QuickBooks and Windows 8

As of the date of this post, here is the word from QuickBooks support regarding the compatibility of QuickBooks and Windows 8...

"Any version of QuickBooks prior to 2013 is not supported on Windows 8. QuickBooks 2013 (when released), will be supported once a compatibility patch is issued to registered users. No date has been provided for the release of this patch."

UPDATE: QuickBooks 2013 is here!

• Details and discounts on QuickBooks Pro 2013, QuickBooks Premier 2013, QuickBooks for Mac 2013


• QuickBooks Enterprise 2013 - details and discounts

Unless you really like to go out there on the "bleeding edge" of software, I would not even attempt to make an older version of QuickBooks work on Windows 8. You may get lucky. Then again, you may get an ongoing migraine headache too...

What are you hearing about QuickBooks and Windows 8? Is it different than what I have been told by the QuickBooks support group?

Drop a comment in the box below - we'd love to know!

QUICKBOOKS RESOURCES FOR YOU:

• Free QuickBooks training guides
• QuickBooks training videos and resources

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Comments

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Hi James:

Thanks for the insight on your situation with QuickBooks and Windows 8.

In addition to the issue of QuickBooks 2008 not being supported on Windows 8, you may also be running into the fact that you can't e-mail invoices directly from QuickBooks 2008 any longer either - that capability ended as of 5/31/11 when support for the 2008 version stopped.

You're right - best bet at this stage is an upgrade to the 2013 edition. You can save 20% on your upgrade to QuickBooks 2013 via my web site:
http://www.betterbottomline.com/software/

Scott Gregory

[James Ortiz]

Hello. I am using QB 2008 on Windows 8.Works and prints well. It will not send invoices via e-mail because it states the printer is not acvtivated with an error code 20. The PDF converter is not Inuits. It is Amyuni 300 document converter and is licensed to Intuit.I have been unsuccessful in activating the printer So my next move is to QB 2013 since all my invoicing is sent via e-mail

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Hi Scott:

Thanks for sharing your methodology for taking care of this problem.

Hopefully others can benefit from it as well!

Scott Gregory

[Scott Wunderlich]

I was experiencing the same issue with the message "your forms were not sent because QuickBooks could not create the necessary PDF files."
I am running Windows 8 (hate it) and QB Pro 2013.

Within QB, I went into File/Printer Setup
Selected Invoice under Form Name
Changed the selected printer under 'Printer Name' from the ink jet driver, to the PDF driver
Selected OK

This fixed it for me.

Perhaps Mr. Gregory can polish my resolution explanation for your review
Regardless, this worked for me!

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Darryl:

Thanks for your feedback and the link to the compatibility tester from Microsoft - good stuff.

Just a quick reminder to clarify for all my readers - Intuit will only support the 2013 version of QuickBooks on Windows 8. If problems occur with older versions on Windows 8 for some reason, they will not offer help.

Scott Gregory

[Darryl Rowe]

In general, if it runs on Windows 7, it will run on Windows 8, certified or not.

I installed QBE Accountant 2012 and QB Accountant 2012 on my machine when it ran Windows 7. Upgraded to Windows 8 Pro on 10/27/12 and have never looked back.

For that matter, I've even got some 1999 chess software running on the Win8 box (in Windows 95 compatibility mode) with no problems.

Microsoft provides a decent tool for testing application compatibility here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=7352 though when I say it is simple to use, I'm speaking as both a programmer and a sysadmin. :)

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Hi Trever:

Glad to hear you moved QuickBooks 2009 into Windows 8 with no trouble. Haven't heard that happening too much.

Scott Gregory

[Trever]

Oh yeah and I had it on 7 and upgraded to 8. Still did nothing and it works totally fine

[Trever]

I have quickbooks 09' (yes I know) at it has no problem what so ever

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Max:

If it were me, I'd upgrade direct to Windows 7, NOT Windows 8.

If you go direct to Windows 8, you will be forced to upgrade your QuickBooks, as only the 2013 version is certified to work with it.

Save 20% on your QuickBooks upgrade if you do decide to go that route:
http://www.betterbottomline.com/software/

Scott Gregory

[Max McFarlane]

I am way behind! Have been running Quickbooks Plus 2008 in Vista and want to upgrade to Windows 7. Sounds like I should try going straight to Windows 8. What are the possible pitfalls?

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

John:

Thanks for posting your comment about the upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8.

