In QuickBooks Desktop, open Edit ▸ Preferences for most settings; other setup lives under Company, Lists, Vendors, and File.
If you opened QuickBooks Desktop and can’t find where the knobs and switches live, you’re not alone. The software spreads configuration across a few menus. This guide shows the fastest paths to the controls you’ll use daily, plus handy tips, keyboard moves, and what each area actually changes. You’ll go from hunting around to dialing in your file with confidence.
Quick Answer: Start With Edit ▸ Preferences
The master panel for day-to-day behavior is the Preferences window. It’s where you set decimal behavior, Home screen layout, reminders, time tracking, inventory behavior, sales forms, and more. Open it from the top menu: Edit ▸ Preferences. Inside, each category has two tabs:
- My Preferences: per-user choices such as window layout or sounds.
- Company Preferences: file-wide rules such as inventory, sales tax, or time entries.
When you’re tweaking visuals or usability (window mode, saving the current desktop, Home window on launch), head to Desktop View inside Preferences. When you need accounting rules (accounts, closing date, class tracking), open Accounting in the same panel. These live together for a reason: they’re the core switches most users reach for first.
Find The Settings Area In QuickBooks Desktop (Windows)
Use these reliable routes to the settings you’ll touch the most. Each path starts from the top menu bar:
1) Desktop View, Windows, And Startup
- Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Desktop View ▸ My Preferences.
- Choose One Window for a cleaner workspace, or Multiple Windows if you juggle forms.
- Tick Save current desktop so QuickBooks reopens with the same windows next time.
These switches solve common annoyances like pop-ups landing on another monitor or the Home screen resizing oddly.
2) Accounting Rules And Period Controls
- Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Accounting ▸ Company Preferences.
- Turn on Use account numbers, set a closing date, enable class tracking if you segment by location or department.
These are file-wide and shape reporting, posting behavior, and guardrails for prior periods.
3) Sales Tax Configuration
- Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Sales Tax ▸ Company Preferences.
- Turn on sales tax, set the default tax item or group, and define reporting period and agency.
- Use Vendors ▸ Sales Tax to access return prep and lists of tax items or groups you created.
This is the hub for charging tax on invoices and receipts. QuickBooks calculates based on your tax item or group once enabled.
4) Items, Inventory, And Costing Behavior
- Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Items & Inventory.
- Company tab covers quantity warnings, average cost logic, and build/assembly options.
Inventory entries and warnings flow from here into purchasing and sales forms.
5) Time Tracking And Payroll Defaults
- Time tracking toggle: Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Time & Expenses.
- Payroll defaults: Employees ▸ Payroll Center ▸ Payroll Setup, plus Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Payroll & Employees for stubs and calculations.
Payroll preferences handle stubs, rounding, and default behaviors, while the Payroll Center guides setup and tax table updates.
6) Users, Roles, And Administrative Controls
- Company ▸ Set Up Users and Passwords (or Users ▸ Set Up Users and Roles in Enterprise).
- Create roles, set granular access, or duplicate a role to fine-tune one user without affecting others.
This is where you gate access to banking, payroll, lists, and sensitive reports.
7) Company Info, Address, EIN, And Templates
- Company ▸ Company Information for legal name, address, and contact lines that print on forms.
- Lists ▸ Templates to adjust invoice, estimate, and statement layouts.
Brand details live outside Preferences so your forms and filings pull the right letterhead data.
8) Backup, Restore, And Data Protection
- Manual or scheduled backups: File ▸ Back Up Company.
- Cloud-style protection: set up Intuit Data Protect to back up your files on a schedule.
Backups are a safety net for edits, payroll runs, or large imports. Set a recurring schedule and keep at least one off-device copy.
Pro Tips For Faster Configuration
Use The Left Pane In Preferences Like A Control Panel
When the Preferences window opens, the left pane lists every category. Jump straight to what you need—General, Desktop View, Accounting, Sales Tax, Items & Inventory, Payroll & Employees, Reminders, Integrated Applications, and others. Each one stores both per-user and company-wide tabs where applicable.
Save The Current Desktop Before You Close
If you like QuickBooks to reopen with the same windows (Customer Center, an invoice in progress, a report), tick Save current desktop in Desktop View. Next launch, everything returns just as you left it.
Solve Display Quirks With A Simple View Switch
Glitchy layout or oversized Home window? Switch to One Window under Desktop View, click OK, then relaunch. This simple change clears up most screen issues and keeps pop-ups on the main monitor.
Sales Tax: Turn It On Where It Belongs
Tax logic won’t fire until it’s enabled in Preferences. After that, create tax items or groups and assign them to customers or items. On forms, QuickBooks applies the default tax unless you pick another.
Payroll: Defaults Live In Two Spots
Need consistent check stubs, rounding, or deductions? Set defaults under Payroll & Employees in Preferences. Do setup tasks and tax updates in Payroll Center. Both areas work together.
