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speaklife
February 18, 2023
Question

purging OBO account and re-migrating old desktop files

  • February 18, 2023
  • 1 reply
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I need to purge and restart my QBO account but the only backups I have are QB desktop files from before we converted to QBO in May 2022. Can I use one of them to restart the account and manually enter the transactions that have processed since?  

 

Does the fact that we’re using OBO payroll affect any of this? I’ve read conflicting instructions online and received differing advice from phone reps.

 

The migration instructions state to bring the account up to date, including reconciliation, but I’m unable at this point. I tried to update our QB Desktop (its active for another year) but it won't let me enter payroll information because payroll account is now associated with our online version. Apparently they can not be used simultaneously.  Thanks!

1 reply

LieraMarie_A
LieraMarie_A
February 18, 2023

Hi there, @speaklife.

 

It seems like a duplicate post. My colleague has already provided an answer to the other one. You may refer to this link: Starting Over. 

 

Please let us know if you need further help. We're always happy to assist.

S
speaklifeAuthor
February 18, 2023

ThanksLieraMarie_A, but this question is different. I initially wrote one long post with all my questions together but it didn’t receive any hits so I deleted it and broke it down into separate posts (some of which I no longer see.) Each question is different although they all pertain to different facets of deleting and resetting the account.

 

This question is about using old QB desktop files to restore the account. The instructions state to bring the account up to date, including reconciliation, before migrating but I’m unable at this point. I tried to update ourQB Desktop (its active for another year) but it won't let me enter payroll data because that account is now associated with our online version. Apparently they can not be used simultaneously.

 

I have QB desktop backup files (.qbw and .qbb) from before we converted to QBO in May of 2022. Can I use one of them to restart the account and manually enter the transactions that have processed since?

LieraMarie_A
LieraMarie_A
February 19, 2023

Thanks for getting back to us and clearing up the confusion, @speaklife.

 

Yes, you can use your old QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) file to start a new QuickBooks Online (QBO) company. Since you can't use your payroll service simultaneously, you may update your transactions after the migration. Before doing the process, you have to do the following:

 

  1. Cancel your existing QuickBooks Online and payroll subscriptions. Make sure to export your data for future use.
  2. Create a new QBO company. You can have as many companies as you'd like under the same QBO account. However, each company requires an additional subscription. You can access them with the same sign-in info. This lets you quickly switch between companies so you can manage everything more efficiently. 
  3. Migrate your QBDT file to your new QBO company. Know that there are limitations when you convert your file, including payroll info. You'll need to enter past year-to date payroll info for each employee.
  4. Once done, I'd recommend running the Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet reports to ensure that you transferred your data correctly. To verify your reports in both products, filter the date period to All Dates and the accounting method to Accrual. 
  5. Renew your payroll subscription. To assist you with this process, contact our Customer Care Support team. They can review your account and determine if you can pick up where you left off or if you should start over fresh.
  6. Enter other missing information.

 

With your company all set up, check out this article to help you get started: What to do after you move from QBDT to QBO.

 

Keep in touch with me here should you have any additional questions or concerns. I'm always available to help.

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