You can update your QuickBooks Desktop to the latest release manually or automatically. Turn on Automatic Update to allow QuickBooks to download the latest updates, whether or not the program is running. If you wish to turn this feature off, we recommend manually updating QuickBooks once a month.

Find out if you have the latest release patch for your QuickBooks Desktop

1. With QuickBooks Desktop open, press the F2 key (or, alternatively, Ctrl+1) on your keyboard.
2. On the Product Information window, check the current version and release.
   
3. Check the latest release available for your product:
   • QuickBooks 2019
   • QuickBooks 2018
   • QuickBooks 2017
   • QuickBooks 2016

Download and install QuickBooks release updates

Updating to a new release (example: R3P to R5P) sometimes needs to make minor changes in the database. These changes will not make the data file incompatible with earlier releases.

Manual update

Option 1: Download from the Internet

Here’s how to download:

1. Go to the Downloads & Updates page.
2. From the Select Product drop-down, select your QuickBooks product.
3. From the Select Version drop-down, select the appropriate version or year.
4. Select Search.
5. Select Get the latest updates, then Save/Save File to download the update.
6. When the download completes, double-click to install the update. You may need to restart Windows after the installation finishes.

To manually install updates across your network, you can:

1. Access the install file on your computer from another computer; or
2. Copy the install file to a flash drive, then to the desktop of another computer.

Option 2: From within QuickBooks Desktop

1. Go to the File menu, then select Close Company/Logoff.
   Note: If you open multiple company files in QuickBooks Desktop, you have to do this step for every company that is open.
2. Go back to the File menu, then select Exit.
3. Right-click the QuickBooks Desktop icon on your desktop, then select Run as administrator.
4. While on the No Company Open screen, go to the Help menu then choose Update QuickBooks…
5. Go to the Options tab, then select Mark All. Select Save.
6. Go to the Update Now tab, then mark the Reset Update box.
7. Select Get Updates button.
8. When Update Complete appears, close QuickBooks Desktop.
9. Reopen QuickBooks Desktop. If you get the message to install update, select Yes.
10. When the installation is complete, restart your computer.

Note: If you have a Payroll subscription, download the latest payroll tax table to process payroll in QuickBooks Desktop. Note that your Payroll subscription must be active.

Download latest tax table
here.

Option 3: Critical Fixes (ULIP)

Automatic update

Option 1: Download and install automatic update NOW

1. From the QuickBooks Help menu, select Update QuickBooks.
2. On the Update QuickBooks window, go to the Update Now tab. You can ignore the table because you don’t need to change anything.
3. (Optional) Put a check mark in the box Reset Update box to erase all previous update downloads.
   Note: This may increase the amount of time needed for the update.
4. Select Get Updates.
5. Restart QuickBooks. When prompted, accept the option to install the new release.

Option 2: Download automatically in the future

1. Go to the Help menu, then select Update QuickBooks.
2. On the Update QuickBooks window, go to the Options tab.
3. To turn on automatic updates, select the radio button for Yes.
4. (Optional) To share automatic downloads with other computers on your network, select the radio button for Yes.
5. Select Close. QuickBooks will now download the update when it is released.

Note: To update QuickBooks Database Server Manager, see Install, Update, and Set up the QuickBooks Database Server Manager.