How to Install and Configure QuickBooks ODBC Driver?

QuickBooks provides many rich features to its users. One such feature is that it facilitates the exchange of data between different programs. For this purpose, QuickBooks makes use of QuickBooks ODBC. Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) is a standard application that has been developed to enable communication between different programs so that they can easily exchange information with each other.

With QuickBooks ODBC, you can design your own reports. You can even combine data from different QB company files to create reports. Apart from designing reports, ODBC QuickBooks enables a QB user to personalize invoices, merge emails, etc. Moreover, as a user of QuickBooks software, you can make use of Structured Query Language (SQL) for writing your own queries.

Now, you may know the advantages of using QuickBooks Open Database Connectivity. We have listed some of them below:

Advantages of using QuickBooks ODBC Driver

1. As a QuickBooks user, you can, by using Open Database Connectivity (ODBC), do a number of things. For example, you are able to create spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel, you can make tables in Microsoft Access, and you can create reports reflecting your real-time QB data in Crystal Reports.
2. With QuickBooks ODBC, you can design your own reports. You can even combine data from different QB company files to create reports. Apart from designing reports, ODBC QuickBooks enables a QB user to personalize invoices, merge emails, etc. Moreover, as a user of QuickBooks software, you can make use of Structured Query Language (SQL) for writing your own queries.
3. By making use of the QODBC driver, you can use third-party applications to have administrator access to QB data. The third-party applications that can be used are Microsoft Excel, Crystal Reports, Microsoft Access, etc.
4. You can install QuickBooks ODBC drivers for QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, QuickBooks Pro, and QuickBooks Premier.

After knowing the advantages of QuickBooks ODBC, go through the following steps to install the ODBC driver.

How to Install QuickBooks ODBC Driver?

You have to follow these steps to install QuickBooks ODBC driver in QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions -

• Navigate to the File menu in QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions.
• Then, go to Utilities.
• Under the Utilities, look for Setup ODBC.
• Now, you have to download and install the QODBC driver.
• Go to the QODBC driver download page at the QODBC website of the FLEX quarters.
• When prompted, save the self-extracting executable file with the name: QODBC.exe in a temporary directory or in the My Documents folder, so as to extract the installation files.
• Before, running the QuickBooks ODBC driver installer, unload the MS Office toolbar from memory and from any other Windows applications. This is because this toolbar can impair the driver’s installation.
• From within Windows, click the install program.
• Now, you have to choose the destination directory where you want to install the QODBC support files.
• Click on the OK button to continue.
• This will install the driver.

Also Read - QuickBooks Clean Install Tool

Steps to Configure QuickBooks ODBC Driver

Follow these steps to configure QuickBooks ODBC driver -

• Firstly, click ODBC Setup Screen icon.
• QuickBooks ODBC / QODBC driver Setup Screen will appear.
• Click on the General tab.
• Under this tab, you will find the ODBC data source setup. You can select the company file you want to read from. You have also to supply the system data source name you will use to externally connect to QuickBooks. Then, you have to select a mode to tell QODBC how it should open each company file. Click Test Connection to QuickBooks button to check if installation and settings are proper with QuickBooks and a company file opened.
• Now, click on the Messages tab.
• Under this tab, you can review or clear QODBC messages. You can also review SDK messages. Use Detail Tracing if you want to create a trace log. Ensure Detail Tracing is off when not needed as trace log can consume large amounts of disk space. Under this tab, you will also find status panels to notify you when the driver is accessing QuickBooks data.
• Now, click on the Optimizer tab. Optimizer works by storing some data to a local cache so that retrieval performance for queries gets increased. This tab allows you to choose the location where the optimizations are stored. It gives you options to keep your optimized data up to date. You will see three options for balances and stock quantities – nulls, dirty reads and real-time.
• Now, click on the Advanced tab in the QuickBooks ODBC Setup Screen. Use Advance features to tweak a configuration. The defaults should be okay for most users.
• After the Advanced tab, go to the Activate/Deactivate tab. Under this tab, you can click on the Activate button to open the Activate window or Deactivate button to open the Deactivate button.
• Activation requires you to enter a CD key. Purchase from the windows, if you do not have a CD key. Press the Activate button in the window to use the internet to automatically activate this computer. Press the Manual button, if you do not have internet access.
• Deactivation also requires a CD key. Press the Deactivate button in the Deactivate window to use the internet to automatically deactivate the computer. Press the Manual button if you do not have internet access. Note that deactivation takes 24 to 48 hours to be credited to your CD key.
• Now, click the last tab on the QuickBooks ODBC / QODBC driver Setup Screen. Here, you can see which QODBC version is currently installed and whether you have installed an evaluation copy or a copy that is fully registered. The serial number’s first letter tells what type of license is installed, the QODBC version can be known by the third digit and the fourth tells with which QB version (US – United States, CA – Canada, UK – United Kingdom, AU – Australia) the license is compatible with.
• The serial number given under the About tab is important as it may be needed for upgrading, seeking rebate offers, availing technical installation support or for the help desk system. For checking whether you are using the latest QuickBooks ODBC / QODBC driver, click Check Website for Updates in the About tab.

Note:

• For QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, Intuit and FLEX quarters provide a free of cost read-only QODBC driver. This data allows the sharing of data between QuickBooks accounting software and other applications.FLEXquartersis a member of the Intuit Developer Network.
• For QuickBooks Pro or Premier, you have to buy and download the driver from the QODBC website of the FLEX quarters. For the first 30 days, you can use the driver for free.

To Conclude:

We assume that the above blog helped you in installing QuickBooks ODBC Driver. You can easily attempt all of the above-mentioned steps on your own. But, if you are resolving the technical error manually for the first time, then we suggest you perform them under the supervision of an expert. If you require any help in installing or configuring QuickBooks ODBC driver, you can call us at our QuickBooks Error Support Number 1-888-221-952O. We provide full and instant solutions for all types of issues and errors concerning QuickBooks.