QuickBooks is CRAP!
Hey Mark, tell us how you REALLY FEEL!
QuickBooks. WHAT A PILE OF CRAP!
Intuit decided that they would encrypt data and require a password in their standalone program files. Supposedly this is only supposed to happen if you entered SS numbers or employee data or credit card data, but their explanation leaves much to be desired.
I once entered a dummy credit card but removed it. When I updated the software, it encrypted the database. It seems that their cleanup of deleted data was not complete.
I am not the only customer with this problem and we have been quite vocal in wanting a solution. Intuit says they will pass along our comments to the Engineers but this has been their response FOR YEARS.
Intuit gives the same response each time, that they are an accounting company and their software MUST secure data regardless, it appears, of the needs of the customers who have no data needing securing.
It is interesting that there is guaranteed sensitive data in tax forms but their Turbo Tax standalone software does not require encryption! So their answer is CRAP!
So why do we customers complain? Because we have no data needing securing. In my case, no credit card numbers, no social security numbers, no bank account numbers, no sensitive customer data. In essence, no need to encrypt data or require a password.
It is not just the need to enter a password to get into the data, but it is encrypted. I believe that Intuit is more concerned that people can extract data with other software, and those who use QuickBooks well know that the reporting in the product leave A LOT to be desired.
So my suggestion is to investigate other products before settling on QuickBooks.