Question

Why do PDFs that I attach to transactions in my checking register no longer display in a new browser tab when I click the link, as they always have done before?

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
November 14, 2022
13 replies
0 views

PDFs that I attached before last Tuesday still behave normally, i.e., when I click the file's link, it opens in a new tab. When I click the link to any file attached Tuesday or after, a dialog opens wanting me to download and save the file. I don't want to download it; I just uploaded it. I want to view it. This behavior is the same on Chrome and Safari, and on Mac and Windows.

QuickBooks Online

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Roland12Author

Same thing with vendors. Old attachments open in a new tab for viewing. Anything I upload now gives me the Save dialog when I click the file's link.

Candice C

Good evening, @Roland12.

I appreciate you coming here with your question about attachments in QuickBooks Online.

To clarify, have you reviewed all the supported details of how the attachments should be entered/what should be? Here's a guide if not:

Add or delete attachments

If so and none of these explanations cause the problem you're having, then I recommend clearing your browser's history. This should eliminate any errors or glitches that could be happening in your account.

Come back if your issue persists. It's my priority that you're able to bring the attachment up into a new tab rather than downloading it. I'll be waiting for your response!

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Roland12Author

Thank you, Candice. I had already cleared my browsing history but I did it again (All Time), and there is no change. I don't know how this can be a browser problem since it malfunctions on both Chrome and Safari, and on both my iMac and a Windows laptop. When I click a file in the attachments list (from Settings), the same thing happens: older files display, but the newer ones give me a Save dialog.

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ashley_alt

I just ran into this issue today as well. After reading this thread I opened a chat with QB Support. First they tried to tell me that feature (to open attachments in a new browser window) was only available in the US. (I'm in Canada.) When I informed them that feature HAD been available to me until Nov. 8, they did some more checking and came back to say the backend team had changed that in the latest update. Here's hoping if enough of us complain about it, they'll change it back.

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Roland12Author

Thank you, Ashley. If what they told you is true, that is absurd. Now, to make sure I have the correct PDF attached to a transaction, I'll have to download the file that I just uploaded in order to view it? Crazy.

This might hasten my retirement from this volunteer bookkeeping position. And I'm sure my successor will not want to use QuickBooks Online.

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Roland12Author

Is there any way to see which release of QBO I am using? I found some instructions online, but they do not work. It seems that they do updates around the 6th of the month, so it makes sense that my problems began on 11/8. I think the last time I attached a file and had it display correctly was on 11/6.

My daughter's company just switched to QBO, and I asked her to try attaching a PDF this week. She said when she clicked the link, the PDF opened with Adobe Reader (not in a new browser tab as mine used to) and the dialog to save it also popped up. She said that aside from her test, they have not attached any files yet.

Nicole_N

Thanks for reaching back to the Community, @Roland12.

Allow me to give you the help you need. You'll know which version of QuickBooks Online (QBO) you're using in the Account and Settings window.

I'll show you how to do it:

1. Login to your account.

2. Go to the Gear icon. Then, choose Account and settings.

3. Select the Billing & Subscription tab. From there, you can see the version of QuickBooks you're using.

Moreover, let me help you fix your concern about previewing PDF documents. To view the PDF attachment on a new browser, you'll need to enable it in the settings.

In the Chrome browser, select the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner. Choose Settings, then click on Privacy and Security. Select Site Settings, then PDF documents. Change the settings to Open PDFs in chrome instead of downloading it. See the screenshot below.

Once done, try clicking the file's link again in your QBO account. This should now let you view the file in a new browser.

You can also read about QuickBooks Online attachments to learn more about the feature.

Come back if your issue persists or if you have any other questions about QuickBooks attachments. I'm always willing to assist you with your concern. Keep safe and have a nice day!

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Roland12Author

It should be obvious from my question that I am not talking about the "version" as you describe it (QuickBooks Plus or whatever). I know how to find that and it is irrelevant to this discussion. I'm talking about the "changes and improvements" that Intuit rolls out (monthly, as nearly as I can tell). I read somewhere that the most recent one was on November 6. My problem with not being able to view newly-uploaded PDFs in a Chrome tab began exactly on the first day that I used the program after November 6.

I checked the Chrome setting for PDF-handling a long time ago. It was and is set as you have advised, so that can't be the problem. Besides, if this is the cause, then why do files attached before 11/8 still display properly in Chrome? You are not reading what I have already written, and you are not thinking about this logically. As I have mentioned about a million times, it does the same thing on Chrome and Safari, Windows and Mac, on my company file, and on a demo company file that one QBO support rep had me try.

