QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2020 doesn’t use a Gear icon; settings live under Edit › Preferences and the top menus.
Searching all over the window for a little cog and not seeing it? You’re not missing it — that small Gear control belongs to QuickBooks Online. In the Desktop family, the same actions sit in clear, old-school menus. This guide shows exactly where to click in QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2020 to change company settings, user options, lists, sales forms, and more, plus fast routes and shortcuts that save time.
Why You Don’t See A Gear In QuickBooks Desktop
QuickBooks has two product lines that look and work differently. The web product (Online) places many controls behind a Gear in the top bar. The Windows product (Desktop, including Pro 2020) uses menus and dialogs. That’s why you won’t find a cog in the upper corner in Desktop. Intuit’s own help threads point Desktop users to the menu path instead of any Gear control, such as using Edit › Preferences to reach global options.
Finding Settings When You Can’t See The Gear In QuickBooks Desktop
Most configuration lives in one reliable spot: Edit › Preferences. That window has two tabs on many pages:
- My Preferences — per-user behavior, like automatic decimal placement or how reports open for you.
- Company Preferences — company-wide rules, like inventory, sales tax, or time tracking.
Intuit’s help materials describe these tabs and how to set report behavior from the same menu path. See Set report preferences for a clear walk-through of the Reports & Graphs page.
Fast Paths To Common Desktop Controls
Use these go-to routes for settings many people expect behind the Gear in the web app:
Company-Level Rules
- Inventory on: Edit › Preferences › Items & Inventory › Company Preferences → check Inventory and purchase orders are active.
- Sales tax: Edit › Preferences › Sales Tax — enable, choose basis, and set codes.
- Time tracking: Edit › Preferences › Time & Expenses › Company Preferences.
- Payroll: Edit › Preferences › Payroll & Employees — enable service and policies.
User-Level Behavior
- Decimal auto-placement: Edit › Preferences › General › My Preferences.
- Desktop view (Home Page icons, windows): Edit › Preferences › Desktop View.
- Report opening style and refresh: Edit › Preferences › Reports & Graphs.
Menu Map For Everyday Tasks
Think of the top bar as your control center. The items below replace what many expect to find under a Gear:
- Company — company info, chart of accounts, make general journal entries.
- Vendors — bills, vendor lists, 1099 tools.
- Customers — invoices, receive payments, statements.
- Employees — payroll center and employee lists.
- Lists — items, customers, vendors, classes, templates; use this when you want to edit a list without opening a form first.
- Reports — prebuilt reports and memorized sets; tie behavior back to Reports & Graphs in Preferences.
- Window — arrange or cycle open windows.
- Help — product help and updates.
Quick Ways To Get Where You’re Going
If you like speed, Desktop has handy keys. Press F2 for the Product Information window, which shows your release, file size, and list limits. Use Ctrl+I to open a new invoice, Ctrl+N for a new transaction in many lists, and Ctrl+F to find a transaction. These come straight from Intuit’s own shortcut guide.
Handy Navigation Tips
- Right-click on many lists (Chart of Accounts, Items) for edit and quick-report actions.
- Use the Home Page flowchart to open task centers, then click the small menu labels to jump to related lists or preferences.
- Memorize reports and transactions so you can reach them from Reports › Memorized Reports or Lists › Memorized Transaction List.
Where To Control Reports, Forms, And Lists
Here’s a tighter breakdown that mirrors how many users try to “open the Gear.” Use the paths below in Desktop Pro 2020:
Reports
- Default date ranges, refresh style, and how Summary vs. Detail behaves — Edit › Preferences › Reports & Graphs (My Preferences and Company Preferences). The Intuit article linked above covers the choices in plain language. Report preferences.
- Memorized report lists and batches — Reports › Memorized Reports.
Forms And Templates
- Invoice, estimate, sales receipt templates — Lists › Templates → right-click a template to Edit or Duplicate.
- Form printing defaults — Edit › Preferences › Printing.
Lists And Items
- Item types and inventory control — enable inventory as shown earlier, then manage under Lists › Item List.
- Customers, vendors, employees — open each from Customers, Vendors, or Employees menu or via Lists › Customer & Vendor Profile Lists.
