Question: I am running Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server and want to install QuickBooks on the Terminal Server to be available at work and at home.
How do I install QuickBooks on the Terminal Server?
Answer: You’ve probably read that Intuit does not support any other version of QuickBooks in a Terminal Server environment except QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions; however, I’ve sucessfully run QuickBooks Pro 2008 and 2009 in Terminal Services. I use Enterprise and Pro 2008 in Terminal Services every day.
Check out this knowledgebase article at http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/…
If you have QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, use it. If not, use Pro or Premier 2008 and 2009. It is very important that you install Quickbooks using Add/Remove Programs only using the administrator account.
Install the complete installation of QuickBooks on your server. Follow the network installation instructions in the QuickBooks manual, or the instructions at http://accountant.intuit.com/… or the instruction manual at http://painlessquickbooks.com/…
Register QuickBooks from within the administrator desktop, then set up your company file and any add ons.
If you plan to use it just for yourself, logoff administrator, then logon to your user account then setup Quickbooks. If you want to use it multi user, keep reading.
Now for the ugly part. The Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server must be stand alone, not part of a domain, no active directory and no manage by policy. All users must be local and have administrative rights to the server. In some environments, this is ok, in others, it’s simply not possible.
(Having said this, if you are a Windows Server Active Directory guru, you can get by the stand alone business. For most of the computer world, keep it a stand alone server.)
Configure your users Remote Desktop Clients to use ONLY the server’s printers and trust each of your users to take care of your server.
Although QuickBooks will work, some of your add ons may not work at all. I’ve had issues with external merchant account integration, external inventory management and others.
Are You Ready For QuickBooks Multi User?
Visit painlessquickbooks.com to find out.
