# How to Move QuickBooks Desktop and Your Company File to a New Computer > Move QuickBooks Desktop and your company file to a new computer with a backup and restore, and keep your license, templates and payroll forms intact. - URL: https://logistify.ai/guides/quickbooks-desktop/move-quickbooks-desktop-to-new-computer/ - Section: QuickBooks Desktop Guides, End of support - Applies to: QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, Premier, Pro - Steps checked against: Intuit's QuickBooks Desktop help articles, updated August 2026 - Updated: 2026-10-19 **Short answer:** To move QuickBooks Desktop Pro, Premier or Enterprise, back up the company file on the old computer with File > Back up Company. Then restore it on the new one with File > Open or Restore Company. Install QuickBooks on the new computer first, with your license and product numbers at hand; F2 shows them. Intuit says moving the company file doesn't affect your product license. For single-user setups, Intuit also points to a Migrator Tool that moves the program and your data together. ## Before you start - Find your license and product numbers. Press F2 on the old computer to open Product Information, or check your Intuit account portal or purchase email. - Download the installer for your version and save it somewhere easy to find, such as the Windows desktop. - Check Windows on the new computer. Intuit says QuickBooks Desktop no longer supports Windows 10, as of October 14, 2025. - Know your setup. One computer that holds its own file is a simple move. A server that shares the file with other users needs a network install. ## Step 1: Install QuickBooks Desktop on the new computer 1. Connect to the internet and open the QuickBooks.exe file you downloaded. 2. For a single computer, select Express install, then Next and Install. 3. For a server or a networked workstation, select Custom and Network Options, then pick the option that matches the computer's role. 4. Keep your license and product numbers at hand. Intuit lists them as something you need before you install. 5. Select Open QuickBooks, then activate and update it when prompted. ## Step 2: Back up the company file on the old computer 1. Open the company file and go to File > Switch to Single-user Mode. 2. Go to File > Back up Company > Create Local Backup. 3. Select Local Backup, then Next. 4. Select Browse and choose where to save it. Give the backup a unique name so it can't overwrite another file. 5. Select OK, then Save it now and Next. QuickBooks confirms when the .qbb backup is ready. Intuit says a backup holds your accounting data, templates, letters, logos and images. Payroll forms aren't included. They sit in a folder named after your company followed by Tax Forms, so copy that folder too. ## Step 3: Move the backup and restore it 1. Copy the .qbb file to a flash drive or external drive, or share it over your network. 2. On the new computer, copy the backup to the local hard drive. Intuit says to restore from there, not from the external device. 3. In QuickBooks, go to File > Open or Restore Company. 4. Select Restore a backup copy and Next, then Local Backup and Next. 5. Browse to the .qbb file, then choose a folder for the restored company file and give it a unique name. 6. Select Save. Don't accept an overwrite message unless you mean to replace that file. 7. If you run payroll, download the latest tax table. ## Step 4: Tidy up after the move 1. Rename the original company file, adding the word old, so no one keeps working in it. Intuit suggests this after you restore a backup. 2. On the new computer, look for a folder named Restored_ followed by your company name and _Files. 3. Copy any letter templates, printer settings and spell checker files from it to the QuickBooks folders Intuit lists. 4. Open a few recent transactions and reports to confirm the data came across. ## Other ways to move - Migrator Tool: for single-user setups, Intuit points to a Migrator Tool that moves the program and your data. Intuit says it also saves re-entering the license number and product code. - Copy the whole folder: press F2 and read File Information to see where the file is saved. Copy that folder to the new computer, then open the file with Open or Restore an existing company. - Intuit Data Protect: if you subscribe, back up on the old computer, sign in on the new one, and restore from there. - Portable company file: Intuit suggests this when you only need to move the accounting data, not a full backup. Intuit's US help article with the Migrator Tool steps wasn't available when we checked, so we haven't listed them here. ## Your license and registration - Intuit says moving your company file to another computer won't affect your product license. - To use a different license number, go to Help > Manage My License > Change My License Number. Enter it, then select Next and Finish. - To change the product code on Windows, Intuit's recommended route for five or fewer computers is to reinstall QuickBooks. ## If other people share the file Install with Custom and Network Options on the server and every workstation. Then turn on multi-user hosting on the server: in File > Utilities, Stop Hosting Multi-User Access means it's on. Map a network drive to the shared folder on each workstation. See our guides to [multi-user mode](https://logistify.ai/guides/quickbooks-desktop/multi-user-mode/) and to [backing up and restoring a company file](https://logistify.ai/guides/quickbooks-desktop/back-up-restore-company-file/). ## Where QuickBooks Desktop leaves the work to you - Someone has to collect the license numbers, the installer and the right company file before the old computer goes. - Templates, printer settings and payroll forms may need copying by hand. - Retiring the old copy of the file is up to you. Intuit suggests adding the word old to its name. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Does moving QuickBooks Desktop to a new computer affect my license? Intuit says moving the company file to another computer won't affect your product license. You still need your license and product numbers to install. ### Where do I find my QuickBooks Desktop license number? Press F2 in QuickBooks to open the Product Information window. It's also in your Intuit account portal, and in your purchase confirmation email if you bought online. ### What is the QuickBooks Migrator Tool? An Intuit tool for single-user setups that moves QuickBooks and your data to another computer. Intuit says it saves re-entering the license number and product code. ### Does a QuickBooks backup include everything? Intuit says a backup holds your accounting data, templates, letters, logos and images. Payroll forms aren't included, so copy the Tax Forms folder separately. ## Sources - [Intuit: Move your company files to another computer](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/data-systems/move-company-files-another-computer/L5Dcr459k_US_en_US) - [Intuit: Back up your QuickBooks Desktop company file](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/back-data/back-quickbooks-desktop-company-file/L9qYBI54v_US_en_US) - [Intuit: Restore a backup of your company file](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/back-data/restore-backup-company-file/L2FptZyV1_US_en_US) - [Intuit: Install QuickBooks Desktop](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/install-products/install-quickbooks-desktop/L3Fpsoqvj_US_en_US) - [Intuit: Find QuickBooks Desktop license info](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/product-setup/find-quickbooks-desktop-point-sale-product-license/L5NWZXIQb_US_en_US) - [Intuit: Change a QuickBooks Desktop license number or product code](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/license-information/change-quickbooks-desktop-license-number-product/L0YEAHD0B_US_en_US) - [Intuit: Microsoft has ended support for Windows 10 OS](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/money-movement/microsoft-ending-support-windows-10-os/L3HLvV9pM_US_en_US)