Once it’s up and running, QuickBooks Enterprise is genuinely easy to use even for someone without an accounting background. Getting it installed and configured correctly in the first place, though, is a different story. With multiple network setup options, multi-user hosting configurations, and version-specific installation files to account for, the setup process has more moving parts than most QuickBooks editions. Whether you’re installing QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise for the first time or upgrading from an earlier version, this article walks through the entire process from prepping your network to configuring the software for your specific business.
Note: This installation is best handled by someone with system administration experience. If you’d rather not tackle it solo, our QuickBooks Enterprise technical support team can take care of it for you.
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise Complete Installation & Setup Guide
Are you running our QuickBooks desktop enterprise for the first time? if yes, then follow these step-by-step instructions to install the software and get set-up. Here is your step-by-step guide to install and set up QuickBooks Enterprise
- Prepare and test your network before you start the installation
- Install QuickBooks Enterprise
- Set-up multi-user hosting
- Configure QuickBooks for your organization
Step 1: Prep and Test your Network
Before installing anything, it’s worth having a working knowledge of networking, file sharing, and Windows permissions these come into play more than you’d expect during Enterprise setup. If you’re proceeding with the installation yourself, make sure you’ve backed up all your existing accounting data first. From there, you have three different ways to structure your network setup:
Central Server option
The Central Server Option will have a pre-installed QuickBooks database manager that also incorporates the company files.
Peer to Peer Option
The software, QuickBooks Enterprise, is installed on every system. In this method, one system will have the company file and rest of the systems access the company files on the network.
Remote Desktop Service Option
This option will have QuickBooks Enterprise installed on a central server. Unlike other methods, QB Enterprise is not installed on systems. Remote Desktop Service can access the application and company file. If you find any error in setup, installation you can take help from our QuickBooks Error Support team.
Step 2: Install Enterprise
While installing QuickBooks Enterprise on multiple systems, you should ensure that you install the same version of the software on all computers.
Follow the below-mentioned instructions:
- Disable all active programs, including antivirus and anti-spyware.
- Find and click on the downloaded file.
- Follow the prompts popping up on the screen until you see the choose installation type window.
- Choose one option from the options you receive.
- Follow the prompts showing up on your screen until installation is complete.
Once the installation is complete, you will have to configure the QuickBooks database server manager. After the configuration is complete, you can access the company file stored on the server.
See Also: Learn how to create and restore a QuickBooks portable company file?
Step 3: Set-up Sharing
Please remember that just one computer can host multi-user access in a multi-user hosting. Enabling multi-user hosting on the server is not required if you lately installed QuickBooks database server manager.
- Multi user hosting will be “on” in server and “off” in workstation in Central Server.
- Multi-user hosting will be “on” in server and not applicable on the workstation in Remote Desktop Server.
- Multi-user hosting will be “on” in server and off in workstation in Peer-to-Peer option.
Make sure that multi-user hosting is enabled on the server:
- Find and open QuickBooks desktop enterprise on the server.
- Go to file and tap on Utilities.
- See if Stop Hosting Multi- Access is displayed in the Utilities.
If you see Multi-Access displayed, do the following
- Select Host Multi-Access.
- Click “Yes” upon receiving a prompt to confirm starting multi-user access.
- Close and reopen the company file id asked
- Click “Yes” in next prompt.
Step 4: Configure Enterprise to your business
Now is the easiest part – QuickBooks set up. You just have to follow the commands appearing on the screen and click Start Working button.
- Quick Start Center is used to creating invoices, bills, paychecks, sales receipts, and more. This feature will allow you and other users to view customer and vendor account balance.
- Review your Chart of Accounts is a chart of accounts created on the base of your business during the set-up process of QuickBooks Enterprise. You can review the chart and edit it as per your business requirement.
- Payroll subscribers are required to add a year-to-date payroll information. Not doing so may lead to inaccurate payroll tax information.
- Backup your company file is a significant online service to backup company file. A part of the active subscription, this service works very safely.
Also see: How to Fix TLS Error: QuickBooks online internet explorer security changes?
Download Links and Installation Guides for QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions
Need version-specific installation guides or Linux Database Server Manager files? Intuit provides official documentation for each Enterprise version below:
See Also: How to Fix Reconcile Discrepancies in QuickBooks Desktop?
Conclusion!
Installing QuickBooks Enterprise correctly the first time saves you a lot of headaches later particularly when it comes to multi-user hosting and network configuration, which are the two areas most setups stumble on. Following the four steps in order, and choosing the network option (Central Server, Peer-to-Peer, or Remote Desktop) that actually fits your business structure, makes the biggest difference. If you’d rather not navigate the setup process alone, or if you’ve hit a snag along the way, our 24/7 QuickBooks Enterprise Support team is available at +1-888-510-9198 to handle the installation for you or troubleshoot whatever’s not working.
More helpful topics
Learn the procedure to reconcile bank and credit card accounts
Fix QuickBooks Desktop Installation Errors with the QB Install Tool
Steps to Fix QuickBooks Runtime Library Errors
Some FAQs Related to QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions
QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions is a powerful accounting software designed for businesses that require more advanced features than what is offered in other QuickBooks products. It differs from other QuickBooks products in its ability to handle larger amounts of data, provide more customizable reporting, and support multiple users with advanced user permissions.
If you require technical support for QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, you can contact the QuickBooks Enterprise support team at our toll-free number +1-888-510-9198. Our team is available 24/7 to assist with any technical issues or questions you may have.
Yes, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions allows for easy migration of data from other accounting software. You can import data from Excel spreadsheets, QuickBooks Desktop, and other accounting software.
QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions is designed to be flexible and customizable to meet the specific needs of various industries. It includes features such as job costing, advanced inventory management, and customizable reporting that can be tailored to meet the needs of your industry.
QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions includes advanced inventory management features such as barcode scanning, serial number and lot tracking, and bin location tracking. These features help you track inventory levels, reduce errors, and optimize your inventory management processes.
QuickBooks Enterprise itself requires a Windows environment to run, but the Database Server Manager component does have Linux support for certain versions which is why you’ll see dedicated Linux Database Server Manager installation guides and RPM files in the download table above for Enterprise versions 2012 through 19.0. This allows businesses to host their company file on a Linux server while workstations running QuickBooks Enterprise on Windows connect to it over the network.
In most cases, yes when you upgrade to a new version of QuickBooks Enterprise, you’ll need to verify and potentially reconfigure multi-user hosting settings as part of the Step 3 process described in this guide, since each version installation can affect existing hosting configurations. It’s a good practice to check whether “Host Multi-Access” is properly enabled on your server immediately after any version upgrade, rather than assuming the previous configuration carried over automatically.

