How to Upgrade From QuickBooks Desktop Pro or Premier to Enterprise

Intuit suggests doing this after hours or over a weekend, so the switch disrupts as little work as possible. It points to an IT professional for network setup and an accountant for help with the company file.

Before you start

• Plan for a one-way move. Intuit says that once your file moves to Enterprise, you can't open it in Pro or Premier.
• Check each computer and the server against Intuit's system requirements. QuickBooks Desktop 2024 and Enterprise 24.0 need 64-bit Windows, such as Windows 11 or Windows Server 2016, 2019 or 2022.
• Size the server for your users. Intuit lists 8 GB of memory for 1 to 5 users and 12 GB for 10. It lists 16 GB for 15 users and 20 GB or more for 20 or more.
• Count users. Each person needs a license, and all copies must be the same version year. Enterprise allows up to 30 people at once, or 40 on Diamond.
• Press F2 and note where the file is saved under File Information. If it's on a server, Intuit's update steps say to move it to the local hard drive first.

We suggest running Verify Data on the Pro or Premier file before you start. Intuit's steps for updating an Enterprise file begin with it, to check for data damage. Our guides cover how to back up and restore a company file and how to verify and rebuild data.

Step 1: Install QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise

1. 1Download Enterprise and have its license and product numbers ready. Intuit says you can get both from CAMPs.
2. 2Close other programs, then open the QuickBooks.exe file you downloaded.
3. 3Select Custom and Network Options if you want to keep Pro or Premier installed as a fallback. Intuit says Express installs over your previous version.
4. 4On a server that will share the file, choose the option to use QuickBooks Desktop on this computer and store the company file here.
5. 5On each workstation, choose I'll be using QuickBooks Desktop on this computer.
6. 6When the install finishes, select Open QuickBooks.

Step 2: Back up the Pro or Premier file

1. 1Open the file in Pro or Premier 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 a safe place, such as another computer or a folder named Pre-Conversion Backup.
5. 5Select OK, then Save it now and Next.

Step 3: Update the company file in Enterprise

1. 1Make sure everyone has signed out of the company file.
2. 2Open QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, then open the company file.
3. 3Enter the Admin password and select OK.
4. 4Check I understand that my company file will be updated to this new version of QuickBooks, then select Update Now.
5. 5Select OK to make the backup QuickBooks asks for, and follow the prompts.
6. 6Select Yes to update the file.

If you moved the file off a server for the update, move it back once it opens in Enterprise.

Step 4: Set up users and roles

Your lists, such as customers, vendors and items, transfer to Enterprise. Pro and Premier store up to 14,500 names, counting customers, vendors, employees and other names together. Intuit says that limit doesn't apply to Enterprise.

1. 1Sign in as the admin. In Enterprise, only admins can create and manage users.
2. 2Go to Company > Users > Set Up Users and Roles and enter the admin password.
3. 3On the Role List tab, review the 14 predefined roles, or select New to build your own.
4. 4On the User List tab, select New, enter a user name, add one or more roles, then select OK.
5. 5To check who can do what, select View Permissions on the Role List tab, choose the roles and select Display.

Intuit's company file update article adds a step for files updated to 2024 or Enterprise 24.0: set a temporary password for each non-admin user. Each person sets a permanent one at their next sign-in. Our guide to users, roles and permissions in Enterprise goes further.

Step 5: Activate and update Enterprise

After the install, QuickBooks asks you to activate and update it. Intuit says activation gives you benefits such as technical support. Then install the latest release on every computer, so they all match.

If the update fails

Intuit's recovery is to restore the backup in your old version, rebuild it there, then open it in Enterprise again.

1. 1In Enterprise, go to File > Utilities > Restore Backup For Earlier QuickBooks Version.
2. 2Select the three dots next to Backup filename and open the backup made during the update.
3. 3Select the three dots next to Restored filename. Choose a folder, such as your desktop, and enter a new file name so nothing is overwritten. Select Save, then OK.
4. 4Open the restored file in Pro or Premier with File > Open or Restore Company > Open a company file.
5. 5Run File > Utilities > Rebuild Data. Save the backup it asks for under a new name.
6. 6Close Pro or Premier, then open the rebuilt file in Enterprise with File > Open or Restore Company.

Company file compatibility

• Pro and Premier files open in each other without changing the data.
• Pro and Premier files upgrade to Enterprise, but an Enterprise file can't be opened in Pro or Premier.
• A file updated to a newer version year can't be used in the older one.
• Industry editions, such as Manufacturing & Wholesale, open each other's files without affecting the data.
• A file from another country's QuickBooks, such as Canada's, won't open in the US version.
• Going back to Pro or Premier means re-entering every later transaction in your old backup. Intuit notes that QuickBooks Desktop can't merge company files.
• Every computer that opens the file should run the same version and release.

Switching licenses without reinstalling

Intuit's license manager, under Help > Manage My License > Switch to, changes between Pro and Premier products in the same version year. Its list of switches doesn't include Enterprise, so plan on installing Enterprise as in Step 1.

Your subscription

On Pro Plus or Premier Plus, Intuit says you're eligible for a prorated refund on the months left when you upgrade to Enterprise. Contact Intuit to request it. For the other cancellation rules, see what happens when a QuickBooks Desktop subscription ends.

Where QuickBooks Desktop leaves the work to you

• The upgrade is one-way. Going back to Pro or Premier means restoring a backup from before the update and re-entering later work.
• Every computer needs Enterprise installed and on the same release before people can work in the file.
• Enterprise starts you with 14 predefined roles. Someone has to match each person's access to a role, or build a custom one.
• Intuit's upgrade articles don't cover apps connected to your company file. We suggest listing them and testing each one in Enterprise.