Installation/Upgrade/Update

What Is the QuickBooks Migration Policy?

Chief Mechanic · September 11, 2012 ·

The QuickBooks migration policy is Intuit’s policy to provide a free upgrade to a soon-to-be-released version of QuickBooks to those customers who purchased the currently shipping version very close to the new version’s introduction. The free migration period is about 60 days.

Typically, Intuit releases a new version of QuickBooks in the last week of September. Without a policy to provide a free upgrade to the new version, prospective QuickBooks customers might otherwise suspend purchases until after the official release of a new version. That wouldn’t be good for sales.

The migration policy discourages potential customers from deferring purchases. It also allows customers to buy and use the time-tested, currently-shipping version that has been on the market for 10 months or more while gaining access to the latest software. That new software can be put to use once its stability has been affirmed in the market. For those who are reluctant to install the first release of a new program but want the features of a new QuickBooks version, the migration policy offers solid benefits. For those years when there’s an expected price jump on QuickBooks, the migration policy offers built-in savings, since you’ll receive the higher-priced new version by paying the lower, current price.

For QuickBooks 2013, the expected release date is 9/24/12, and the migration policy started on 7/25/12. That means any purchaser of QuickBooks 2012 from 7/25/12 through the release of QuickBooks 2013 is eligible to receive a free upgrade to that new version.

Let’s clarify a few details on what constitutes a “free upgrade.” If you received your QuickBooks software via download, you’ll be able to receive the newly released version for free. However, if you opted to receive your QuickBooks software on physical media, such as as a DVD, then shipping charges and taxes will apply to your upgrade order. Moreover, free migration policy upgrades are not available to those who purchased QuickBooks software through a mass merchant.

Unfortunately, there are no links on Intuit sites documenting the migration policy, so the details are subject to change. And you’ll need to contact Intuit to claim your free upgrade promptly. All in all, the migration policy removes all the reasons to defer buying QuickBooks for new installations and upgrades.

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Did the Multi-User Capability of QuickBooks Pro Change For 2011?

Chief Mechanic · September 19, 2010 ·

Yes, it did. For QuickBooks Pro versions prior to QuickBooks Pro 2011, a multi-user configuration could consist of up to 5 users.

For QuickBooks 2011, that has been reduced from 5 users to 3. The maximum number of users allowed under QuickBooks Premier 2011 remains unchanged at 5.

However, because QuickBooks Pro and Premier share the same file format, it might be possible to create a configuration of 3 users running QuickBooks Pro and 2 users running Premier. That would spare a firm from upgrading all 5 licenses from Pro to Premier.

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How Do I Update My QuickBooks Release?

Chief Mechanic · September 8, 2010 ·

Intuit uses 2 terms to describe QuickBooks: version and release. Version refers to the product and year (e. g., Pro 2009), while release refers to incremental updates to a version. Versions normally include significant feature enhancements and therefore must be purchased. Changing your version is a process that is referred to as an upgrade. On the other hand, releases normally include minor changes and bug fixes, which sometimes entail modification to the QuickBooks file structure. Often, there are multiple releases introduced over time, sometimes even after a newer version has already been introduced. Releases are typically provided free to users of a current QuickBooks version and are installed in a process referred to as an update. See our article for more information on how Intuit determines if your version of QuickBooks is current.

To update QuickBooks, click on the Help->Update QuickBooks… menu selection. On the Overview tab, click the Update Now button, which will take you to the Update Now tab. Alternately, you can navigate directly to the Update Now tab by clicking on that tab.

From the Update Now tab, click the Get Updates button.

QuickBooks will proceed to check for available updates and to download them if they’re available. Some updates may not be installed until you close QuickBooks and restart the program, and some updates may require you to restart your computer. Therefore, plan the update process at a time when you can conveniently complete all steps. If you’re running the latest release for your version, the Get Updates task will complete very quickly, usually in a minute or two.

If updates are downloaded that must be installed when QuickBooks starts, you’ll see the QuickBooks Update Service window the next time you launch QuickBooks; this window will appear before QuickBooks fully loads. Click the Install Now button to install the downloaded updates. Once the updates are installed, QuickBooks will load normally.

If you are running QuickBooks in a multi-user environment, be sure to update all computers to the most current release before that computer next runs the QuickBooks program. See our article for more information on updating your QuickBooks release in a multi-user environment.

A common question that arises in determining the need to update QuickBooks is “What’s my current version and release of QuickBooks?” To answer that and verify your version and release of QuickBooks, press F2 while QuickBooks is running to display the Product Information window. The Product field shows the version and release at the top left of the window. In the example below, Premier Accountant Edition 2009 is the version and R3P is the release.

QuickBooks Premier 2009 Product Information Release

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What Is Intuit’s Service Discontinuation or Sunshine Policy for QuickBooks?

Chief Mechanic · September 8, 2010 ·

Intuit regularly improves QuickBooks and discontinues support for older versions. Generally speaking, Intuit introduces new versions in the fall of a calendar year. For example, in September 2008, Intuit introduced the QuickBooks 2009 series of products. During April or May of the following year, versions more than 2 steps away from the current version will be discontinued.

That means in May of 2009, QuickBooks 2006 was discontinued. After discontinuation, you can continue to use an older copy of QuickBooks, but you won’t have access to support or business services such as payroll or online banking. To continue to use those services, you’ll need to upgrade to a supported version. Intuit posts the specifics of its QuickBooks service discontinuation policy online.

If you need to upgrade your copy of QuickBooks to continue to receive support or access to services, you can purchase QuickBooks at a discount (including download or delivery with free shipping) by accessing one of the links at our Buy QuickBooks page.

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How Do I Update My QuickBooks Release In a Multi-User Environment?

Chief Mechanic · September 8, 2010 ·

Beyond the specifics of updating QuickBooks in a single user environment, the update process in a multi-user environment involves first updating the QuickBooks server and then, one by one, updating each workstation.

Of course, until the QuickBooks server has been updated, all workstations should exit QuickBooks. Moreover, no workstation should resume using QuickBooks until both that workstation and the server have been updated to the same release.

Here’s our recommended steps to perform an update in a multi-user environment:

Start by having all QuickBooks users exit QuickBooks
Update the file server, reboot it, and load the database server manager
Load QuickBooks and open each of the company files maintained by the QuickBooks version just updated
Verify that the installed release on the server matches the release of the intended update
Update 1 workstation, reboot after the update is complete, and open a company file
Verify that the installed release on this workstation matches the release of the intended update
Repeat steps 5 and 6 for each workstation

It’s not recommended to run different releases on workstations in the same network. Therefore, once the update process has been started, it’s important to successfully complete it on all workstations in the network.

Updates sometimes (but not always) involve updates to the underlying database structure of the QuickBooks company file (.qbw). That’s why it’s important to open each company file on the server once the new release is installed, because that step updates the company file.

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