Upgrading QuickBooks to a New Version
Never never never install an upgrade automatically, letting the new version replace the existing version. Leave the old version alone, and install the new version in addition to (not in place of) the old version.
During installation, QuickBooks provides a way to change the default location for installing the software. Use that option to install the new version into its own folder, e.g. C:\QB2008. If you haven't created that folder before beginning installation, the QuickBooks install program will create it for you after you enter that path into the Install To location field.
After the program is installed into its own discrete folder, create another folder for storing your 2008 company files, e.g. C:\QB2008CompanyFiles. Once again, you're creating a discrete location for files, which prevents QuickBooks from storing files from multiple versions in the same folder.
Opening Your Company File in the New Version
To open your company file in the new version of QuickBooks, you can either open a copy of your old file, or restore a backup of the old file.
Opening the QBW File in the New Version
In My Computer or Windows Explorer, copy the old .QBW file to the new folder you created for company files. (If there are subfolders that bear your company file name, such as Tax Forms folders, copy them also.)
- Open your new version of QuickBooks.
- Select the command to open a company file, and DO NOT select the QBW file you see - it's the old file, because QuickBooks looks in the default location for files, which is where your old files are stored.
- Use the Look In field at the top of the Open dialog to select Drive C, and then select the folder you created for company files.
- Double-click the QBW file you copied from the folder that holds the company files in your previous version.
- QuickBooks automatically updates the file, assuming the file is healthy.
Restoring a Backup in the New Version
If you've created custom mail merge letters, or loan manager files, it's best to create a backup from your old version of QuickBooks and restore that file in the new version. (Those elements are included in the backup, although you'll have to open the instruction file included in the backup folder to learn how to move those additional files to the appropriate folders.)
- Create the new folder for your new company files.
- Open the old version of QuickBooks and back up your company file, choosing the new folder as the location of the backup.
- Close the old version of QuickBooks.
- Launch the new version of QuickBooks.
- Select the command to restore a backup.
- Select your new company file folder as the location to look in.
- Select the backup you just made.
- QuickBooks automatically restores the file and updates it to the new version, assuming the file is healthy.
If the File Fails to Open in the New Version
Files that have data corruption usually won't open in the new version of QuickBooks. If you encounter this problem, close the new version and open your old version of QuickBooks. (Users who replace the old version when they update QuickBooks can't perform this step.)
Verify and repair the file. If that action doesn't fix the problem, call QuickBooks technical support, or check the QuickBooks Support web pages for help. These problems are usually fixed rather easily.
When the file is healthy, open the new version of QuickBooks and update the file as described in this article.
After you've used for file for a while, and you're satisfied that everything is working properly in your new version of QuickBooks, use the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel to uninstall the old version.