I am doubtful that it is QuickBooks that is messing up the upgrade. Just read an article in the Wall Street Journal indicating that these upgrades can be painful even when QuickBooks is not in the picture. Details here:
http://allthingsd.com/20130108/windows-8-not-for-old-at-heart-pcs/

Scott Gregory

[John Anderson]

I tried upgrading my windows 7 to Windows 8 and after 3 attempts gave up. It seems that possibly Quickbooks is stopping the install. I do wish Microsoft would get back to some accounting Software. This Intuit Company have been holding everyone to Ransom for years

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Loyd and Matt:

Thanks very much for sharing your experiences on how to fix the problems between QuickBooks and Windows 8.

Who knew something like deleting the Microsoft XPS printer would resolve it?

Appreciate your time in posting this to help others.

Scott Gregory

[Matt S.]

Simply deleting the Microsoft XPS Printer fixed the issue for me.

[Loyd Smith]

For what it is worth, I have been working on the problem with pdf creation with quickbooks 2011 and windows 8.
After trying almost every suggestion I could find what fixed it in my case was this simple action.
Removed Microsoft xps (4) installed new printer downloaded Microsoft xps driver. I then emailed 2 invoices perfectly! What a relief! Did I mention I spent 45 min with QB tech remote control and all...his solution..update QB.

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Gayle:

A couple of thoughts on your situation:

1) Be sure you have downloaded and installed all the updates for QuickBooks 2013 via Help > Update QuickBooks

2) Follow the tips at the QB support site here:
http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/Articles/SLN40036 to see if that resolves the problem.

Hope this helps...

Scott Gregory

[Gayle Burns]

I got new laptop with Windows 8 and upgraded to Quick Books 2013 Pro and it worked fine until suddenly I get the message "this version of QuickBooks requires IE 6 or later"...I have IE 10 with windows 8...please tell me there is a fix for this issue. while exploring to find out, I noticed other years of QuickBooks had this issue also. I had to reload onto another computer at the moment but need to have this fixed!

[Mark]

Hi, Running QB 2012, just upgraded to Win 8 and now unable to send emails via PDF. Spoke to support and neither QB 2013 Pro nor QB 2012 Pro are Win 8 compatible and the PDF printing will not work!!!
Have tried several fixes on the internet, all failed.
Hung up and tried again with QB support and got the same answer. Now i have 300+ invoices i can't send and QB doesn't really seem to care. Luckily i went for dual boot and still have it working under Windows 7.
I do feel sorry for QB as Windows 8 was a bit of a surprise launch!!!

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Mike:

From what I understand, the PDF printer is actually part of the e-mail process as well.

The PDF printer kicks off, creates the PDF, then attaches it to an outgoing message.

Not sure if you have seen this or not, but may want to look at this support article from QuickBooks:
http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/Articles/SLN40733

Remember - Intuit is not officially offering any support for QuickBooks 2012 on Windows 8.

Scott Gregory

[Mike]

I print a lot of invoices through the pdf printer. But that is not the only problem running QuickBooks Pro 2012 with Windows 8. I also cannot email invoices out of it anymore. I have no idea where they go. In the "wild blue" bit bucket I guess. So what I did was download a 3rd party .pdf creator, Save the pdf file and then attach it to an email in Outlook and send it that way. Windows 8 seems "fine and dandy" for personal computers but DON'T put it on your business computer unless you have the latest software. And YES I have all of the latest updates.

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

Joel:

Some people are reporting no problems using older versions of QuickBooks on Windows 8 computers.

Others, well, they are having lots of trouble.

Nothing to lose by trying to install/run it on the Windows 8 computer. Be sure to make a solid backup copy (or 2) of your data before you start this process in case it doesn't work and you have to roll back.

For whatever reason, Intuit has made a corporate decision not to support versions older than 2013 on Windows 8. I don't agree with it, but they hold the keys.

Scott Gregory

[joel Quisenberry]

Scott, So I bought a new Pro 2012 in August, and just had to go to w8 due to computer failure. Now Intuit will make me spend another 200.00 so I can get their software to work on w8? Not very good from a support model. They had w8 for a long time, adn I think they should have been able to get the most recent version to work with w8.

[Marvin Masson]

Just a side note, We tried installing the QuickBooks 2011 on a beta copy of Windows 8 and it wouldn't allow the install. After upgrading to Windows 8 Pro. The software would work but we are having trouble with our check printing interface (GC Former) that prints our AP checks.

[Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert]

John:

Thanks for posting the detailed links to these workarounds for the internal PDF headaches others are encountering in QuickBooks.

Appreciate it!

Scott Gregory