QuickBooks Loads Slowly

Computer Requirements

QuickBooks requires a moderate amount of computer processing power to run all of the manual and automated tasks effectively. Any number of issues could prevent QuickBooks from running optimally. Launch QuickBooks and use the Windows Resource Monitor to check the amount of available system RAM in the Memory tab.

Upgrade your computer and install more RAM if the Resource Monitor shows a lack of free memory. Use the Disk section to check your available free space on your hard drive, and remove old files or get a larger hard drive if you need additional space. QuickBooks recommends a minimum of 1GB of system memory, but installing at least 4GB can greatly improve the speed of your system.

Repair Data Damage

Damage to the QuickBooks file system can negatively impact performance. A power failure, bad sectors on a disk or improperly shutting down the software can all cause file damage. The Verify Data Utility diagnoses issues within the installation by detecting damage to your list and transaction data. Before running the utility, close and restart QuickBooks. Then, select the "File" menu, click "Utilities" and select "Verify Data." If QuickBooks finds damage to your system, access the "Utilities" section again and choose "Rebuild Data."

Network Setup

Using a wireless network to connect to your QuickBooks company file provides a certain level of convenience, but it might also reduce the access speed of your data. Using a Gigabit network card and supported router hardware can greater increase the transmission rate of data and improve your system's performance.

Transaction Log File

The transaction log file used to track transactions entered into QuickBooks can greatly slow down your system as the file size grows. One way to improve performance involves creating a new QuickBooks backup. The backup resets the transaction log file as new transactions get recorded in the backup file, thereby improving system performance.

Performance Enhancements

Over time, QuickBooks files get fragmented and require the system more time to locate and assemble the necessary files for your computer. Creating and restoring your company file can reduce defragmentation and improve performance. Select the "File" menu and choose "Create Copy" to create a portable file. After saving the file to your desktop, click the "File" menu and select "Open or Restore Company." Choose the file you created, and follow the prompts to restore your company file. Once finished, run the Windows Disk Defragmentation program to defragment your system.

Condense Data Utility

As a last resort, you can condense your data file to increase the performance of your system. You can't undo the condense data operation, and you may lose some valuable details about your transactions. Consider waiting for the tax year to end (after you file your taxes) to run the utility. The utility removes unused customers, summarizes transactions and reduces the overall file size. Running the utility may make your cash basis reports incorrect, cause custom classes you added to transactions get removed, make sales tax display incorrectly and delete your audit trail. Pay special attention to the options in the Condense Data Utility wizard, and ensure that you only select the options that make sense for your business.

Disclaimer

Information in this article applies to QuickBooks 2013. It may vary slightly or significantly with other versions or products.