Share a QuickBooks file safely, easily with File Locking

by | Mar 13, 2013 | File Locking, File Sharing, Quickbooks

The Desktop App supports QuickBooks sharing on PCs and Macs

QuickBooks file sharing is safe and easy with My Docs Online and the Desktop App. Share any QuickBooks file with colleagues, your accountant, or even yourself when you’re on a different computer. Our file locking technology allows you to open and update QuickBooks directly from your My Docs Online account while keeping the file locked so that no one else can make changes while you’re using the file.

What is a file lock and why is it important when updating QuickBooks? In simple terms a file lock is used to prevent two people from opening and updating the same QuickBooks file at the same time. If that were to happen one person’s updates would wipe out the other’s. That’s a bad situation for any file type but especially bad for something as important as QuickBooks.

The Desktop App File Locking feature supports all PC and Mac desktop versions of QuickBooks.

To use the Desktop App for File Locking for QuickBooks sharing follow the following steps:

  • Select the QuickBooks file you have previously uploaded to My Docs Online and click “Lock & Open”
  • The file will be locked on the MDO servers, downloaded to your PC or Mac, and opened for editing in QuickBooks
  • After you complete your editing Save and Close the QuickBooks file (or close QuickBooks)
  • In the Desktop App Click “Save & Unlock” for the file. Your changes will be uploaded to the MDO servers and the file will be unlocked. The date and time for the file will be updated

If you change your mind and need to discard your changes right-click the file and select “Unlock without Saving”.

The Desktop App can handle any type of file

The My Docs Online Desktop App can “Lock & Open” ANY kind of file, including the examples shown in the box on the left. All versions of Windows and Mac OS X are supported, and you use the regular program for that file type on your computer, giving you a familiar, fast and powerful way to edit and update a shared file. When you are done editing the file or document you simply “Save & Unlock” so your colleagues can access it.

What about security?

Access to an account via the Desktop App is secured using a Login ID and password, and SSL encryption is automatic.

How do I get started?

If you don’t have a My Docs Online account, Try it today for FREE and discover why our customers have relied on us since 1999.

Using your existing account or your trial account, get the Desktop App and upload your QuickBooks file.

Start your FREE 15-day trial TODAY.

Learn More about My Docs Online.

Storing your QuickBooks data file at My Docs Online

by | Jan 30, 2011 | Desktop App, File Locking, File Sharing

If you’re in business for yourself you know that in small companies you get to wear a number of different hats.  One of the hats that I wear for My Docs Online is a QuickBooks hat, meaning that I do the majority of the accounting work.

During the course of a given week I may need to access the QuickBooks file from my home, from the office, or when traveling.  There may also be others who need access to QuickBooks so I can’t just keep the file on my computer and hope I have the computer with me all the time.

My solution?  Well, it’s My Docs Online of course, right?

(Best viewed Full Screen)

I store the QB data file on My Docs Online and I can access it from wherever I happen to be.  The problem with that has always been that if I’ve downloaded the file myself how do I let others know not to use it until I’m through?  In the past we’d cobbled together a “check-in” and “check-out” method for accessing the file but it was not a great solution.   What we really needed was file locking for QuickBooks so that anyone trying to access the file would know when it was in use.

Well, since we needed functionality we figured you might need it as well so we build it into the new My Docs Online desktop app.

Now when I’m ready to access the QuickBooks file I just launch the desktop app, highlight the QuickBooks file and click the “Lock and Open” button which locks the file and launches QuickBooks so that I can work.

Then when I’m done I reverse the process.  I just close QuickBooks, then click the “Unlock and Save” button, which uploads the new file into our account and removes the lock so that someone else can use it.  It also moves the file to the top of the date ordered list so that anyone can see that it’s been recently updated.

Being able to apply file locking to QuickBooks has been a real benefit to me while I’ve been testing the My Docs Online Desktop App.  If you have the same need for file locking please check it out.