Quickbooks Pro 2008 - Multiple PCs

[Kelemvor]

Anyone have any experience with QB Pro 2008 and using the same data on two PC?

Each PC has it's own licensed copy of the software. They are both on the same network and they do have a shared drive available.

I suggested they just store the data to the shared drive and then open it from whichever one they want to use (not at the same time) and it should work. They said they had tried that and they got a Quickbooks error that said it wouldn't work that way.

They called QB and were told that there's some sort of Host/Sharing setup they can use but they didn't understand what the person was talking about.

Anyone here use it this way that can tell me if a shared drive should work fine or if there's some reason it won't? Or what the host/sharing method might be?

They said it was working fine on their older version of QBP but isn't working on the 2008 version.

 

[loup garou]

Intuit started this crap back in 2006 or 07 I believe, there are 2 ways to do multiuser installs now.

1) Switch to multiuser mode on both desktops, whichever desktop opens the database first will host it to the others. Obviously, this requires adjusting firewalls on both machines to allow QB access to the network both ways.
2) Set up QB server software on a fileserver. I think in 08 they have a stripped down version that is essentially just the DB hosting service and a small controller app. The first version (06 I think?) with this crap required you to install the full QBP app on the server. Pissed me the hell off.

Obviously with #1, backup of the database is an issue -- how do you know who is hosting, where it is to back it up, etc? #2 requires a file server, of course.

 

[Kelemvor]

They really won't be using it at the same time on two PCs so with option 1, does the "Host" have to always be running in order to share it out or can they use it independently but the files will just be located on PC1 only?

I don't think they have an actual file server they can install stuff on, they just have a mapped drive that they use to store shared files.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Kelemvor
They really won't be using it at the same time on two PCs so with option 1, does the "Host" have to always be running in order to share it out or can they use it independently but the files will just be located on PC1 only?

I don't think they have an actual file server they can install stuff on, they just have a mapped drive that they use to store shared files.

I think I was a little vague in my description of option #1, follow these instructions. Yes, the computer must be left on and the user left logged in. It sucks.

 

[Kelemvor]

OK, I read through that link and have one question. After I open it up on whichever PC will be the "host" and configure it for Multi User, how do I then tel the second machine where to go to find the file? I dont' have the program in front of me so if there's just a Multi User checkbox or something on the Open screen, I can't see it but it doesn't mention that in the instructions.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[mikeyes]

You don't have to tell the machines anything about the files.

Pick your machine that will store the data files and install the quickbooks database server on that computer. (You can install the quickbooks software on there if you will be using it but don't have to). Once the database software is setup you configure the folders on the computer where the quickbooks data files are stored. After that anytime a computer opens one of the data files on that computer the database server software will act as an intermediary. Instead of a direct file access all data read and written from the file go through the database server. Its a fairly passive process in that you just access the data file and don't have to do any special configuration on the workstation PC. This extra layer helps to protect the data file if the workstation computer crashes or you have multiple users accessing the same file.

The multi user access mode is simply something you have to set if multiple people will have the same file open at the same time. If only one person will get into each file at a time you can leave them in single user mode.

 

[Kelemvor]

SO is the database software included on the CD or is that something you have to get separately from a download or something?

 

[mikeyes]

Its included. When you go to install QB it will ask you if this install is for a single computer or for multiple computers. If you choose multiple computers then you will get a choice to install only the database server (which does not use a license and can be use for your server where the data files will be) or to install both the database server and the QB software (which will use a license). Technically you could just install database server on every computer but that would be a waste because it only needs to be on the computer that will store the data files.

 

[Kelemvor]

So if they've already installed the single user on the machines, will they be able to just pop the CD back in and add that portion or woudl they have to uninstall everything and put it back on. Ever tried that?

 

[mikeyes]

I have not tried that before but I would think it would work. Put in the CD and see what it lets you do. If the install program will not let you just add the database piece then uninstall the QB from the computer that will have the data files and re-install it selecting the multi computer option. Part of the fault is Intuit. QB 2007 install routine was worded much better and less confusing (at least I think so).