For the QuickBooks Users Out There

I received this email from QB today about a potential conflict between the 2008 version of QuickBooks and Windows:

Dear QuickBooks 2008 customer,
We have discovered that a recent Microsoft Windows update may be
triggering problems for some users of QuickBooks 2008 software. When
the problem occurs, QuickBooks does not open.

Common symptoms include the following:
1.The QuickBooks splash screen flashes, and then disappears.

OR

2.On launch of QuickBooks, an error message reports that the Web

Connector has failed to initialize and QuickBooks does not open.
It turns out that the Microsoft update introduced a problem in the
.NET 2.0 Framework.
To resolve this issue, please do not uninstall and re-install
QuickBooks. We do not recommend this, as it will not address
the problem.

The best thing to do is to go to the source of the problem, so you
will need to remove and reinstall the .NET 2.0 Framework. To help
walk you through it, we have provided detailed instructions in our
QuickBooks Knowledge Base that provides some easy to follow steps and
also includes additional links to the Microsoft site:
support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/pages/

We are continuing to work on this issue and if we find out anything
new, we will be sure to let you know right away.
Thanks for your patience,
The QuickBooks Team

Has anyone noticed any problems out there?

An Updated QuickBooks Resource

Christine Manor, CPA, the main author of the UCOA (third edition), has just published her updated QuickBooks for Not-for-Profit Organizations for 2008. From the publishers website:

QuickBooks for Not-For-Profit Organizations 2008 provides detailed step-by-step instructions on how to use QuickBooks in a not-for-profit environment. Also included with the book are downloadable practice files with complete examples for using QuickBooks in a Not-For-Profit organization. QuickBooks for Not-for-Profit Organizations includes clearly illustrated screen shots and sample data practice files that will allow you to practice each step as you read about it.

I have and use the previous version of her book and I do recommend anyone using any version of QuickBooks for nonprofit accounting give it a once over.

Another QuickBooks Resource

Along with the other resources for QuickBooks we have listed for consultants and the Unified Chart of Accounts (UCOA) I have added a backed up company file. It ties in with Christine Manor's book on setting up QuickBooks Pro (which I recommend over the Premium versions) for use in a nonprofit.

This zipped file (for information on zipped files click here) contains a backed up company file, and backed up chart of accounts (the UCOA) and some instructions on importing either of the files into QuickBooks 2008. The chart is for importing into a company file already in use for which you want to upgrade your chart of accounts to the UCOA.

The company file is for a group staring fresh. It has the UCOA in it with all the accounts inactivated, you "turn on" only the accounts you need, the Classes set up with sample programs for you to modify as you like and Customers and Jobs for you to modify to your liking as well. You will of course have to redo the Company info for your organization, but it gets you stared with a fresh functional accounting system.

To download the file click here, it is almost 4.5 megabytes so it might take a few minutes.

Those files, along with these books should get you st up right. And if you need hands on help you can get that too.

Alan

CPA & Accounting Referrals

I'm frequently asked to give recommendations for CPA's who know nonprofits. I'm happy to do so and with changing regulations changing how CPA and client will be interacting the need to shop around for services may be greater than ever.

The first recommendations I give or those folks listed on the CAN website. For referrals to QuickBooks specialists I refer them here. The California CPA Society also has a robust tool for looking up CPA's, check it out too.

Keyboard short cut directory

In an bid for ever increasing productivity keyboard short cuts keep us from wasting all that time we spend reaching for the mouse. From the website AppScout I found out about KeyXL, a database of (reportedly) ALL keyboard short cuts for almost every program and operating system. Here is a link to the QuickBooks short cuts.

Alan

QuickBooks Help

I frequently get emails about folks who need help with QuickBooks; new installations, re-tooling their existing set-up, user questions, you name it. I'm happy to give advice and CAN is able sometimes to get out and help folks. But there are other options two that are supported by Intuit and QuickBooks:

1. Check out the Other Resources Section below for links to books and forums to ask questions and get answers.
2. Look for a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor. You can select by zip code and area of expertise and then get a list of folks to interview.

Hope that helps,
Alan

Image Source

Update Your QuickBooks Database Server Manager

If anybody reading this is using QuickBooks 2007 it looks like you need to do an update for its database. All versions of QuickBooks has an auto update feature (that you all are using, right?) but this update is NOT included in that for some reason

From what I can tell only QuickBooks 2007 is affected, not other versions as this is a new database system for the 2007 product. This affects data sharing (for multiple users or if you have the data stored on another computer than the one you are using) so its a good idea to grab this update ASAP.

This article from PC Magazine gives you the low down on how to update it. I subscribe to their security watch email updates, full of useful stuff if you have to work with technology.

What Accounting Software Should I use?

I don't know, it depends on the organization. QuickBooks works well enough for CAN but may not be for everybody. The article from Idealware gives a pretty good round up of the type of packages out there at various price points and the pros and cons of each. Helpful, Idealware: A Few Good Accounting Packages

For the QuickBooks users out there

Two good book resources. The first I have, the second I have heard good things about.

Sleeter's Book

Ivan's book

Alan

QuickBooks User Forums

Thanks to blog reader Angela for spotting the bad link to the QuickBooks users forums for nonprofits.

Intuit had changed the forums early in 2006 and they were not very freindly to use any more so I stopped looking at them. But I went back today and they are back the way they used to be and seem to have allot of people asking questions and responding so it is once again a good resource for us users.

Both this post title and the link in Other Links will take you there.