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This month’s topic is setting up QuickBooks version 6 for multi-user access. We discuss details of how to configure your Windows 95 or 98 network so everyone on the network can share the company file. You’ll also learn how to set up users, passwords and priviledges for each user of the QuickBooks file.

I hope this helps you. Drop me an email with your comments.

Doug Sleeter

Setting Up QuickBooks for Multi-User

To set up QuickBooks Pro version 6.0 for multi-user access, start by setting up your computers on a common network in either a peer-to-peer or a client-server configuration. All computers must be running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT or higher. If you’re using Windows 95 or Windows 98, you’ll probably use the peer-to-peer network configuration whereby each computer on the network can share files with other computers on the network. In this case, you won’t need to purchase any additional software to make the computers share files, since networking is built in to Windows 95 and higher.

Choose which computer will be the "server." The server is the computer that will store the data file and allow users on the network to access the QuickBooks data file. This should be the fastest computer on the network because all users will be reading and writing data to the hard drive in this computer.

Setting up Windows Networking

Check Windows Network Drivers

Before setting up your network, verify that you have the right network drivers on each computer in the network.

Windows 95 (version 4.00.950B) contains a system file that can cause corruption of your QuickBooks data when accessing the data file on a network drive if multiple users access the file at the same time.

If you are using the Microsoft redirector driver VREDIR.VXD version 4.00.1111, you must update Windows 95 before accessing a QuickBooks data file over a network.

To find out what version you have, use Windows Explorer to find the file called VREDIR.VXD on drive c: in the windows\system directory. Right-click on the file and choose properties. The properties window shows the version of the file.

If you need the update, it is available at no charge from the Microsoft support web site at (http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q148/3/67.asp). The update is called VRDRUPD.EXE. When you finish downloading the update, double-click on this file and it will automatically install itself on your system.

Configure your Network Settings

To allow other computers to access the server, you must set up Windows networking on each computer on the network.

1. Open the Control Panels folder on the server. From the Windows Start Menu, choose Start • Settings • Control Panels.

   

2. On the network control panel screen shown below, look to see if you have an item for Client for Microsoft Networks, and an item for File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks.

   

   

3. If you don’t have a Client for Microsoft Networks already, click Add in the Network control panel.

   

   

4. Verify the properties for the Client for Microsoft Networks as shown.

   

Now, set up a service for File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks.

1. From the Network Control panel, click Add. Select Service in the screen below and click Add.

   

   

   

Set up each computer on the network with the network services described above. Next, you’re ready to proceed with setting up the way you’ll store and share data on the server.

The next step is to configure your server to allow other computers on the network to have access to the files on the server.

1. From the Control Panel, double-click on the Network Icon.
2. Then click on the File and Print Sharing button.

   

3. Then select the option shown below to allow others access to your files.

   

    

To configure your server so that it’s easy to locate the data file for all users on the network, and to keep the company file separate from the QuickBooks application files, follow these steps.

1. On the server computer, launch the Windows Explorer (Start • Programs • Windows Explorer). Create a folder called "Finances" on the hard disk of the server machine as shown below.

   

2. Copy your QuickBooks company data file into the Finances folder. From now on, you will always access your company file in this folder, as will all the other users on the network.
   
   
3. To allow other users on the network access to your company file, select the Finances folder and right-click the mouse. Choose Sharing from the pop-up menu.

   

4. From the Sharing screen, select the "Shared as" button and notice that the name appears as "Finances."

   

5. In the Sharing properties for the Finances folder, you can add extra security to your network by requiring a password as shown above.

Now your network and your server is completely set up to handle networking your QuickBooks file. The next step is to set up users inside your QuickBooks company file for each user that will access the file.

Setting Up Users in the Company File

QuickBooks version 6 provides a feature for defining "users" of the file. This feature allows the "administrator" (the owner of the file) to set privileges for each user of the file. This provides more security and user tracking when several people are accessing the same data file.

Each user can have a password, if desired. When a user opens the company file, QuickBooks requires a user name and password. The privileges granted to that user by the administrator determine what functions of QuickBooks can be accessed. For example, you can allow a user to have access to Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and Checking Account functions, but not Payroll or "Sensitive Activities" like on-line banking. For a complete description of each privilege, click the Help button on the user setup screens.

To set up users of your QuickBooks file, launch QuickBooks and log in with the Administrator’s name and password. Then follow these steps.

1. Choose File • Set up Users and Passwords • Set up Users.

   

2. After you’ve set up the Administrator’s name and password, create a user for each person that will have access to the data file.

   

3. QuickBooks walks you through a series of screens (a wizard) where you set privileges for each user. Make your selections as appropriate.

   

4. On the final screen, you can review the privileges that you’ve set for this user.

   

After setting up User Profiles for each user of your file, you’re ready to begin using QuickBooks in a multi-user environment.

Using QuickBooks in Multi-User Mode

To begin using QuickBooks in multi-user mode, launch QuickBooks on the server computer and open the company file. You can actually open the file from any computer on the network and perform the following steps, but normally this would be done on the server.

From the file menu, choose File • Switch to Multi-User Mode.

Now that you’ve entered multi-user mode, up to 5 users can simultaneously log into the company file.

Opening the Company File From a Remote Computer

To open the file from a remote computer (any computer on the network other than the server), follow these steps.

1. Verify that the server computer is turned on and set to share files as described above.
   
   
2. On a remote computer (not the server), launch the Windows Explorer and scroll to the bottom of the left panel until you see Network Neighborhood.
   
   
3. Then click the (-) symbol next to the server and find the Finances folder.
   
   
4. Right click on the Finances folder and choose Map Network Drive.

   

5. This creates a new drive in your Windows Explorer that is "mapped" to the folder on the server. In this example, it becomes drive F on your local computer. If you want to have this drive mapped automatically each time you start windows, click "Reconnect at logon." Remember that the server must be turned and configured to share files before any remote computer can map to its hard drive.

   

   

6. To open the QuickBooks company file that is stored on the server, launch QuickBooks on the remote computer and choose File• Open. Then choose the mapped drive from the drives menu and select the file to open and click Open. Alternatively, you can double-click on the QBW file in the finances directory as shown below.

   

7. QuickBooks opens the file and asks for your user name and password.
   
   

You are now using the file in multi-user mode. Up to 5 users can simultaneously use the file and each user can set personalized preferences in the preferences screen.

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• For Beginners and Experienced Users

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