QuickBooks is an accounting software developed by Intuit that is very useful for small to medium-sized businesses in managing their financial data. Although QuickBooks Desktop is the most popular product, errors caused by damaged QuickBooks can disrupt the smooth operation of the application. When you reinstall QuickBooks without using the QuickBooks clean install tool, you don’t get rid of any leftover data or folders, which can lead to more mistakes. In this article, we will go over the step-by-step procedure for downloading and running the QuickBooks Clean Install Tool. If you have any queries, you can find a QuickBooks ProAdvisors near you, who can guide you in installing the QuickBooks Clean Install Tool.
When to Use QuickBooks Clean Install Tool
Here are some of the issues where you can use the QuickBooks clean install tool to install and run.
- You can not get rid of common error codes with a simple QuickBooks reinstall.
- Installation errors are displayed in QuickBooks.
- When trying to open multiple company files, an error occurs.
Things to Do Before Installing Clean Install QuickBooks Desktop
Before you go ahead and install QuickBooks Desktop, there are a few things you should do first to avoid losing any files or data.
1. Backup your QuickBooks Company Files: Backing up your QuickBooks data to a flash drive is highly recommended. This will ensure that data is not lost in the case of an emergency.
The Procedure for Backing Up the Company File:
- To open the application, double-click the QuickBooks Desktop icon.
- Go to the File menu and select the Backup Company option to create a local backup.
- You can choose between Online Backup and Local Backup, depending on your preferences.
- To finish the backup, press Next and follow the on-screen instructions.
2. Licence Number and Product Number: After you have finished uninstalling the QuickBooks desktop application, you will need the license and product number to reinstall it.
How to Use QuickBooks Clean Install Tool
There are three steps to using the QuickBooks Clean install tool correctly:
- Uninstall QuickBooks Desktop from your computer.
- The installation folders should be renamed.
- QuickBooks should be reinstalled on your desktop.
Step 1: Uninstall QuickBooks Desktop application
- On your keyboard press Windows+R to open the Run command window.
- Go to the Run box and type Control Panel, then click on OK.
- Select Programs and Features and click on Uninstall a Program.
- To complete the uninstallation process, select the Uninstall/Change option and then Uninstall.
- For removing QuickBooks Desktop from Windows, follow the prompts on the screen.
Step 2: Rename QuickBooks Installation Folders
- Make sure that Display Hidden Files and Folders is enabled in Windows.
- By pressing the Windows + E keys on your keyboard, you can access Windows File Manager.
- Go to the following location to find the QuickBooks installation folder:
- C:\ ProgramData\ Intuit\ QuickBooks
- 64-bit version C:\Program Files (x86)\Intuit\QuickBooks
- C:\Users\(current user)\AppData\Local\Intuit\QuickBooks
- C:\Program Files\Intuit\QuickBooks
- Rename the QuickBooks folder by right-clicking it.
- Reinstall QuickBooks by typing OLD after the folder name.
Step 3: Download & Run the QuickBooks Clean Install Tool
- Download the ‘QuickBooks Tools Hub‘ as a first step.
- Save the file to your computer’s hard drive.
- To finish the installation, open the QuickBooks Tools Hub from the downloads folder and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Select the ‘I accept‘ option from the licence agreement.
- Select the Quickbooks Tool Hub icon from the drop-down menu.
- Choose an installation problem.
- Select the QuickBooks desktop version and then click Next.
- Click OK when the message “Please install your copy of QuickBooks to the default location” appears on the screen.
- Continue with a fresh installation of QuickBooks after the Clean Install Tool has completely removed QuickBooks from the system.
Step 4: Reinstall QuickBooks Desktop
If you have the CD, insert it into the computer and follow the steps on the screen to complete the installation process. If the QuickBooks was purchased from the Intuit website, download your QuickBooks version from the QuickBooks Product Download Page.
Run the setup after it has been downloaded. You will be prompted to enter your licence and product number, which can be found on CD box and online order mail.
After that, the wizard will assist you in completing the remaining steps.
- Select Next.
- Accept the licence agreements’ terms and click Next.
- The License Number and Product Number are requested on the screen.
- Next, enter your licence and product number.
- Now select your installation type; we recommend the Recommended option.
- Select Install after clicking Next.
- After you’ve successfully installed QuickBooks, click Open QuickBooks.
The above article was all about the process of using the QuickBooks Clean Install Tool. In case there is a problem in following the above steps, you can reach out to the certified ProAdvisor for their expert help and guidance.