Everything points to a problem with the QBO program itself. Can't anybody there get to the bottom of this? Why doesn't the same member of the "QuickBooks Team" stay on this, instead of new ones popping into this thread and telling me to try the same things I already tried a week ago?

Our small church is paying a lot of money for this program. I work for free. I am losing my patience. Notice that I have stopped saying "Thank you" (the "team" member I reply to never comes back here anyway).

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Roland12Author

I'm starting to wonder whether the QuickBooks "team members" who post are literally robots with randomly generated names. All of their posts follow the same formula:

Apologize.
Make a suggestion that shows they don't understand the problem.
Close with "Reply if you need more help."

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Roland12Author

I changed the PDF-handling setting in Chrome from "Open PDFs in Chrome" (the setting that I've had all along) to "Download PDFs." With that setting, all attached PDFs in my checking register transactions give me the Save dialog, regardless of when they were attached. When I change it back to"Open PDFs in Chrome," it will open only attachments that were uploaded on 11/6 or before. Newer ones give me the Save dialog.

So it appears that the QBO program is ignoring my Chrome PDF-handling preference for any files attached after 11/6. But... as I think I've mentioned before, it exhibits exactly the same behavior with PNG files.

JessT

Hi Roland12,

Thank you for checking your browser's settings. I would have done the same thing.

We've actually seen similar cases, and it's indeed a weird behavior. I had a client yesterday with a related concern. Recently, his attachments to bills and POs are automatically downloaded while attachments to other transactions are previewed in a browser. I suggest contacting QBO Support to check this using more tools. That way, we can get to the bottom of this issue.

I'm just right here if you have additional questions.

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Roland12Author

As I explained before, if I change the Chrome setting to download PDFs, then it gives me the Save dialog every time for all PDF attachments, regardless of when they were uploaded. That makes sense. Is that how your browser is set? Mine is not, and starting with files attached on 11/8, QBO ignores my preference for opening the file in a new browser tab. But files that were attached on 11/6 and earlier still preview in a new tab, as they have always done (I did not attach any files on 11/7). I did not change anything. This appears to be a bug in QBO that was introduced on or around November 6. I have read that new features are usually rolled out on the 6th of the month.

I have been attaching files for three years in my QBO checking register. This has never happened before. And as I wrote earlier, it is not a problem with my company file. It did the exact same thing when I tried attaching a file in your QBO demo company as your support rep watched.

Having to download a file that I just uploaded in order to check it is absurd.

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Roland12Author

A humble request

If you manage to fix this issue, please do not write:

"That worked! Thank you!"

"Never mind, I figured it out."

"Fixed!"

Please please please explain exactly what steps you took so those of us who are still struggling with this can fix it too and get back to work.

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Roland12Author

Just for grins I tried this on my iPad Mini. A pre-11/7 attachment opened for viewing in a new Chrome tab. When I clicked the link to an attachment uploaded after 11/7, a new browser tab did open, but the screen remained blank except for a download option at the bottom.

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OldToad

Hi Roland12

LOL.

Such a simple test too...and impossible for "them" to recreate themselves.

I'll update you on my progress.

Further to my earlier updates, I have received other emails from the person who I had made some progress with, but when I tried to reply to him recently to not be closing the case, I got this "do not reply" auto response.

Thank you for your email. We would love to help you with your question but are unable to find an existing open case for your request.
Please send new questions through one of the support sites listed below.

To my knowledge, I still had an open case for which I was expecting follow-up emails, however my case was apparently closed. I'm guessing the agent thought all of my issues had been addressed when he said I would get followup emails from the investigation team. I was given an investigation number which they promised I would receive email updates on that investigation. To date, I have "not" received anything further, and to be honest, I feel abandoned, once again. I tried to hold them accountable, and they have failed miserably, so much so, that I don't care anymore.

I'm siding with a belief that, by now, someone surely would know the truthful answer. I'm actually beginning to believe that "they" possibly don't want the truth out there. It's as if "they" are looking at a business model that "they" know will affect some, but not all,customers when they change things. They then know that when the affected customers start asking questions, "they" perhaps, knowingly, have a team of un-informed employees and chat people, too unsympathetic, dare I say, even competent enough, to help customers, which is good for "their" side. It makes me wonder whether the "powers" that be, deliberately hide behind and applaud those same company employees as "Their" useful idiots, that will send useless responses, that "they" know will appear, to the rest of the community, as having been very useful and provided correct answers. The term "smoke and mirrors" comes into mind while I am musing this over. LOL

FWIW ....the following was in the email, I sent to QBO, that was bounced back to me, as I mentioned above. So the case agent didn't read it. Convenient? Deliberate? Helpful?

