Quickbooks Troubleshooting

QuickBooks is one of the most popular accounting programs on the market today. Its diverse product line appeals to everyone from the small business owner and the “industry-specific” company to businesses that want to manage their finances online or just need the essentials found in “Bookkeeping 101.” Regardless of which program you choose or your level of expertise, it's likely that—at some point—you’ll need to resolve a problem. Here are some basic guidelines for troubleshooting your QuickBooks product.

Instructions

1. Identify the area of QuickBooks in which you are experiencing difficulty. Some of the program elements that more commonly require troubleshooting include “Installing and Configuring QuickBooks" and “Client Data Review”; other typical problems relate to lost or forgotten passwords and customization of your QuickBooks product.

2. Take advantage of QuickBooks’ online help feature to troubleshoot your problem. Do this by clicking on “Using Online Help” in the bottom left corner of your program’s startup screen, hitting the keyboard shortcut “F1”or by selecting the “Help” menu.

3. Search the QuickBooks “Help” index for the topic that is closest to the issue you are troubleshooting. Double-click on the item to reveal a detailed explanation and solution. There also are additional links you can follow to further explore the problem if Step 2 does not yield the desired results.

4. Type a question or keyword into the text box in the “Help” section and hit “Enter.” Click on the appropriate subhead. Increase your chances of a successful “hit” by limiting your entry to no more than 15 words and putting it in question format.

5. Review the QuickBooks tutorials that came with your product. Understanding how to use your software can help forestall the need to troubleshoot.

6. Join the QuickBooks Online Community. Doing so links you to other businesses and QuickBooks users and experts who can offer their insight into your troubleshooting issues.

7. Visit websites like CPA911 and High Beam Research that feature subscription newsletters and articles that include troubleshooting and other QuickBook tips. (See Resources.)

8. Explore QuickBooks’ Support Knowledgebase for answers to frequently asked troubleshooting questions.

9. Get technical support by calling the toll-free number listed at the end of “QuickBooks Online Help.” You also can present your QuickBooks troubleshooting question online (for a fee) and ask for a return call.

Tips & Warnings

• Always ask specific questions when using the product’s “Help” feature.

• Avoid lengthy or multiple keywords.

• Proofread your entries to avoid errors.

Resources

• QuickBooks homepage
• Signup for QuickBooks newsletters
• High Beam Research