Opening your QuickBooks for Windows file in QuickBooks Desktop Mac

So you’re switching from QuickBooks for Windows to QuickBooks Desktop Mac. Welcome! We’re glad you’re here. You’re probably wondering if you can convert your QuickBooks for Windows company file into QuickBooks Desktop Mac. The answer is: Yes!

You can convert any company file to a Mac version from a U.S. versions of QuickBooks Simple Start, Pro, Premier, and Premier Accountant Edition for the same year as your version of QuickBooks Desktop Mac or the two previous years. So if you have QuickBooks Desktop Mac 2020, you can convert your file from QuickBooks for Windows 2018, 2019, and 2020.

If you are using a QuickBooks for Windows version that is earlier than 2009, you can still open your file in QuickBooks Desktop Mac. It’ll just be a couple of steps more. An article on our support site explains exactly how to do this. QuickBooks for Windows files from 2010 to 2012 should convert as well, but are not officially supported. QuickBooks Enterprise files will not convert.

Before you start, be sure that you’re familiar with what data is convert from QuickBooks for Windows to QuickBooks Desktop Mac.

On your Windows computer

  1. In QuickBooks for Windows, open the company file you want to convert.
  2. Choose File > Utilities > Copy Company File for QuickBooks Desktop Mac. Follow the onscreen instructions. QuickBooks creates a MAC.qbb (backup) file.
  3. Copy the .qbb file to a CD or USB drive or some other media. (Most Macs read and write data to and from PC-formatted media.) You can also use a network or file sharing service, such as Dropbox, to transfer the file.

On your Mac

  1. Copy the .qbb file to your Documents folder.
  2. In QuickBooks Desktop Mac, choose File > Open Company, select the MAC.qbb file, and then click Open.
  3. Click OK on when asked if you want to restore a QuickBooks for Windows file.
  4. Enter a name for the restored file, and then click Save.

Depending on the size of your data file, the conversion process can take up to ten minutes. When conversion is complete, QuickBooks opens the file.

Data that is and isn’t converted from QuickBooks for Windows to QuickBooks Desktop Mac

Although Intuit has used reasonable efforts to include all features affected, Intuit disclaims that all features are included in these lists. Be sure to compare the newly-converted data with the original data to learn what data was not converted.

Data that IS converted from Windows to Mac

  • 1099 categories
  • Account list (chart of accounts)
  • Admin password
  • All list reports
  • Audit trail
  • Budgets
  • Classes
  • Contacts data
  • Custom field definitions
  • Customer list
  • Customer message list
  • Customer type list
  • Employee list (notes will not be converted)
  • History of QuickBooks versions used with the data file
  • Income and expense tracking by class (available in QuickBooks Desktop Mac using Profit & Loss by Class reports)
  • Item list
  • Job costing data (available in QuickBooks Desktop Mac using Job Profitability reports)
  • Job types list
  • Links between pay items and other items
  • Memorized transactions
  • Multiple estimates per job
  • Notes
  • Other names list (without notes)
  • Payment method list
  • Payment terms list
  • Vendor list (notes will not be converted)
  • Shipping via list
  • Vendor type list
  • To do list (alerts will not be converted)
  • Preferences
    • Company name and address
    • Which features are enabled
  • Reconcile
  • Reminders (alerts will not be converted)
  • Shipping via list
  • Time and activity records
  • To do list (alerts will not be converted)
  • Transaction statistics
  • Transactions and their links:
  • Vehicle list
  • Vendor list (notes will not be converted)
  • Vendor type list

Data that ISN’T converted from Windows to Mac

Important: QuickBooks Desktop Mac does not support multiple currencies. Because accounts and balances are affected by the multiple and home currency settings, these settings cannot be changed in QuickBooks for Windows once they’ve been set. If you have used multiple currencies in your Windows company file, you will not be able to convert your data for use in QuickBooks Desktop Mac.

Some features and data will NOT be converted from Windows to Mac, including (but not necessarily limited to) the following:

  • Any data if you have used multiple currency in QuickBooks for Windows.
  • Intuit integrated payroll and payroll list items (QuickBooks Desktop Mac uses Intuit Online Payroll)
  • Online banking transactions that have not been accepted into a register (transactions that have been accepted will appear as payments, deposits, and transfers with associated links)
  • Online banking aliases
  • Customized settings for forms like invoices, estimates, statements, and purchase orders (forms can be customized in QuickBooks Desktop Mac)
  • Multiuser data, such as usernames
  • User passwords (QuickBooks Desktop Mac supports administrator password)
  • Memorized reports
  • Business planning, expert analysis, and business optimization tools
  • Customized price levels
  • Integration with third party applications, including Microsoft Word, Outlook, and ACT!™
  • Merchant account services (you’ll need to set this up again in QuickBooks Desktop Mac)
  • Sales order and back order tracking (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows)
  • Assembly items (available only in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows) will be converted into non-inventory part items
  • Budgets created without an associated account
  • Transaction type “EFP payroll” (will convert into a payroll liability check)
  • Workers comp list
  • Fixed asset item list
  • Multiple “ship to” addresses, Preferred Send method, and payment information for Customer:Jobs
  • User-added columns to lists

Unsupported reports

The following preset reports are currently not supported by QuickBooks Accounting 2015 for Mac. You can, however, create many of these reports using the customization, filtering, and memorization features in QuickBooks Desktop Mac.

  • Profit & Loss Unclassified
  • Open Purchase Orders by Job
  • Pending Builds
  • Income Tax Preparation
  • Profit & Loss Budget Performance
  • Fixed Asset Listing
  • Voided/Deleted Transactions (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows®)
  • Voided/Deleted Transactions History (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows®)
  • Closing Date Exception (available only in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows®)
  • Open Sales Orders by Customers (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows®)
  • Open Sales Orders by Item (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows®)
  • Adjusted Trial Balance (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows®)
  • Adjusting Journal Entries (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows®)
  • Forecast Overview (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows®)
  • Forecast vs. Actual (available in Premier versions of QuickBooks for Windows®)
  • All payroll and workers comp reports

Unsupported report filters

The following report filters are currently not supported by QuickBooks Desktop Mac. The balances of memorized reports that were created using these filters will not match balances in the original data file.

  • Name Email
  • Paid Thru
  • Template
  • Online Status
  • Printed Status
  • Voided
  • Workers Comp Code
  • Is Adjustment

About Shelly King

Shelly King works for Intuit as a member of the QuickBooks for Mac team. She’s the Managing Editor for Little Square and its main contributor. Shelly grew up in the South until 1994 when the Internet called her to Silicon Valley. She’s done a lot on the web ever since. Little Square was her idea. Yep, it’s all her fault. See all of Shelly's articles

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