Thanks

I want you to know that you’ve been the only source for finding out what happened to these attachments. It’s not been easy but you’ve stuck with me. Thanks for bearing with me.

At this point, all I want to know is if the issue of opening attachments, as outlined by myself and so many others, will be returned to the previous behaviour. That answer has not been given to me yet. You have at least acknowledged there is an issue, or a change. You haven’t acknowledged whether this was made intentionally, and if it had been made intentionally, why no one from the help desk knew of it? In my opinion, this has taken a vast amount of back and forth to actually make you aware of the issue and understand why so many are frustrated.

On Nov 24th, I followed up and expected to be hearing from you in the future, or the investigation team. I responded to the first email.

Now, this will be the third identical email that you have sent me. I received two yesterday and the first one was on Nov 24th.

I did reply to the first email that you sent on the 24th. Then, on the 25th, you responded to my 24th e-mail. Inside your 25th email to me, you had this text.

"Anyway, can I mark this case close and replace it with escalated?”

I did not respond to that question, or email, as I thought I made it clear,Nov 25th, I wanted answers.You stated you now know there is an issue. That’s all. You didn’t state how the issue got here or why so many chat people know nothing about it. There’s more to this story than we know.

How can you mark my case closed when the questions have not been answered?

Please do whatever you have to do to address my questions, but I did not expect anyone to be asking if they can mark my case closed until my questions were answered. If the escalation team will provide me with answers I will be happy. However, I’m doubting the escalation team is going to address the inability of your chat/help/ community employees to take ownership of their ignorance and lack of knowledge of this issues, as well as their suggestions, they have made to customers. From where I sit, unless someone, such as myself, keeps looking for accountability and answers, there is not much faith in the online help. This issue should not have been that hard to answer if anyone took the time to look into it.

So when those questions get answered, that would be the time to ask me that question.

Please keep me in the emails until this is solved.

Thanks for understanding.

THAT'S THE END OF THE EMAIL.

"...and that's the end of the story"'

Old Toad...signing out.

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Roland12Author

Hi again, OldToad. You certainly have gone above and beyond. I appreciate your effort.

This morning I checked one of the other threads about this issue, and one of the users there wrote:

"The super-peculiar thing is that invoice attachments created on or before 11/09/2022 open as images - exactly what I want to see. Invoice attachments created on or after 11/11/2022 try to download as files."

That is the same as my experience, except I saw it three days earlier (11/6 and 11/8). This reinforces my suspicion that it was caused by a November software update, as I assume that all of the QBO servers are not updated at exactly the same time.

If this change is intentional, I can't imagine how anybody benefits from it. Will it save Intuit money? They still have to provide storage for our attached files. There is no advantage for users who do want to download their attachments, as they could easily do that before from the new browser tab. So why make life difficult for those of us who want to view our attachments conveniently (I can't imagine why anybody wouldn't, but whatever)? It makes no sense at all.

I wonder whether they simply close cases after a certain amount of time passes. I suppose I will contact them again if this doesn't clear up with the next update. They tout "new features and innovation" on another site that's tailored to accountants, so I should be able to tell when the next one is rolled out.

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Roland12Author

I reconciled two checking accounts today, and attached a statement PDF to each. When I click the link to the statement, it previews, not in a new browser tab but in a new window. This is the way statement attachments have always previewed for me.

So that is not broken. Still no joy with other attachments, however.

9

9130 3497 7780 0816

I have had the same problem and this is frankly unbelievable to me. Tracking receipts in the software is a MUST. This is a giant step backward. The representative was friendly but told me that THE SOFTWARE IS WORKING AS DESIGNED AND NO PLANS TO FIX IT! REALLY????

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Roland12Author

Thanks for that report, 9130. I wonder when it was designed to work that way. Because it was working the way I want it to up until 11/8/2022.

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Roland12Author

Good news! This appears to be fixed. This morning I attached PDFs to two transactions in my checking register, and they open in a new browser tab when I click the links.

So I guess my suspicion was correct all along: This was a bug introduced with the November 6 update, and now it has been corrected in the December 6 update.

Edit: Now to get caught up on the mountain of attachments I have sitting here. Intuit, I will be sending you an invoice.

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OldToad

Hi Roland12

That is actually great news!

However, I believe there's still an "elephant in the room", that we've been trying to communicate with, that needs addressing. LOL

Thanks

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NHRiverGal

@Roland

I just attached a pdf to a payment transaction and tried to view it as I always do to double check it.

Unfortunately, the same problem that occurred in November is happening again. I checked with our other running different QBO companies and they are experiencing the same issue. I will be contacting Support (ugh!) shortly.

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