Quickbooks Networking

[Quinn06]

I have a client that uses QuickBooks on her Windows 7 Laptop at her office. At her office she also has a Windows XP Desktop that shares the QuickBooks file off her laptop.

Now, She wants to be able to take her laptop home, work on QuickBooks, get on the internet, and bring it back to the office and plug everything back in, and it to all work.

Problem is whenever she brings it back to the office the other desktop has trouble connecting to the laptop. And I have to come back in every time and re-do everything


Things She doesn't want to do. 1. Use a VPN, 2. Remotely Log in, 3. Use any sort of Internet Tunnel.

I thought about setting a Static IP to her laptop so it has locked settings, but then when she takes it home she will have Issues.


Any Ideas? Something I am overlooking?

Thanks!

 

[Quinn06]

But she wants to keep the File on her laptop(which is Win7) so she can take it with her home. Also She doesn't trust anything having to do with transferring files over the internet.

 

[wimwauters]

But she wants to keep the File on her laptop(which is Win7) so she can take it with her home. Also She doesn't trust anything having to do with transferring files over the internet.

Have you double checked that the XP machine has all the updates (including optional ones) to do with Windows Vista, 7 and 2008?

Have you tried turning off the new fancy file sharing features that come with Windows 7?

A a last resort, you could copy the files between the laptop and the desktop PC: this way the PC could be setup with a fixed IP address. It would also give her an extra backup.

 

[usacvlr]

why not just get a network drive and setup the pc andlaptop to connect to it.

 

[flychromeboy]

why not just get a network drive and setup the pc andlaptop to connect to it.

I have a similar problem with a Sage accounting application. But for the solution to work, doesn't the application have to be originally designed to be able to read/write to their files on a remote location, such as a network drive, and not just from a local drive, otherwise it will just say it can't find the files?

 

[DCGPX]

I have a client that uses QuickBooks on her Windows 7 Laptop at her office. At her office she also has a Windows XP Desktop that shares the QuickBooks file off her laptop.

Now, She wants to be able to take her laptop home, work on QuickBooks, get on the internet, and bring it back to the office and plug everything back in, and it to all work.

Problem is whenever she brings it back to the office the other desktop has trouble connecting to the laptop. And I have to come back in every time and re-do everything


Things She doesn't want to do. 1. Use a VPN, 2. Remotely Log in, 3. Use any sort of Internet Tunnel.

I thought about setting a Static IP to her laptop so it has locked settings, but then when she takes it home she will have Issues.


Any Ideas? Something I am overlooking?

Thanks!

Maybe this is being too simple but cant you try :

1. Assuming Quickbooks file is on Laptop as the 'master' database, map to its folder from the XP machine giving it a drive letter.

2. Whenever she disconnects laptop, XP will simply say drive disconnected

3. When laptop back on network, XP machine will access drive again and hence QB file.

I've seen similar setups before ( admit never gone into workings of them at the time but they did work), only draw back is that laptop needs to be present for XP machine to work on the QB file.

I still don't understand why she needs two computers though, why not just use laptop at home and use a decent docking station + external monitor/KB/Mouse at work if the problem is having to use a small laptop all the time.

Given her paranoia regards VPN etc, I think your going to be very limited in what you can offer here.

 

[danrcf]

How about use dropbox. in the laptop move the quickbooks files over and then share them with others pcs in the office.

 

[Onouris]

How about use dropbox. in the laptop move the quickbooks files over and then share them with others pcs in the office.

That's what I use/recommend, but the client is fearful of all things Internet, according to OP.

 

[flychromeboy]

Maybe this is being too simple but cant you try :

1. Assuming Quickbooks file is on Laptop as the 'master' database, map to its folder from the XP machine giving it a drive letter.

2. Whenever she disconnects laptop, XP will simply say drive disconnected

3. When laptop back on network, XP machine will access drive again and hence QB file.

I've seen similar setups before ( admit never gone into workings of them at the time but they did work), only draw back is that laptop needs to be present for XP machine to work on the QB file.

QUOTE]

I used this advice for 2 accounting packages my client had (not Quickbooks) and it worked like a charm. It also makes it easier administrative wise when backing up the data files

 

[pceinc]

Just a heads up that newer versions of QB from I think 2008 and on work best when network PC's open the company file from UNC path instead of a mapped drive.

 

[hdwsales]

Just a heads up, Windows 7 needs the latest version of Quickbooks. Older versions will give you problems with duplicate company information and reconciling checkbooks.

Dave

 

[ljtechservices]

Problem is whenever she brings it back to the office the other desktop has trouble connecting to the laptop. And I have to come back in every time and re-do everything

I have this going on with a customer and it works okay.
It's 2 vista PC's but I think it should work.

The XP pc needs a desktop link to the share on the windows 7 PC
the xp user opens the link, enters creds if necessary then starts QB by doubleclicking on the company file.

make sure the QB install on the windows 7 pc is installed properly to share company files.

 

[ljtechservices]

Just a heads up that newer versions of QB from I think 2008 and on work best when network PC's open the company file from UNC path instead of a mapped drive.

No.
just install using the correct option and mapped drives work just fine.
I support 2 accounting firms with multiple versions of QB (2005-2011) installed using the suggested install method for network scenario and rarely run into problems.
& not a few of my customers use multi user quickbooks with no problem following the proper instructions.

 

[kevinjhaag]

Dropbox Is PERFECT for this!

That's what I use/recommend, but the client is fearful of all things Internet, according to OP.

Fearful? She should just get over that. Her files are just as safe on dropbox as they are to her Internet connected computers. Second thought, her data is probably safer on dropbox due to a computer could get infected with malware. Imagine the quickbooks data gone due to a disaster....fire, flood, theft, malware or hard drive failure. I agree on using Dropbox... its perfect for this situation. The data will be in three locations. If something happens to one computer, she can still access her quickbooks data. If both computers go at the same time, then at least there is a backup on dropbox still. Thats the way I look at it.
Otherwise you could still use some sort of sync solution for network to do about the same that Dropbox accomplishes; but Dropbox would be the easiest to set up. Let us know what you end up doing and how it works out for the customer in the future. Talk to you later and take care..

Kevin

 

[Tony_Scarpelli]

It's not clear if the two laptops are connecting directly to each other or if they have a wireless router. If they have a wireless router then all they need todo is go to the laptop client and map a drive to the Quickbooks server. Then when she comes in, the laptop clients has to reboot to map the drive.

BTW QBs files do not seem to like being sent over the internet. Not sure why.
You can access over the internet remotely but not send the database and reconnected to it after it is sent.

 

[Tony_Scarpelli]

I have a similar problem with a Sage accounting application. But for the solution to work, doesn't the application have to be originally designed to be able to read/write to their files on a remote location, such as a network drive, and not just from a local drive, otherwise it will just say it can't find the files?

Map the drive and then point the program to search there. Works the same with almost all network acctg programs that I have dealt with.

Network attached storeage is a good idea but then she needs to remotely login using mypc or logmein.

This is safer if she looses her notebook gets it stolen, drops the thing in the river. The datafile is safe back at the office.

 

[Frank]

Problem is whenever she brings it back to the office the other desktop has trouble connecting to the laptop. And I have to come back in every time and re-do everything

What you described should work absolutely fine, if set up correctly. What exactly are you having to re-do?