QuickBooks Desktop System Requirements: A Checklist

With a user base of over a million people globally, QuickBooks stands as the best accounting software that delivers credible bookkeeping services. Its top-notch features and user interface add to the convenience it provides to business owners, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and others utilizing QuickBooks for filing taxes and managing their employee payroll.

This blog walks you through the QuickBooks Desktop 2024 system requirements and the must-haves on your end to ensure the software runs swiftly on your PC. Stay tuned for comprehensive info on the minimal system requirements you need to fully utilize QuickBooks Desktop and the problems you can encounter without them.

Why Consider System Requirements for QuickBooks?

Eventually, the performance of a software’s functions depends equally on the hardware it runs on. Similarly, system specifications are crucial for QuickBooks to function at its peak efficiency. Here are some of the common issues you might face when you attempt to run QuickBooks on a low-spec system that doesn’t satisfy the QuickBooks Desktop system requirements:

• Performance issues: Your QuickBooks might turn slow, lag, or experience frequent freezes if the system doesn’t have enough processing power or RAM. Every time you click a link/button or load a new page, the software may become sluggish, and you may experience a delay.
• Security Risks: Intuit might stop upgrades and patches for QuickBooks on older systems, which makes the bookkeeping software vulnerable to security threats.
• User experience issues: You might run into unexpected errors while using QuickBooks. Crashes and glitches become common if the system requirements aren’t met.
• Installation issues: There are rare chances of QuickBooks failing to install if the hardware isn’t up to the mark.
• Compatibility issues: You might face trouble using some of the QuickBooks features, or they might be completely unavailable on older systems.
• Data damage/corruption: Your financial data/company files in QuickBooks might get damaged due to insufficient storage space or incompatibility with the OS.
• Display Issues: The QuickBooks interface might look distorted, with messed-up colors, missing links/buttons, or unaligned with your system screen.

These are just a few of the problems that you could run into if QuickBooks recommended specs aren’t taken care of. You must acknowledge that this isn’t a PC game or any other entertainment application we are talking about; your business relies on QuickBooks, so you need to be more cautious about QuickBooks Desktop system requirements.

How Do I Find Out My System Specifications?

Before moving to the QuickBooks minimum requirements, you must check out your system specifications. It’s great if you already checked them; otherwise, here’s a quick way to know the system specs:

For Windows OS-

1.     Click the Windows icon on the taskbar and select the Settings (Gear) icon.
2.     Tap the System option on the left menu.
3.     Scroll down in the settings list and click About.

For Mac OS-

1.     Choose the Apple menu and select System Settings.
2.     Tap General in the sidebar and click About.
3.     Single-click System Report.

Once you have your system specs, let’s proceed to learn about the Intuit QuickBooks desktop 2024 system requirements in the next section.

QuickBooks Hardware and Software Requirements

We always recommend that you have QuickBooks recommended system configuration so that you can focus on growing your business rather than dealing with software issues every day. Windows OS and Mac OS are QuickBooks-supported operating systems. Check out the QuickBooks hardware requirements thoroughly and compare them with your PC to ensure you won’t have to face problems operating QuickBooks-  

QuickBooks Desktop System Requirements for Windows

You must have the following system configuration to run QuickBooks Pro or Premier 2024 and Enterprise 24.0 on a Windows OS:

Operating System:

Sadly, Microsoft has stopped providing security updates, patches, and support for systems running Windows Standard and Essentials Server 2012 and Server 2012 R2 after Oct 10, 2023. Due to this, Windows Server 2012 can’t support QuickBooks 2024, and you can’t install the accounting software on it. Here are the supported OS:

• Windows 11, 64-bit, natively installed
• Windows 10, all 64-bit editions, natively installed
• Windows Server 2022, Standard and Essentials
• Windows Server 2019, Standard and Essentials
• Windows Server 2016, Standard and Essentials

Note: QuickBooks doesn’t support Linux or Windows 10 S mode, and you must not use Windows through an emulator or virtual environment. The North American version of Windows is supported, and admin rights are required for the server computer to host multi-user access.

Database Servers:

You must have a natively installed Windows fulfilling these QuickBooks server requirements-

• Windows Server 2022, Standard and Essentials
• Windows Server 2019, Standard and Essentials
• Windows Server 2016, Standard and Essentials

Web Browser:

You must have Google Chrome and internet access to run QuickBooks Desktop 2024.

Hardware requirements:

You must have a 64-bit Windows OS, as QuickBooks won’t run on a 32-bit Windows OS. These QuickBooks Desktop system requirements must be fulfilled to use the software seamlessly-

Processor	At least 2.4 GHz
RAM (Server)	1-5 Users: 8GB on average 10-15 Users: 12GB  15-20 Users: 16GB 20+ Users: 20GB or more
RAM (Workstations)	It is recommended to have 16GB, but you can settle down with 8 GB.
Disk Space	2.5GB must be allocated to QuickBooks Desktop and additional for data files.
Additional Software Requirements	Microsoft .NET 4.8 Runtime – 60 MB, allotted with the installation files. Intuit Data Protect (IDP) in QuickBooks Connected Services offerings: Requires at least 4.0GB RAM At least double the size of the largest file used for backup + 100MB or twice the size to restore. Space is required in the work folder. Local/ApplicationData + “Intuit\Intuit Data Protect.”
Optical Drive	The system must have 4X DVD-ROM for CD installations.
Screen Resolution	Display calibrated for 1280 × 1024 resolution or more Optimized for Default Dots per Inch (DPI) settings

 

Additional QuickBooks Hardware Requirements:

In case you use the Warehouse Manager in your QB Desktop mobile, you can use these devices:

• Zebra MC40 Mobile Computer (Android 6.0 & above)
• Zebra TC25/TC51 Mobile Computer (Android 6.0 or above) can be integrated with QuickBooks.

