file. You can make a manual backup with full verification to reset the TLG file.
• Whenever you restore a portable company file, QuickBooks re-indexes the data.
• You should not enter zero lines on transactions. A zero line includes another target to your data file and increases the data file size. Zero lines reduce the performance of QuickBooks and, if you run cash basis reports with inventory, your COGS could be incorrect.
• Run accrual reports instead of cash: Many transactions, i.e. more than 50,000, tend to degrade the Sybase Sequel server. Cash basis reports can take a bit more time to run because QuickBooks always checks transaction links to differentiate paid and unpaid path.
• If QuickBooks is running slow during the payroll process then you need log off other users and then try to process payroll.
• Close all the QuickBooks related windows in which you are not working.
• Clear all the forms queues to be printed or e-mailed.
• Switch to the single user mode if you are the only user in the data file.
• Reboot your systems daily.
• Sign out from the data file if you are not currently using it and you are recommended to not stay logged in to the company file overnight.
• Don’t perform long and heavy tasks during the peak so they do not take resources from other users.
• Optimize reports. Optimizing reporting and printing reports can save decent amount of time and resources. The Sales Tax Liability Report and the General Ledger report are considered as long reports. Here are some tips:
  • Run long reports in the off-hours such as during lunch, overnight, over the weekend.
  • Customize and memorize long reports.
  • Move your company file to a workstation which is not used much and set the driver to print directly to the printer and print your report.
• Disable the built in search indexing in QuickBooks Desktop by going into Edit > Preferences > Search > Company Preferences > (Unmark) Update Automatically and rename the <Filename>.qbw.SearchIndex folder.

IMPORTANT:

• <Filename>.qbw.SearchIndex folder gets created automatically when you set QuickBooks Desktop search preference to automatic. The files from this folder are used by the QuickBooks software to run a quick indexed search when you press F3 in a company file.
• You are still able to search in your company file after disabling the built in search indexing, but it will take longer. If the program is still running slow then, it is highly recommended to turn it back ON.
• You can find the .qbw.SearchIndex folder in the same location as your company file. Example: C:\Users\Public\PublicDocuments\Intuit\QuickBooks\CompanyFIles\CompanyFileName.qbw.SearchIndex

Maintain lists

Before you go onto the steps, perform the following:

• Create a backup of your data file.
• If you merge two entries together, you won’t be able to undone it.
• 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

• Your lists are reaching the list limits.
• List consist a large number of inactive entries that you no longer use.
• The customer list has multiple jobs underneath customers.
• Multiple sub-accounts in your account.
• Your item list has multiple sub-items.
• The Customer, Vendor, and Employee centers have custom-sorted name lists.

Custom Sorted Lists

• Go to the Center (Customer Center, Vendor Center, etc.) in which the performance issue is occurring.
• Make sure there is no diamond icon in the Name column.
• Click on the diamond to remove it. It is not required to be in single-user mode to remove the diamond.
• Close the Center and reopen it.

Modify Lists

• Chart of Accounts: If you use sub-accounts to tack source of income expense usage then you need merge sub-accounts together or into a parent accounts and set up classes to perform the tracking process.
• Item List: merge old, inactive Employees together that are no longer sold. Merged items lose their identity; so you have an archive copy with their individual history.
• Customer List: merge old, inactive Employees together whom you no longer employ. The merged customers and jobs lose their identity; so you have an archive copy with their individual history.
• Vendor List: merge old, inactive Vendors together whom you no longer purchase. The merged vendors will lose their identity; so you have an archive copy with their individual history.
• Employee List: merge old, inactive Employees together whom you no longer employ. 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.

Technical Support For QuickBooks

The above mentioned steps will help you in maintaining the performance of the QuickBooks software. However, if the software is still running slow then there might be chances that your system doesn’t full-fills the requirements for the QuickBooks software properly.

If the issue could not be resolved then you need to reinstall the QuickBooks software properly. However, if you are not able to resolve the issues then you can get in touch with our technical support team by dialing the toll-free QuickBooks Support Phone Number +1-866-701-7446.

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