Sending Company Files to Others in QuickBooks

In the past, QuickBooks company files were unwieldy. To give a copy to your accountant, you needed a lightning-fast Internet connection, a CD or DVD—or a forklift. But QuickBooks now has portable company files, a slim format that flies through the email ether and slips effortlessly into removable media like USB thumb drives and CDs. You can email a portable company file to your

accountant or transfer the file to a colleague before you head out on vacation.   

For example, a company file that’s more than 10 MB in size turns into a portable company file of less than 1 MB. Portable company files have a .qbm file extension, but QuickBooks converts them to regular company files with a .qbw file extension when you open them.

 Note: If the person you send the file to is going to make any changes and send the file back, she needs a login or the administrator password. Remember that this password lets her use any and every QuickBooks feature on your file, so don’t give it out to just anybody.

Creating a Portable Company File

Creating a portable company file is just a wee bit more complicated than saving a file. Here are the steps:

1. Choose File➝Create Copy.

The QuickBooks 2011 File menu has separated the “Save Copy or Backup” command that appeared in earlier versions of the program into two entries: Create Backup and Create Copy. The Create Backup command, not surprisingly, lets you create a backup file. The Create Copy command lets you create a backup file, a portable company file, or an accountant’s copy.

2. In the “Save Copy or Backup” dialog box, select the “Portable company file” option as shown in Figure 7-7, and then click Next.

QuickBooks opens the Save Portable Company File dialog box. It automatically fills in the “File name” box with the name of your company file followed by “(Portable)”, and sets the “Save as type” box to “QuickBooks Portable Company Files (*.QBM)”.

3. If you want to use a different filename, change the name in the “File name” box, and then click Save.

The “Close and reopen” dialog box tells you that you need to close and reopen your company file to create a portable file.

4. Click OK to create the file.

A message box appears when QuickBooks finishes creating the portable company file. Click OK to reopen your company file in QuickBooks. Feel free to view the portable company file in Windows Explorer and admire its sleek size.   •‰â•‰â•‰â•‰â•‰Sending Company Files to Other s Figure 7-7:╇ Unlike the Save Backup Copy dialog box, the Save Portable Company File dialog box, opens to your computer’s desktop the first time around. If you want to save the file to a folder, choose the folder. From then on, QuickBooks opens the Save Portable Company File dialog box to the last folder you selected.

Opening a Portable Company File

Opening a portable company file is almost identical to restoring a backup file, except for a few different setting labels. QuickBooks essentially converts the portable format file into a full-size, bona fide company file. Here’s what you do:

1. Choose File➝“Open or Restore Company”.

If the No Company Open window is visible, you can click “Open or restore an existing company.” Either method opens the “Open or Restore Company” dialog box.

2. In the “Open or Restore Company” dialog box, select the “Restore a portable file” option, and then click Next. QuickBooks opens the Open Portable Company File dialog box to the last folder you selected for portable company files.

3. Double-click the portable file you want to restore (or select its filename and then click Open). QuickBooks sets the “Files of type” box to “QuickBooks Portable Company Files (*.QBM)” so the dialog box’s list shows only portable company files.   

4. Back in the “Open or Restore Company” dialog box, the “Where do you want to restore the file?” screen makes it clear that you should choose the location carefully. Click Next. If you restore the portable file to your regular company-file folder, you’ll overwrite your existing company file. If that’s what you want, fine. Otherwise, be sure to choose another folder or change the filename.

5. In the “Save Company File as” dialog box, choose the folder to which you want to restore the file. In the “File name” box, type a new name. The dialog box opens to the folder you last chose for portable files. If you want to replace your company file, choose the folder that holds your everyday company file. QuickBooks fills in the “File name” box with the last restored filename you used.

6. Click Save. If you’re restoring a portable file for a company file that already exists, Quick- Books warns you that you’re about to overwrite an existing file. If that’s what you want, click Yes, and then type Yes to confirm that you want to delete the existing file. The Working message box shows its progress (restoring a portable file can take several minutes). When the file is ready, the QuickBooks Login dialog box appears or, if you don’t use a password, the file opens. 

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