Want to update your QuickBooks Desktop to the latest release? Intuit regularly launch new updates & release to give you a better experience by adding new features and fixes. So it is highly recommended that you should download & install them to improve the program functionality.

These updates are also called maintenance releases or “patches” which includes all the changes from earlier updates. These updates improve QuickBook’s performance and also fix the known issues automatically. All updates are free for product releases.

Note that there is a difference between update and upgrade, upgrades add valuable new features or functions to the program. You only can purchase it on CD-ROM.

There are two ways to update QuickBooks Desktop either automatically or manually. In this article, we will explain both as well as how to check to see if you have the latest release.

Check to see if you have the latest release

Open QuickBooks Desktop. Press F2 (or Ctrl+1) to open the Product Information window. Check your current version and release.

See if you have the latest available release for your version:

Note: Click here to find what’s new and improved in the latest updates to QuickBooks Desktop 2020 and Enterprise 20.0.

There are three methods to download the update from the internet and every method needs a good speed internet connection. All the three methods are given below:

Automatic Update Method (default setting)

On-Demand (Immediate) Update Method

Release Download

Manual Update

Once downloading of updates are completed, QuickBooks automatically install all the important files to the correct location on your computer. After downloading all the updates, QuickBooks automatically prompted a notification to install the update, the next time whenever you will restart your QuickBooks.

Sometimes you have to close your Quickbooks and then restart it again before the update will take effect. Remember this, you must install the update on each computer, If you use QuickBooks Pro or Premier in multi-user mode.

With this process, QuickBooks Automatically checks the Intuit server for new updates. And it will download the updates when you are not using(working) your internet.

There is a default setting on QuickBooks, whether the software is running or not on your system, it will automatically download updates from the Intuit server. You can disable the automatic update option if you don’t want to update your software, otherwise, it continues to download updates automatically.

From the Help menu, click on Update QuickBooks.

Now Click on the options tab In the Update QuickBooks window.

Select the option you want to choose. Yes to enable or No to disable the Automatic Update option. Choose the update you want to receive and remove the updates from the update section that you don’t want to update If you want to enable the Automatic Update option. But If you disabled the option then you will not receive any notification even if there is any update are available on the Intuit server. But from time to time, you will receive a message asking if you would like to use the Update Service. Note that This is only a reminder to inform you to check for updates, it and does not mean that an update is available.

Now Click on Save and then Close.

If the above method is not working and you still facing the problem with the automatic update. Apply the next process given below: “Immediate Update Method”. If you are still unable to download an update, then please contact our QuickBooks Support to get help to control the situation.

The best part of this method is, you can download the update from the Intuit server immediately on your computer. It doesn’t matter that your QuickBooks is running in your system or close. You can use this option at any time and immediately download the updates even if Automatic Update is enabled in your software. Remember that It is important to check for updates approximately once a month.

From the Help menu, click on Update QuickBooks.

Then click on the Update Now tab.

Now choose the updates you need to download and click on Get Updates. You can also check what is included in the update from the Updates column. Click on the Maintenance Releases link. Now you can see a page is displayed that have listed the changes/improvements in the update

Now close your QuickBooks. The next time when you will restart your software it will prompt you to install the update now or later. It depends on the version you have. When you see the message (prompt), click Install Now or Yes to install the update. After complete installation, restart your computer.

Important: If you want to install Maintenance releases then close and reopen your QuickBooks Software. A prompt will comes on the screen then you have to click on install now. Remember that, Maintenance releases cannot be installed automatically.

Note: It important to reinstall all the applicable updates in the order they released. If you ever need to reinstall your QuickBooks. If you did not do this then QuickBooks will not able to open company files.

Release Download

If you are facing the problem with the update feature or If you do not want to install updates using the update feature, you can download and install available updates.

It is strongly recommended that you must use the update feature to install QuickBooks Updates. One more this you need to understand that, make sure to update all copies if you are using multiple copies of QuickBooks. If you did not do this you may have faced some problem to open your company file or may be completely unable to open your company file.

For using QuickBooks Pro or Premier in multi-user mode, you have to install the update on each computer you are using. You can connect all your systems to the Internet and download the updates and install or you can download the update in one computer on your network and share it.

Open the shared company file.

From the Help menu, click on Update QuickBooks.

Now go to the Options tab and click on it.

Set the Share Download option to Yes.

Click on the Save button.

After applying all these given steps, downloaded updates will be distributed to all computers.

Note: QuickBooks Download updates to the location where your company files located After you turn on the Share option. Otherwise, it downloads updates to the directory or folder where the copy of QuickBooks is installed. Now Install new releases updates for your QuickBooks company file.

Never forget that once the company file has been updated, it may not be accessible using earlier releases of QuickBooks

How to upgrade new QuickBooks Desktop

Click on your new version of QuickBooks Desktop.

Go to the File menu, then select open or restore the company.

Click on Company file then Next.

Highlight your data file then select Open.

Note: if you Move Company File window appears, follow the instructions shown.

Read the data in the Update Company file for New version. Check the box to signify you understand, then Update Now.

Follow the instructions on how to make a backup of the files

Note: where you save your file.

Once you update your company file to open the newer version of QuickBooks … Do you want to continue? Appears, select Yes.

Follow the below if you want to do a manual update.

First, you need to download the latest version, and later quit all the company files and QuickBooks.

Now, go to the Windows Start menu and look for the QuickBooks Desktop, on QB Desktop give a right-click and choose the Run as administrator.

Now, on the No Company Open screen, click on the Help menu and click on the Update QuickBooks Desktop.

On the Options tab. Click on Mark All and later choose Save.

Next, click on the Update Now tab and click on the Reset Update checkbox.

Click on the Get Updates, when you are ready for the update.

Hover over the dropdown menu ▼ & click on select Check for QuickBooks Updates.

If you find a newer version, click install & update.

You might get an alert for Selecting install & relaunch.

After the update is finished, QuickBooks for Mac automatically launches.

First of all you need to uninstall the older version & reinstall the newer verion.

To reintsall the latest version, Go to QuickBooks Product Updates.

Select the desktop version & download the installer file to your pc.

Double-click the downloaded .dmg file & drag the QuickBooks Desktop icon to the Applications folder to install.

That’s all in this article, hope you find it useful. For any technical help & support, dial our toll-free number +1-855-441-4417.

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