Integrated Apps: Keep The Gate Locked Down
Third-party connections request access the first time they touch your file. Approvals are stored under Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Integrated Applications. Review allowed apps here and revoke anything you don’t recognize. (If integration breaks, reinstalling or toggling app permissions can refresh the link.)
When Preferences Aren’t There Or Look Different
Interface changes between Windows and Mac, and some wording shifts across versions. If a menu item looks unfamiliar, use QuickBooks’ search box or recheck the left pane of Preferences for the category you need. On Mac, menu placements differ slightly, but the Preferences model still applies.
Essential External References (Official)
You can verify and deepen these steps with the official guides:
- Back up your company file in QuickBooks Desktop — clean instructions for manual and scheduled backups.
- Set up sales tax in QuickBooks Desktop — where to enable sales tax and create tax items or groups.
Troubleshooting: Can’t Find A Setting?
Use These Quick Checks
- You’re in the right product: Desktop menus differ from the online version.
- Open the correct tab: many switches live on Company Preferences, not My Preferences.
- Try single-user mode: some company-level switches require single-user access.
- Look under the feature’s home: user roles under Company; templates under Lists; sales tax under Vendors/Edit ▸ Preferences.
Display Or Layout Feels Off?
- Switch to One Window and relaunch.
- Tick Save current desktop to lock your ideal layout.
- If pop-ups drift to the wrong monitor, reset Desktop View, then reopen the file.
These small moves restore a tidy workspace without registry tweaks or reinstallers.
Settings Paths Cheat Sheet (Bookmark-Worthy)
The panel below compresses the most common places to adjust QuickBooks Desktop behavior. Use it as a quick navigator while you work.
| Setting Area | Menu Path | What It Controls |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop View & Window Mode | Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Desktop View ▸ My Preferences | One/Multiple windows, save current desktop, Home screen on launch |
| Accounting Rules | Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Accounting ▸ Company Preferences | Account numbers, class tracking, closing date |
| Sales Tax | Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Sales Tax ▸ Company Preferences | Enable tax, default tax item/group, reporting period |
| Items & Inventory | Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Items & Inventory | Quantity warnings, average cost behavior, assembly build options |
| Payroll Defaults | Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Payroll & Employees | Stub content, rounding, default behaviors |
| Payroll Setup & Updates | Employees ▸ Payroll Center | Subscription, tax table updates, payroll tasks |
| Users & Roles | Company ▸ Set Up Users and Passwords | Permissions, role duplication, access rules |
| Company Info | Company ▸ Company Information | Legal name, address, EIN and form headers |
| Templates | Lists ▸ Templates | Invoice and estimate layouts, logos, fields |
| Backups | File ▸ Back Up Company | Manual or scheduled local backups |
| Data Protect | File ▸ Intuit Data Protect (if installed) | Automated online backups of QB files/folders |
| Integrated Apps | Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Integrated Applications | Third-party app permissions and access |
Practical Setup Flow For A New File
If you’re tuning a fresh company file or tightening controls mid-year, this sequence keeps you from backtracking:
- Desktop View: pick One Window, save current desktop.
- Accounting: numbers on, class tracking if you need segment reports, set a closing date once prior periods are final.
- Sales Tax: enable, add tax items or a group, set default.
- Items & Inventory: confirm warnings and cost behavior before you buy or sell stock.
- Payroll: finish Payroll Center setup; then tighten stub and default switches in Preferences.
- Users & Roles: define least-privilege access before inviting staff.
- Backups: schedule a recurring backup and set Intuit Data Protect if available.
This order reduces rework, keeps reports tidy, and ensures tax and payroll math behave from day one.
Keyboard Shortcuts That Speed Up Settings Work
- Ctrl+K — QuickBooks Product Information (helpful when support asks for release and file size).
- Ctrl+1 — Another route to Product Information in some builds (handy for tech checks).
- Alt keys — Activate the menu bar letters; tap E then P to jump into Preferences quickly.
Shortcuts shave time when you’re hopping in and out of configuration during a busy month-end.
Backup Habit That Saves The Day
Create a rotation: daily local, weekly off-device. Keep at least two generations. If you turn on Intuit Data Protect, you’ll have an extra layer that runs even when you forget. The backup guide walks through both manual and scheduled options step by step.
Wrap-Up: Where To Adjust What
Think of Preferences as the switchboard for behavior, and the other menus as homes for structural data or admin tasks. When you need to change how the program behaves, open Edit ▸ Preferences. When you need to change who can do what, head to Company ▸ Set Up Users and Passwords. When you need tax math, inventory warnings, or payroll defaults, you’re back in Preferences. Lock in backups so changes are safe to try, and you’ll configure with confidence every session.