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Quickbooks Pro 2016: will it really stop working?

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
May 15, 2024
4 replies
17 views

We are still using a perpetual licence version of Quickbooks Pro 2016. This is pre-online, and is perfectly adequate for our book-keeping and reporting needs.

I've just launched it and received a warning that at the end of the month it will stop working, and I need to move to the online version or find another solution.

The core question is: is this actually true? Can Intuit actually disable our bought-and-paid-for legacy version of QB which utilises no online services, in an attempt to strong-arm us to a subscription model that we neither want or need?

If it is true, I have some choice words for Intuit, none of them polite. And I can categorically assure you that we will not be subscribing to the online service as it is chronically over-priced and under-performing for our requirements, and I have no faith in the migration process.

QuickBooks Desktop

Best answer by emmam6

Hello Pete, thanks for reaching out to the QuickBooks Community. We are sorry for the frustrations this messaging has caused you. For clarification, QuickBooks Desktop was discontinued in the UK in June 2023, but there are ex-subscribed users who are still able to use the software. From May, access will no longer be possible on subscribed versions QBDT 2016 and above, though we are urging all users to migrate to another software solution before this date.

If you purchased QuickBooks outright it should have been clear in the message that perpetual outright licences bought through retail would be excluded from the deactivation and will be able to access the QuickBooks desktop product still. We have brought this up with our head office and the message will be updated.

4

4Gal

Level 5

For your reference

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-uk/other-questions/access-to-qb-desktop-will-be-permanently-terminated-in-may-2024/00/1440412

You should be fine. But make sure to start creating backup files starting next week.

E

emmam6Answer

Hello Pete, thanks for reaching out to the QuickBooks Community. We are sorry for the frustrations this messaging has caused you. For clarification, QuickBooks Desktop was discontinued in the UK in June 2023, but there are ex-subscribed users who are still able to use the software. From May, access will no longer be possible on subscribed versions QBDT 2016 and above, though we are urging all users to migrate to another software solution before this date.

If you purchased QuickBooks outright it should have been clear in the message that perpetual outright licences bought through retail would be excluded from the deactivation and will be able to access the QuickBooks desktop product still. We have brought this up with our head office and the message will be updated.

P

petecroftAuthor

Thank you - it certainly wasn't clear from the desktop alert.

I do appreciate we're on a very old version, and that future activation if we e.g. move machines may be in jeopardy, so we will be looking at migrating to an alternative solution. I'm reluctant to go to a subscription service purely because we don't actually need the notional 'benefits', as they're not really relevant to our operation.

I was somewhat alarmed that we might be looking at two weeks notice of certain death, though 🙂

A

alunwebb

If you have all your license numbers you can contact intuit support, they will give you the activation code for your product and instructions how to get around the online activation and use the code they give you. Did this a couple of years back when I upgraded laptops they sent me through activation codes for the two copies of 2016 Premier I purchased, together with step by step instructions how to use the code. On their website they did have a downloadable copy of 2016 and it's last update which you'll need if your data was opened with an updated version of 2016. If you have all this then you should be safe to change computers and be able to get quickbooks up and running again. Hope that's some help.

A

AndrewRobotham

I am also concerned about this issue. I am a small business owner and use a legally purchased version of QuickBooks Desktop 2014, which I bought in 2014 through Barclays Bank, to manage three companies. Unfortunately, I am unable to migrate to the online version because it does not adequately support stock control or the creation of product assemblies.

At present, every time I launch QuickBooks, I have to change the date on my computer to prevent the software from blocking my access. This is worrying, as there is always a risk that I may forget to do this. I do not want to continue using this workaround, especially considering that I paid for this software years ago and it still works perfectly well for my business needs.

Please can you confirm whether any measures have been put in place to ensure that my access to QuickBooks will not be blocked if I attempt to use it without this workaround?

M

MoiraskyeT

QuickBooks Team

Hi, Andrew.

I understand your concern about QuickBooks blocking access if you forgot to change the date on your computer.

The QuickBooks Desktop relies on certain authentication systems that can expire over time. Once it expires, the software may no longer function, unless you have a valid license.

Additionally, no formal measures have been established to ensure continuous access to QuickBooks Desktop 2014 without relying on the date-change workaround.

If you must continue using the 2014 version of QuickBooks Desktop, it's crucial that you regularly back up your data in a secure manner.

Please respond to this thread if you have additional concerns in your QBDT.

A

AndrewRobotham

Hi there,

Thank you for getting back to me. However, this is precisely my concern. I should not have to worry about losing access to software that I paid a significant amount of money for and hold a valid licence for. I understand the decision to no longer support an older version, but I do not understand how or why it is considered acceptable to block users from accessing software that has been fully purchased and paid for. This is neither fair nor acceptable.

I do not want to have to constantly remember to change the date on my computer just to ensure I am not blocked from using software that I legitimately own.

P

petecroftAuthor

I'm not sure why this thread has woken up two years after it was resolved, but the notifications are quite annoying 🙂

The already accepted solution was the correct answer: perpetual QB desktop licences keep working, but you'll be out of luck for support, and when you eventually have a reinstall/install issue you'll have no real choice other than to upgrade or migrate to a different product. So keep taking balance reports 🙂

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