QuickBooks Online Data Remover by Q2Q.us

by

So, the product I'm writing about and will step through is from our friends at Q2Q.us. To many ProAdvisors, these will always be thought of as "Karl’s utilities." But in reality, this new QBO product has just been released by Patrick Frost, who took over Q2Q after Karl Irvin retired a couple of years ago.

As you can see, this utility looks like all of the other Microsoft Access-based utilities of Q2Q.us. It's still a desktop software based application, but it communicates with QBO via a browser established link.

Once I have installed the product and companion "encryption engine" that's necessary for sending/receiving QBO data across the internet from a desktop based app, and also registered the product, I'm ready to connect to my QuickBooks Online Company by clicking the Add New button at the right end of Step 1.

I am taken to the connection window that works like a wizard to allow me to open my QBO company and authenticate my credentials. This enables me to authorize QBO to exchange data with Online Data Remover. 

I have the opportunity to add more than one QBO company file to the application, but I can only add them one at a time. And I can only connect to one at a time. Still, the application stores each connection so that it can easily be opened in the future.

Once I'm connected to my QBO file, I'm ready to proceed in selecting the type and specific criteria to define the data I want to remove (delete). I begin by selecting the type of data using the "Change" button at the right end of Step 2 on the main screen.

When I do, the window shown on the right above opens, allowing me to select from the various types of list data or transactions that can be removed using this tool. Once I have selected the type(s) of data I want removed, I'm ready to define and refine that data. 

To do that, I select the "Filters" button at the right end of Step 3.

The Filters window that opens (shown below) is, in this app, just like in other Q2Q utilities one of the very best features. While it may look intimidating to some users, for those of us who have used these tools forever, this is the type of detail and sophistication we expect in a high quality data utility.

In my case, I want to delete some journal entries I made in QBO on a specific date. Back at the main window, I'm ready to have the utility query QBO for the data I want to delete. So I click the "Build List" button at the right end of Step 4 (shown below).

In no time at all, the list of data I defined is returned to me in the View/Select data window (shown below) which I access using the "View/Select" button at the right end of Step 5.

In the above window, I simply need to select using checkmarks the specific data returned in the list that I want to delete. If I receive the wrong data, I probably need to rethink my filters.

Back on the main window, I'm now ready to delete the data I selected by clicking the "Delete Data" button at the right end of Step 6. A few seconds later, a report is generated of my deleted data.

Would I use this utility on a day-to-day basis if I only had three transactions to remove?

No way. But, the Q2Q.us Online Data Remover can perform mass deletions of transactions such as invoices, bills, checks, and more, from QuickBooks Online company files. It also deletes inactive list names (customers, vendors, etc.) based upon date ranges, reference number ranges, names, partial names, and many other criteria.

If I needed to do a lot of deletions, this tool would do the job.

For more information about this product, see the Q2Q.us webpage.