Using the CS QuickBooks Data Utility

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Product support for the Creative Solutions Accounting platform ended on September 30, 2020.

Help & How-To Center content for the Creative Solutions Accounting platform may be outdated and is used at your own risk.


The CS QuickBooks Data Utility v.11.0 is designed to work with QuickBooks Pro/Premier/Enterprise versions currently supported by Intuit.

Getting data from QuickBooks

The utility's Export data to Accountant option creates a set of XML files and combines them into a single, secure file that can then be imported into Write-Up CS (via Accountant's Assistant) or into Trial Balance CS.

The export file created by the utility includes the date range specified by the user during the export, plus the QuickBooks company name (for example, CSExport from 01-01-12 to 12-31-12 Client Name.QBW.qbexportdata).

Export files created using the CS QuickBooks Data Utility may be used to import the following into CSA:

  • All data and transactions (for Write-Up CS users with Accountant's Assistant).
  • Account balances only (for Trial Balance CS users, or for Write-Up CS users with Accountant's Assistant).

You or your clients can use the CS QuickBooks Data Utility to create export files from QuickBooks when the client data cannot be directly opened in QuickBooks during the import process (for example, when you are using CSA in a Virtual Office CS or other Terminal Server environment).

The utility creates an export file that contains all of the QuickBooks data for the selected company and for the specified date range. You can then save the resulting export file to a folder on your local drive and select this export file during the import of QuickBooks data into Write-Up CS (via Accountant's Assistant) or into Trial Balance CS.

To use the feature, the CS QuickBooks Data Utility v.11.0 (provided with CSA or available from the CSA download page of our website) must be installed to the same network location or workstation where QuickBooks has been installed.

Sending adjustments to QuickBooks

The utility's Retrieve data from Accountant option transfers a secure XML file (from Accountant's Assistant) that contains adjustment transactions from CSA back to QuickBooks.

The XML file is created in Accountant's Assistant (via the Tasks > Generate command) and includes the CSA company name along with the file's date-and-time stamp (for example, QBgenxferCSAClientName date time.xml).

To use the feature, the CS QuickBooks Data Utility v.11.0 (provided with CSA or available from the CSA download page our website) must be installed to the same network location or workstation where QuickBooks has been installed.

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Installing the CS QuickBooks Data Utility (accountant's office)

The following steps pertain to a local or network installation of CSA. However, if you use CSA in a Virtual Office CS environment, you will instead need to obtain the CS QuickBooks Data Utility by downloading it from the CSA download page of our CS website.

  1. From the Windows taskbar, choose Start > Run, and enter d:\Wincsi\Csa\QBDataUtility\QBDataUtilitySetup.exe (where d represents the hard drive or network location where the CSA application files are installed.

    Note: If a prior version of the utility exists on your machine, the Application Maintenance dialog opens automatically. Click the Remove option and then click Next through the prompts. After the prior version as been completely removed, double-click the QBDataUtilitySetup.exe file once more to install the latest version of the utility.

  2. Respond to the prompts by accepting all of the default selections to accomplish both of the following:
    • Install the CS QuickBooks Data Utility to d:\Program Files\Creative Solutions\QB Data Utility\
    • Create a new CS QuickBooks Data Utility shortcut icon on your desktop

If your client will be creating the export files from QuickBooks:

  • You may transmit the QBDataUtilitySetup.exe file to your client (on removable media or via email) for local installation on the network drive or workstation where the client's QuickBooks application is installed.

    Note: If your client uses QuickBooks Pro through Right Networks, the CS QuickBooks Data Utility is installed for them automatically to the H:\Program Files\Creative Solutions\QB Data Utility\ folder.

  • Please print one of the documents listed below, as appropriate, to give or send to your QuickBooks client via email. (An active Internet connection is required to open the PDF in Adobe Reader.)

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Creating the export file using the CS QuickBooks Data Utility (accountant's office or clients office)

  1. If you are using Windows 7 or later and the User Account Control (UAC) feature is enabled, open QuickBooks but do not open the company database.
  2. Click the CS QuickBooks Data Utility shortcut icon on your desktop.
  3. Mark the Export data to Accountant option.
  4. In the Date Range to Export section of the dialog, specify the date range to include in the export file by doing either of the following:
    • Select one of the options from the drop-down list in the Dates field (This Month; This Calendar Quarter; This Calendar Year; Last Month; Last Calendar Quarter; Last Calendar Year; or Custom).
    • Enter the From > To dates using the MMDDYY date format.
  5. Enter or browse to the file location for the QuickBooks company data file (.QBW).
  6. If you are using Windows 7 or later and the User Account Control (UAC) feature is enabled, return to the QuickBooks application and open the company database that you want to import.
  7. Return to the CS QuickBooks Data Utility and enter or browse to location where the export file is to be saved.
  8. Click the Export button.
  9. The QuickBooks - Application Certificate dialog opens automatically in QuickBooks. Click the Yes, always; allow access to the data even if QuickBooks is not running option. Mark the Allow this application to access personal data such as Social Security Numbers and customer credit card information checkbox and then click Continue.
  10. At the confirmation dialog, click Done to complete the creation of the export files.

The export file created by the utility includes the date range specified by the user plus the QuickBooks company name (for example, CSExport from 01-01-12 to 12-31-12 Client Name.QBW.qbexportdata).

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Saving the export file to a location you can browse to during the import process (accountant's office)

If the client has created the export file to send to you, save that file in a folder in a location (on your own network or workstation) to which you can browse during the import process. Note that you may import multiple times from this same export file if necessary.

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Importing data from the export file (accountant's office)

The QuickBooks Retrieve Options dialog opens automatically during the import process and enables you to specify the appropriate import options. Mark the checkbox to indicate that you are importing from QuickBooks 2006 or higher, click the option to import from the export file, and then click OK.

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Transferring transactions from CSA to QuickBooks (accountant's office)

This feature, which is available only for Accountant's Assistant higher and QuickBooks Pro, Premier, or Enterprise versions currently supported by Intuit, enables you to transfer certain transactions back to the client to enable them to adjust their data in QuickBooks.

  • You can choose to transfer transactions that were originally entered directly into CSA.
  • You can choose to transfer QuickBooks transactions that have been retrieved into CSA and subsequently modified in CSA (that is, by any change to the amount distribution or total, to the account number, and/or to the vendor).

For complete details, see Transferring transactions from CSA to QuickBooks.

Note: This feature is not available for the Account Balances Only import from QuickBooks.

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Importing data from the accountant into QuickBooks using the CS QuickBooks Data Utility (accountant's office or client's office)

  1. Open QuickBooks and then open the company database.
  2. Click the CS QuickBooks Data Utility shortcut icon on your desktop.
  3. Mark the Retrieve data from Accountant option.
  4. Enter or browse to the folder location for the QuickBooks company data file (.QBW).
  5. Enter or browse to the folder location for the file to be retrieved.
  6. Click the Retrieve button.
  7. The QuickBooks - Application Certificate dialog opens automatically in QuickBooks. Click the Yes, always; allow access to the data even if QuickBooks is not running option. Mark the Allow this application to access personal data such as Social Security Numbers and customer credit card information checkbox and then click Continue.
  8. At the confirmation prompt, click OK to complete the retrieval process.

For more details, see Transferring transactions from CSA to QuickBooks.

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