The following devices are also supported with QuickBooks Enterprise 2024:

• Honeywell Voyager 1602g Pocket Barcode Scanner
• Symbol CS3070
• Socket Mobile CHS 7CI

Software Compatibility:

QuickBooks needs to integrate with numerous PC applications to perform its tasks. Here are some of the common software:

• Microsoft Office 2021, 2019, 2016 (including Outlook 2016), both on 32-bit and 64-bit.
• Emails, invoices, and other forms require Microsoft Outlook 2016-2021, Microsoft Outlook with Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, Gmail, and other SMTP-supporting email clients.
• You need Microsoft Word 2021, 2019, 2016, or Microsoft 365 (includes 64-bit) on your PC to prepare Letters.
• You need Microsoft Excel 2021, 2019, 2016, or Microsoft 365 (includes 64-bit) on your system to export reports. 
• Contact synchronization is possible only with Microsoft Outlook, which requires Outlook 2021, 2019 (32 and 64-bit), or 2016.
• TurboTax 2023 (Personal and Business)
• Lacerte 2023
• Pro-Series tax year 2023
• QuickBooks Desktop for Mac 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
• Quicken 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader: Business Planner, payroll, and viewing forms require Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.0 or newer versions.
• Your system must have Internet access with at least a 56 Kbps connection speed (1 Mbps recommended) for payroll and other online features and services.

Anti-Malware and Anti-Virus Compatibility:

QuickBooks can successfully operate with the antiviruses and antimalware given below. However, you might have to configure firewall and antivirus settings for QB to prevent its executable files from getting blocked as safety measures-

Antivirus Software:

• McAfee
• Avast
• Bitdefender
• Kaspersky
• Symantec
• F-SecureTrend Micro Security
• Webroot
• Norton
• Cylance (Internet/Regression Only)
• ESET
• Sophos
• Panda Dome
• Avira
• Microsoft Windows Defender

Anti-malware Software:

• Bitdefender
• AVG
• Kaspersky
• Malwarebytes
• Avast
• Webroot
• ZoneAlarm Spybot
• Emsisoft
• McAfee
• F-Secure

Note: QuickBooks Pro or Premier and QuickBooks Enterprise 2024 system requirements also include internet security protocol TLS 1.2. You can easily make the system TLS 1.2 compliant by using the QuickBooks Tool Hub, as shown below:

1. Launch the QuickBooks Tool Hub and select the Installation Issues option.
2. Choose the QuickBooks TLS 1.2 Tool from the bottom right corner.
3. Tap Ok to run the TLS Tool and tap Yes to the EULA Agreement.
4. Click Run and tap Exit when the tool finishes.

QuickBooks Desktop System Requirements for Mac

You must check out these QuickBooks Desktop for Mac 2024 requirements if you use the bookkeeping software on Apple devices-

Operating System:

You can use QuickBooks on Mac OS X v12.0 (Monterey) or later versions and iOS 12.0 or later for iPhone.

Hardware:

QuickBooks Desktop for Mac supports either Intel or Apple CPU hardware.

Processor:

Intel Core Duo 2 or higher processor to run a multi-user server.

RAM:

Intuit recommends 4GB on average or 2GB at least.

Disk Space:

250 MB of storage is required for QuickBooks and additional for company files.

Hardware Requirements:

If your business operations include printing invoices, checks, deposit slips, lists, purchase orders, mailing labels, graphs, or reports, then you must have a Macintosh-compatible printer.

Tip: Use Intuit checks to print checks.

Software Compatibility-

•       Export report data: You can use Apple Numbers v12.0 (or later) or Microsoft Excel 2016 or a newer version, including            Microsoft 365.
•       E-mail as PDF: Apple Mail, Microsoft Outlook 2016, or a newer version, including Microsoft 365.
•       File conversion: Your QuickBooks Mac 2024 supports:
• Conversion to QuickBooks Online (one-way).
• Conversion from QuickBooks Desktop for Windows 2021 and 2023 (one-way).
• Converting to or from QuickBooks Desktop for Windows 2024.

This is the QuickBooks recommended system configuration to enjoy all the software features and bookkeeping at a quick pace without any lags or glitches.

Summary

We have reached the end of this article that discusses the insights into QuickBooks Desktop 2024 System Requirements that you must fulfill in order to run the software. We expect you now understand QuickBooks minimum system specifications for both Windows OS as well as MacOS. Keep them in mind before installing and running QuickBooks for the best experience of automated bookkeeping.

FAQs

What happens if my computer doesn’t meet the minimum requirements to run QuickBooks?

If QuickBooks minimum system specifications aren’t met, you’ll encounter random crashes or glitches in the software. It is possible that the accounting tasks might get delayed, as will other software functions. You must upgrade your system and install new hardware to ensure QuickBooks runs swiftly on your PC.

Do the system requirements change for different QuickBooks versions?

Yes, the system requirements might vary with QuickBooks versions depending on the year and product. QuickBooks for Windows 10 requirements might be a little lower than QuickBooks for Windows 11 requirements because of the new features added in the latter version. However, there’s not much of a change, and you need not worry if you already have high-end specs on your system.

Can I still use an older version of QuickBooks if my computer doesn’t meet the latest requirements?

Yes, you can switch to an old QB version if your current version doesn’t run on your PC. You might have to face limitations in the software functions, a lack of new updates and patches, and some of the new features might not work. We advise you to try upgrading your system rather than switching to an old QB version.

Does QuickBooks require any specific peripherals?

Nothing specific. QuickBooks doesn’t depend on any peripherals apart from a system having specs that fulfill the software’s minimum requirements. However, it is up to you if you want to attach a printer, scanner, or any other device that your business requires.