Resolve QuickBooks Desktop performance issues: Manage your data 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. See: The Condense Data utility for instructions.

• 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. For Us only, 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.
  • US only: Starting a new company file will not affect Desktop Payroll DIY with Direct Deposit. 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. (applies to US only)
    2. Create a new file from scratch. This sounds simple, but is potentially 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. See Export or import IIF files for steps to export your lists.
       3. Import the cleaned files into the new file. See IIF Overview: import kit, sample files and headers.
       4. Set up the opening balances. Go to www.marketplace.intuit.com to find utilities that will do this for you. to Resolve QuickBooks Desktop Performance Issues Manage Data File

Company Preferences

Personal Preferences

Automatic Updates

1. Reduce your DB File Fragments. Excessive DB File Fragments can degrade the performance of your computer. See Database (DB) file fragments for more information.
2. Resort your Master Name List (customers, vendors, employees and other names), your Chart of Accounts and your Item List. Do this to your lists weekly. Use steps from: Qbwin.log: Verify Account Balance failed.
3. Verify your company file weekly. See Resolve data damage on your company file.
4. Transaction log files (TLG ) keep track of changes to the file since the last backup. Large TLG files can cause performance issues. However, do not delete the TLG file. Instead, make a manual backup with full verification to reset the TLG.

5. Since QuickBooks Desktop re-indexes the data when restoring a portable company file, create and restore a portable company file. See Create or restore a QuickBooks portable company file for details.

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: Many transactions, i.e. more than 50,000, tend to degrade the Sybase Sequel server. Cash basis reports take longer to run because QuickBooks must check transactions’ links to determine what is paid and unpaid.
8. If QuickBooks runs slowly when doing payroll, have other users log off and perform payroll tasks 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 QuickBooks operation as it draws together a lot of data. Optimizing reporting and printing reports can save considerable amount of time and resources. The Sales Tax Liability Report and the General Ledger report tend to be long reports. Here are some tips:
    • Run long reports in the off-hours, during lunch, overnight, over the weekend.
    • Customize and memorize long reports.
    • Copy your company file to an unused workstation, set the driver to print directly to the printer and print your report.

16. Turn off the built in search indexing in QuickBooks Desktop (Edit > Preferences > Search > Company Preferences > (Uncheck) Update Automatically) and rename the <Filename>.qbw.SearchIndex folder.IMPORTANT:

    • <Filename>.qbw.SearchIndex folder is automatically created when QuickBooks Desktop search preference is set to automatic. The contents of this folder are utilized by the program to run a quick indexed search when you press F3 in a company file.

    • You can still search in your company file after turning the built in search indexing off, but it will take longer. If turning this feature off did not improve the performance of the program, 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

List characteristics that can hinder performance

Custom Sorted Lists

Modify Lists