The Angst of QuickBooks Desktop Performance Problems

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It seems that my email inbox has been packed lately with requests for help from people I don't know who are asking about 'this or that' problem with QuickBooks Desktop running poorly or performing worse than ever. Unfortunately all I can say to them is, "Sorry folks, I am retired from such work, I don't do that anymore..." Then I have to tell them one of the other leading guys in the QuickBooks Data File Repair Business, Shannon Tucker, has also stopped doing QuickBooks 'file repair' work as well. 

So, out of 'compassion for my fellow man,' I wanted to take this opportunity to remind everyone who reads Insightful Accountant of some handy tips that may benefit anyone/everyone who is experiencing QuickBooks Desktop issues, as well as anyone/everyone who wants to potentially put off 'the angst' of future suffering associated same. This isn't a long list, and shouldn't be new to anyone, at least not if you have ever attended any of my classes related to QuickBooks Desktop 'Data' issues, or read any of my QuickBooks 'Data Detective' stories in the past...so here we go:

  • Resort ALL your QuickBooks lists on at least a ‘weekly’ basis. This includes your Master Names List (customers, vendors, employees and other names), as well as your Chart of Accounts and your Items List.
  • Reduce your DB File Fragments. Excessive DB File Fragments can degrade the QuickBooks performance by increasing the amount of time it takes for data to be retrieved by the Database Server from your Hard Drive.
  • Verify your Company Data File on at least a weekly basis. Resolve data damage immediately upon detecting it, don’t wait for it to get worse. This means you must know what data needs to be repaired manually vs. what data damage can be safely repaired using the QuickBooks 'Rebuild' Utility.
  • The QuickBooks transaction log (QBW.TLG ) file keeps track of changes to the file since the last fully-verified backup. Large TLG files can cause performance issues because your computer's 'cache memory' is having to support both your Company file and the TLG file. Do not delete the TLG file, truncate it by making a manual backup with full verification to reset the TLG. If the TLG file will not reset in this way, then you have an issue with your Company file that requires repair (many times, professional repair).
  • Since QuickBooks Desktop re-indexes all the data within the file when restoring a portable company file, you should create and restore a portable company file if the above procedures do not improve file performance.
  • Reboot your workstation daily before opening QuickBooks.
  • Always close QuickBooks windows you are not currently using, and always close QuickBooks windows before logging-out of QuickBooks.
  • Log out of the Company data file if you are not actively using it and do not stay logged in to the Company data file overnight.
  • If you are the only user working in the data file, switch to single-user mode.
  • If QuickBooks runs slowly when doing payroll, have other users log off and perform payroll tasks in single-user mode.
  • Do not enter zero lines within QuickBooks transactions. Zero lines (with a zero quantity and/or price) create additional data targets and increase your overall file size, this results in slower QuickBooks' performance and, if you run cash basis reports involving inventory, it can produce reports with incorrect COGS.
  • Clear all printed or email form queues on a regular basis, do not allow large numbers of un-printed or un-emailed forms to accumulate in the queues.
  • Perform long tasks during off-peak hours (e-mail or print batches of invoices or statements) in the off-hours (before normal hours, lunch time or overnight) so they do not consume resources from other users.
  • Optimize reports. Running reports is an intensive QuickBooks operation as it draws together a lot of data. Optimizing reporting and printing reports can save considerable amount of time and resources.
  • Consider turning-off the built-in search indexing in QuickBooks Desktop, but be aware that certain ramifications may exist when you turn search indexing off.

You may just find that your performance improves substantially as a result of just a few of these steps, or that you saved yourself a lot of headaches in the future by using a few of the 'early steps' in this list as preventative maintenance.