Troubleshooting When Menus Or Preferences Seem Missing
If the menu layout feels off or a page you expect isn’t present, try these checks:
- Verify you’re in Desktop, not the web app. Desktop opens in a Windows window with a top menu bar and Home Page. The web app runs in a browser and has a left sidebar and a Gear at the top.
- Confirm your user rights. Restricted roles may hide company-level screens. Sign in as Admin or ask the Admin to adjust your role.
- Reset the Desktop view. Go to Edit › Preferences › Desktop View › My Preferences and select Save current desktop or click Don’t save, then restart the program to refresh windows.
- Open Preferences from the keyboard. Press Alt + E then P to jump to Preferences even if a window is covering the menu.
- Repair the install if core screens are missing across the board. Use Windows Apps & Features repair or reinstall using a clean tool.
Intuit community answers regularly direct Desktop users to Edit › Preferences when hunting for settings, which confirms the correct route in Desktop builds.
When You’re Coming From The Web Version
If you switched from the browser product and your mental map is tied to the Gear, this crosswalk helps:
- Account and settings (company info, contact, address) → Company › Company Information and Company › My Company.
- Chart of accounts → Lists › Chart of Accounts.
- Recurring templates → Lists › Memorized Transaction List.
- Custom form styles → Lists › Templates.
- Sales tax setup → Edit › Preferences › Sales Tax.
- User management → Company › Set Up Users and Passwords (Admin login required).
Speed Boost: A Few More Shortcuts
Try these as you work:
- Ctrl+L shows a list from many fields so you can pick from accounts or customers quickly.
- Ctrl+G jumps to the other account in a transfer.
- Ctrl+H opens the transaction history behind many forms.
All three are documented in Intuit’s shortcut sheet for Desktop.
Need A Reference From Intuit?
If you prefer official wording, Intuit’s help shows the same pattern: to change behavior, go to Edit › Preferences, choose a category on the left, then use My Preferences or Company Preferences. The page on report preferences is a good sample with exact menu paths. For broader Desktop help, the QuickBooks Desktop support directory is a handy starting point.
Task Map: Where You’d Click Instead Of A Gear
The quick chart below shows common “Gear” hunts and the right place to go in Desktop Pro 2020.
| What You Want | Where To Click In Desktop | Shortcut / Note |
|---|---|---|
| Change company-wide rules | Edit › Preferences › Company Preferences (pick a category) | Alt+E, P |
| Tweak your personal options | Edit › Preferences › My Preferences | Alt+E, P |
| Chart of Accounts | Lists › Chart of Accounts | Ctrl+L inside a field to pick |
| Invoice template | Lists › Templates › Edit | Right-click for quick actions |
| Recurring transactions | Lists › Memorized Transaction List | Ctrl+T opens the list |
| Sales tax setup | Edit › Preferences › Sales Tax | Company Preferences tab |
| Inventory on/off | Edit › Preferences › Items & Inventory | Turn on inventory & POs |
| User management | Company › Set Up Users and Passwords | Admin only |
| Report defaults | Edit › Preferences › Reports & Graphs | My vs. Company tabs |
| Product info & file stats | Help › Product Information | F2 key |
Practical Workflow: Two Real-World Examples
Turn On Inventory And Create Your First Item
- Open Edit › Preferences › Items & Inventory.
- On Company Preferences, check Inventory and purchase orders are active, then click OK.
- Go to Lists › Item List, press Ctrl+N, choose Inventory Part, and fill in the fields.
Make Reports Open The Way You Like
- Open Edit › Preferences › Reports & Graphs.
- On My Preferences, set whether reports refresh automatically or only on demand.
- On Company Preferences, set default date ranges and summary/detail choices for your team. The Intuit help page linked earlier shows screenshots and option meanings.
If You Still Feel Lost
A quick sanity check helps:
- Confirm your edition: Desktop Pro 2020 shows a title bar and a classic menu. If you see a left sidebar with a Gear near the top right, you’re in the web app.
- Press F2 to confirm the release and license; this proves which product and year you’re running.
- Use Intuit’s Desktop support directory to jump to task-based articles or contact routes.
Takeaway
No cog exists in Desktop Pro 2020, and that’s by design. Treat the top menu as your settings hub, with Edit › Preferences for behavior and company rules, Lists for templates and master lists, and the feature menus for daily work. With those paths and a few keyboard keys, you’ll move faster than any Gear could offer.