How to Move QuickBooks Desktop and Your Company File to a New Computer

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. 1Connect to the internet and open the QuickBooks.exe file you downloaded.
2. 2For a single computer, select Express install, then Next and Install.
3. 3For a server or a networked workstation, select Custom and Network Options, then pick the option that matches the computer's role.
4. 4Keep your license and product numbers at hand. Intuit lists them as something you need before you install.
5. 5Select Open QuickBooks, then activate and update it when prompted.

Step 2: Back up the company file on the old computer

1. 1Open the company file and go to File > Switch to Single-user Mode.
2. 2Go to File > Back up Company > Create Local Backup.
3. 3Select Local Backup, then Next.
4. 4Select Browse and choose where to save it. Give the backup a unique name so it can't overwrite another file.
5. 5Select 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. 1Copy the .qbb file to a flash drive or external drive, or share it over your network.
2. 2On the new computer, copy the backup to the local hard drive. Intuit says to restore from there, not from the external device.
3. 3In QuickBooks, go to File > Open or Restore Company.
4. 4Select Restore a backup copy and Next, then Local Backup and Next.
5. 5Browse to the .qbb file, then choose a folder for the restored company file and give it a unique name.
6. 6Select Save. Don't accept an overwrite message unless you mean to replace that file.
7. 7If you run payroll, download the latest tax table.

Step 4: Tidy up after the move

1. 1Rename the original company file, adding the word old, so no one keeps working in it. Intuit suggests this after you restore a backup.
2. 2On the new computer, look for a folder named Restored_ followed by your company name and _Files.
3. 3Copy any letter templates, printer settings and spell checker files from it to the QuickBooks folders Intuit lists.
4. 4Open 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 and to backing up and restoring a 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.