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Is your Quickbooks chuggin’ along slower than a turtle trying to cross the road? This is more than just a nuisance; it’s a serious issue that can hinder your normal business operations. Rather than logging into your Quickbooks to perform all of the necessary account, you’ll be forced to wait around for the program to load (if it decides to load). Thankfully, speed problems such as this are typically caused by one of several different factors. Once you’ve identified the problem, you can make the necessary changes to fix it.

Reason #1) Running Too Many Applications

One of the most common reasons why some users experience slow speeds with Quickbooks is because they are running too many applications at once. Assuming you are using a Windows-based PC, you should fire up your task manager to see exactly which programs are running. Close out of any unnecessary programs and then launch your Quickbooks application. The reduced PC and memory usage should translate into faster speeds with Quickbooks.

Reason #2) Automatic Updates

By default, Quickbooks automatically updates itself once a new version is released. What’s the problem with automatic updates? Well, some of these updates may have compatibility problems with users’ hardware and/or software. Quickbooks may not realize these problems until they are reported by users. This is why it’s recommended that you install updates manually — after they’ve been tested and verified by the Quickbooks community.

Reason #3) Outdated Hardware

Of course, a third factor that may contribute to a slow Quickbooks application is outdated hardware. If you’re still using the same desktop computer that you purchased 10 years ago, then it’s probably time for an upgrade. There are a few key pieces of hardware that affect the speed and performance of Quickbooks, including processor speed and RAM. Make sure your computer has the “recommended” hardware requirements and not the “minimum.”

Reason #4) Large Company File Size

A fourth possible reason why Quickbooks is running slow is because your company file size is too large. The company file consists of all your transactions and accounting data, so it’s naturally going to take up a fair amount of space. You can reduce the size of this file, however, by taking out and consolidating unnecessary information. And if you’re worried about losing vital information, perform a backup and save your company file to a USB flash drive or external hard drive.