Referral guide to help you Convert QuickBooks Desktop to Online

Mark Williams December 12, 2022

2 12 5 minutes read

QuickBooks has revolutionized the accounting industry by digitalizing the accounting process and relieving businesses from an extensive trail of paperwork and human-induced errors. The software can help users throughout the financial process and simplify it for them by creating account reports which are easy to understand and reliable. Intuit introduced QuickBooks Online to grant users portable access to their financial data and many other features that keep user needs in mind. There are many things that users need to consider before they Convert QuickBooks Desktop to Online. So, we decided to develop a blog that acts as a complete guide to help you understand the process and provide an appropriate method to do so.

Avoid data loss and other mishaps by calling 1.855.738.2784 and getting help from QB experts for the conversion.

Why QuickBooks Online?

QuickBooks Online is not bound to be used on just the systems that have the software installed. It can be accessed from anywhere in the world with the help of a mobile, tablet, or laptop and an internet connection. QuickBooks Online works in real-time and runs on the web browser installed on the device. Some of the benefits of using QuickBooks Online to manage your business are listed below-

The financial data remains in sync with servers simultaneously while you work.
QB Online continuously makes automatic backups, so you needn’t worry about data losses.
QuickBooks online can be accessed portably, making it easy to track your business from anywhere in this world.
QuickBooks Online comes with additional security features that help keep your data safe from malicious threats.

Things to keep in mind

You need to consider some factors while starting the conversion from QuickBooks Desktop to Online. The priority of conversion should be the security of your data, as it is crucial, and data loss can adversely affect your business. Also, you will only be able to transfer some of the data, so you need to be entered manually after moving your data file from your QuickBooks Desktop to Online. First, creating a backup of your data is necessary to recover it later if any mishap occurs during the conversion.

Step 1-Create a backup

Here’s the procedure to create a backup of your data file before you start transferring your data. Follow the steps as given-

Open QuickBooks on your computer and click on File.
Click on Switch to single-user mode if your QuickBooks is running in multi-user mode.
Go to the File menu, click on the Local Backup option and tap Create Backup.
Click on Local Backup and then Next.
In the Local Backup Only section, click on the Browse option and choose the location where you want to create the backup of your data.
Click the Save it now option and, finally, Next.

Wait for some time and let the software back up your company file. This backup can now be used to recover your data in case of unfortunate incidences. The next thing you need to do is update your Windows QuickBooks version. Outdated versions may raise compatibility issues during the transfer, which can be annoying as any issue during the transfer can affect the process and cause it to crash.

Step 2- Update the version of Windows operating your system

Windows should be updated to the latest version to prevent any compatibility issues with the software during the transfer process. Follow the steps given below to update your Windows-

Go to the search panel located on your taskbar and type ‘Windows Update.’
Click on Check for Updates to find any new updates available for your Windows.
Tap Download & Install if there’s any new version available.
Wait till the Windows update is installed and restart your computer when prompted.

The Windows is updated now. Let’s proceed to update QuickBooks Desktop.

Step 3- Update QuickBooks Desktop

You must always keep your QuickBooks updated to enroll new features and fix any bugs or issues that existed in the previous version. Follow the steps given below to update QuickBooks Desktop-

Open QuickBooks Desktop on your computer.
Click on Help and select Update QuickBooks Desktop.
Click on Update Now and then tap Get Updates.
After downloading the update, reopen QuickBooks and tap Yes when prompted to install the update.
After the update is installed, reboot your PC.

You are now ready to convert QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online.

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Procedure

Given below is the procedure for migrating your data from QuickBooks Desktop Pro to Online-

Open QuickBooks on your computer.
Then enter your admin username and password to log in to your company file.
Click on the Company option and tap Export company file to QuickBooks Online.
Click on the Get Started option and tap Select Destination.
You need to sign in to your QuickBooks Online account.

If you use QuickBooks Enterprise-

Open QuickBooks on your PC and log in as Administrator.
Then press F2 to open the product information window.
Now, press CTRL+B+Q simultaneously on your keyboard and then the Ok option.

The data transfer will start after this method. After completing the transfer, open QuickBooks Online and sign in to your account. Compare the data listed below in QuickBooks Desktop and the data you migrated to check for discrepancies.

Balance Sheet Report
Trial Balance- All dates
Supplier balance Report
Customer balance Report
Sales Tax Summary Report

You must verify your reports by setting them to All dates and select the accounting method to accrual in both the QuickBooks versions.

If you track your inventory, we have described the procedure to Set up Inventory in your QuickBooks Online-

Open QuickBooks Online and click on Settings.
Then go to Account & Settings and select Sales.
Click on Edit below the Product and Services section.
In the sales form, turn on the Show product/Service Column.
Further, turn on Track quantity and price/rate and Track inventory quantity on hand.
Tap Save and, finally, Done.

Keep in mind that QuickBooks Online uses the First-in, First-out method to track inventory costs from the starting date you choose.

The final step you need to take is to use the Verify-Rebuild Data Utility to ensure your data is intact. Follow the steps given below to repair your data-

Open the QuickBooks Desktop on your computer and click on File.
After that tap Utilities and select Verify Data.
Wait till the utility checks the integrity of your data. If no issues are found, then you are good to go but if you find out that the data has been damaged, proceed to rebuild your data.
Click on Rebuild Data now if prompted by the utility after finding any issues in the file.
Wait till the process is complete.

Your data conversion is now successfully done using an adequate procedure, and you can start using your company file in QuickBooks Online.

Conclusion

We have reached the end of this guide where you learned to Convert QuickBooks Desktop to Online using the QuickBooks suggested method. You now also know about the benefits of QuickBooks Online and the precautions to take before transferring your data. We hope you were able to convert your QuickBooks Desktop to Online easily after using the stepwise procedure.

Any further issues can be sorted by contacting a team of QB professionals at 1.855.738.2784.

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