Answer 1
For many businesses, Quickbooks is what runs the vast majority of their accounting and payroll systems. Yet, for many, the nature of Quickbooks’ multi-user system is somewhat mystical. The challenge is always to provide reliable access to database resources, but what do you do if that doesn’t work? Intuit offers some direction on this topic, but not nearly as much as many would like. We’ve had some experience with these issues over the years and thought it would be a good time to go over the best ways to work with QuickBooks in multi-user mode.



First and foremost, you need to decide what computer will be hosting the QuickBooks database file (usually a .QBW file). If you’re just beginning to use multi-user access or are having problems, the key is to define the computer you want to be your server. This computer would ideally be a Windows machine that stays on all the time and is not regularly operated by a user. While there is a way to share files that uses different computers, it’s best that you choose one machine and make it the server.

Once that’s decided, you’ll perform the standard file sharing and mapping processes from client computer or install an Active Directory. That stuff is beyond the scope of this article, but you’re having trouble with QuickBooks in multi-user mode, then all of that has likely been done.

Setup scanning and monitoring on the server
Included with all versions of QuickBooks is the QuickBooks Database Server – this needs to bee installed on your chosen server computer (you’ll find it on the QuickBooks CD). Also in this package is the Database Manager tool. The Manager needs to be configured for monitoring the correct locations on the server. Be sure to add the directory where the database (.QBW) files are located and that the monitored drives are correctly checked off. It’s not entirely clear what settings, if any, the scanning process acts on – but it appears as though the QuickBooks Database Server needs to know where the database files are located, and this tool does that.

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Make sure the Scan Folders and Monitored Drives include the .QBW files

Make sure services are clean
Installing and upgrading various versions of the QuickBooks Database Server tends to create new services, but we also found that the installation process does not remove older services. Be sure to run “services.msc” on your server and have only a single (newest) service of QuickBooksDB## and QBCFMonitorService. If needed, the AutoRuns tool from Sysinternals can be used to delete un-needed service versions. In addition, make sure that you only install the QuickBooks Database Server (not the full QuickBooks application).

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The two QuickBooks services running on a server

What services need to be running?
As shown in the picture above, only the QBCMonitorService and QuickBooksDB## services need to be running for your database server to operate normally. You do not need the entire QuickBooks Application installed or loaded, on