18 Jun Quickbooks Problem #1/5: Multiple Users Causes Slow Connections

Resolving the multi-user slowdown problem in Quickbooks

If you use Quickbooks, you understand it’s an essential part of your business. Quickbooks handles numerous tasks associated with account management and is relied on by thousands of companies. So, when problems occur, these management processes are interrupted much to the frustration of their users.

We’re going to tackle one such problem: slowdowns that occur when multiple users are connected to Quickbooks. It’s a common issue, so if you and other staff experience it, you’re not alone. There are various solutions to it and we’ll dive into several solutions, hopefully bypassing the need for additional support.

Typically, connection and slowdown problems occur when Quickbooks operates on larger company networks with dozens of users.

When problems do occur, it’s a confusing and frustrating experience. What solution works? How do you implement the solution? Do you need reinstall something or run troubleshooting software? The list goes on. It doesn’t help that various issues occur which can cause those problems. One of said problems is the slowdown in multiuser mode.

While multi-user mode is beneficial with a wide range of applications, it’s not practical to use if company performance is affected.

What problems can occur

These are typical symptoms of multi-user mode causing problems:

• Administration errors occur, such as difficulty accessing accounts and sending messages
• Opening files takes longer than expected, usually for long durations
• Data damage, corrupted files, and other file damage 
• Difficulty performing alternate tasks or running software on the system or network
• General tasks experience slowdown for all users on the network
• Administrators and management experience errors
• A gradual slowdown of processes, network, and tasks

Why do these problems occur?

A variety of factors are potential culprits when experiencing multi-user slowdown. 

• The system processing a file has limited capacity and can’t handle the file size
• Multiple users are accessing one system or network at the same time
• Network card does not have the hardware capacity to handle processing queries
• Large Quickbooks report is running

These problems mean the overall performance of Quickbooks is poor. To resolve them, we have a list of potential solutions listed.

Update to latest Quickbooks Version

Download and update to the latest Quickbooks version for all relevant systems, which can potentially solve most issues users experience. Updates are an essential part of maintaining consistent performance and are also necessary for security reasons.

Use high-performance devices and computers

Part of improved processing can simply come down to the hardware. Users and staff should have access to business machines capable of processing multiple processes without issue. A good benchmark for high performance is at least 8GB of RAM, an SSD instead of HDD, and a connection to a high-speed internet service.

Use high-speed network interfaces and hardware

Utilize the built-in gigabit connections present on switches, routers, and PC network cards. Upgrade hardware that doesn’t have these built-in options, as the higher speed capabilities will allow each system to process data at a faster rate.

Open Quickbook files via URL instead of directly accessing the shared drive

You can resolve slowdown issues by directly running operations from a Quickbooks URL.

Other tips for boosting performance

• Use a fast internet connection, as network speed determines availability of resources
• Clearing the cache, local files, and cookies on certain low-performing machines can assist in increasing speeds
• Repair and/or remove corrupted files (you can use the Quickbooks File Repair Tool for this, or create transferable versions of data)

Other suggestions

These quality of life tips can also help with your overall data protection, integrity, and Quickbooks speed.

Track network and operation activity

Analyzing how Quickbooks is used on a daily basis (following the normal operations of your business) can provide invaluable insight. This insight can reveal how data is used, network activity, and where slowdowns – if any – are occurring. It also helps establish usage patterns that can be used to implement better network policies and benefit the business as a whole.

Backup files

No matter what, keep robust backups of data and files. This reduces the total network load and also preserves information in case of corruption on Quickbooks.

Run reports on faster systems

Running reports, especially in high quantities, can cause slowdown. To circumvent this, use a high-performance system and run large reports/operations when network activity is low. 

Additional Assistance

Still experiencing trouble with Quickbooks? You can contact Bytagig today for resolution options.

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