Installing QB Desktop 21 on a new PC

Forum|Forum|8 months ago
November 5, 2025
1 reply
8 views

I retired from business 5 years ago and retained a copy of QB Desktop Pro 2021 to do a couple of sets of charity accounts. My PC now needs upgrading as it does not support Windows 11.

I still have the Licence number and Product code and also a program file.

Will I be able to install and use the program on a new PC?

Many thanks

QuickBooks Desktop

SIAB

Level 2

Can you still open any of your compamy files on QB Desktop 2021?

ElfitAuthor

Yes I can open company files on my existing computer. I was wondering if I would be able to activate the program on a new computer. (Not yet bought).

NerbynMaeI

QuickBooks Team

Welcome to the QuickBooks Community forum, Elfit.

Yes, you can install and use QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2021 (QB Desktop) on a new PC. Before installing, please note that since it is an outdated edition, you'll have to ensure that your device is compatible with this version.

For more detailed information about the system requirements for QuickBooks Desktop editions, you can check out this article: System requirements for QuickBooks Desktop 2021

On the other hand, QuickBooks no longer supports QBDT in the United Kingdom. You can refer to this United States article to initiate the installation process: Move or reinstall QuickBooks Desktop to another computer. You can also seek assistance from your IT specialist to ensure the technical accuracy of the procedure needed for this matter.

Once you've completed the installation, the system will prompt you to activate QuickBooks Desktop. To complete the activation, please enter your original license number and product code.

Here's the step-by-step:

Open your QBDT.
Navigate to the Help menu and choose Activate QuickBooks Desktop.
Follow the on-screen instructions to activate the software.

You can always reach out to us if you have other questions.

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