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What’s New In QuickBooks 2011 and Enterprise Solutions 11.0?

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After spending some time exploring QuickBooks 2011 and Enterprise Solutions 11.0 to discover the new features and changes, we came up with this table summarizing what we found. Most of the items in the table are links to articles in our KnowledgeBase.

We’ve broken down the changes into our opinion on the different levels of importance:

  • Blockbuster – a major addition whose absence could be a deal-breaker for some firms
  • Enhancement – a significant improvement but probably doesn’t rise to the level of Blockbuster for most firms
  • Tweak – a subtle improvement
  • Marketing Gimmick – an effort to sell more Intuit products or services
  • Cut Back – a reduction to the level of service in the prior version

Unfortunately, we didn’t come across any features that we’d characterize as blockbusters. Having been forced to give users ways to shut off some of the Marketing Gimmicks introduced in QuickBooks 2010, Intuit smartly decided not to overdo the Marketing Gimmicks in the new 2011 version.

Applies ToNew Feature / ChangeImportance
AllHistory tab on selected customer & vendor transaction windowsTweak
AllStamp on paid customer invoices shows date paidTweak
AllBatch invoicing capability to send a invoice to a group of customers, such as billing for a membership feeEnhancement
Premier, Enterprise SolutionsBalance Sheet By Class report to support fund accounting, commonly used by non-profits or government entitiesEnhancement
ProReduce the maximum number of users in a multi-user configuration from 5 to 3Cut Back
AllOnline forms customization toolsMarketing Gimmick
AllIntuit Data Protect service replaces Online Back-up to backup to Intuit's secure serversTweak
AllAttached Documents replaces Document Management to attach documents to lists & transactions within QuickBooksEnhancement
AllCollections Center to facilitate sending bulk emails to customers with overdue or pending invoicesEnhancement
AllSupport for web-based email services to send formsTweak
AllRemoval of support for QuickBooks E-mail unless you subscribe to extra-cost servicesCut Back
Premier Accountant only, Enterprise SolutionsAbility to work in 2 QuickBooks files from the same version -- but only applies to narrow range of productsEnhancement
Enterprise SolutionsTrack inventory in multiple locations using the extra-cost Advanced Inventory online serviceEnhancement
AllAddition of new Shipped From Address to allow tracking different "remit to" and physical locationsTweak

The columns are sortable, so you can find what we think is important and what applies to your configuration by clicking on the appropriate column.

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What Is the QuickBooks Attached Documents Service?

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QuickBooks Attached Documents is a new extra-cost service introduced with QuickBooks 2011 and Enterprise Solutions 11.0 that allows users to attach documents to QuickBooks lists or transactions from within QuickBooks. It replaces the Document Management service introduced with QuickBooks 2010.

Versions of QuickBooks prior to QuickBooks 2010 don’t support attaching documents to list items or transactions from within the QuickBooks program itself.

The storage-based limits used by the older Document Management service have been replaced by limits on the number of items that can be attached to a list item or transaction. Users of the older Document Management service can continue to use that platform at pricing levels previously agreed to, even if they upgrade to QuickBooks 2011.

Pricing for the QuickBooks Attached Documents service is:

  • $9.95/month for 1 attachment per list item or transaction
  • $14.95/month for up to 5 attachments per list item or transaction
  • $19.95/month for unlimited attachments per list item or transaction

The principal advantage that Attached Documents provides is the direct integration from within the QuickBooks program. For example, a PDF copy of a vendor bill can be attached to the transaction that records the bill in QuickBooks. Documents are stored on Intuit’s secure servers and are accessible over the internet. For organizations conducting business in multiple locations or that need to exchange documents with an accountant, such as during an annual audit, the direct association of an attached file with an accounting transaction can provide significant productivity improvements because the association is made once and saved. Other storage systems, even cloud-based systems, require a user to independently maintain the linkage between a file name in a folder and an accounting transaction, something that becomes progressively harder with changes in personnel and increases in the number of filed documents.

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Where Is the QBW.INI File Located?

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The QBW.INI file is normally located in the default QuickBooks installation directory.  That location depends on your QuickBooks version and your version of Microsoft Windows, which are outlined below.

To avoid searching for files, the easiest way to locate the QBW.INI file is to open the Tech Help window.

With QuickBooks open, open the Tech Help window and do the following:

  1. Click the Open File tab
  2. Click the Path On/Off button to display the full path
  3. Scroll down to the QBW.INI file in the list

See our related article for more information on using the Tech Help window.  If you need to edit the QBW.INI, the Tech Help window provides an easy way to do that, so it’s a great place to start working with this file.

For QuickBooks 2007 or later running under Windows XP, the default is:

C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataIntuitQuickBooks [Version]

Replace [Version] with your version of QuickBooks, such as 2009.  For example, the default location for QuickBooks 2009 is:

C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataIntuitQuickBooks 2009

For QuickBooks 2007 or later running under Vista, keep in mind that the folder C:Documents and Settings is a legacy folder that you can’t access, because the actual location is elsewhere.  In Vista, dimmed shortcut links are referred to as junctions, and they exist only to provide program compatibility.  The actual location for files normally located in the C:Documents and Settings folder is another folder, typically  C:Program Data.  We recommend that you use the Vista search function to find QBW.INI on your system.

For QuickBooks 2006 or earlier running under Windows XP, the default is:

C:Program FilesIntuitQuickBooks

QuickBooks 2006 and earlier are not supported on Vista.

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What Is Intuit’s Service Discontinuation or Sunshine Policy for QuickBooks?

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Intuit regularly improves QuickBooks and discontinues support for older versions.  Generally speaking, Intuit introduces new versions in the fall of a calendar year.  For example, in September 2008, Intuit introduced the QuickBooks 2009 series of products.  During April or May of the following year, versions more than 2 steps away from the current version will be discontinued. 

That means in May of 2009, QuickBooks 2006 was discontinued.  After discontinuation, you can continue to use an older copy of QuickBooks, but you won’t have access to support or business services such as payroll or online banking.  To continue to use those services, you’ll need to upgrade to a supported version.  Intuit posts the specifics of its QuickBooks service discontinuation policy online.

If you need to upgrade your copy of QuickBooks to continue to receive support or access to services, you can purchase QuickBooks at a discount (including download or delivery with free shipping) by accessing one of the links at our Buy QuickBooks page.

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