How to Resolve Display Issues in QuickBooks Desktop Quickly?

Display issues in QuickBooks Desktop, including distorted graphics, overlapping text, blurry screens, and missing icons, can interrupt workflow and decrease productivity. These problems are specifically challenging during financial periods when precise data is important.

For businesses that rely on QuickBooks, quickly resolving these issues is significant. Common causes include outdated drivers, wrong screen resolution, etc. Understanding these causes and implementing effective troubleshooting steps can save time and boost productivity.

This blog talks about QuickBooks Desktop display issues in detail, including their causes, symptoms, and effective troubleshooting steps. For complete guidance, read the entire article till the end.

What are Display issues in QuickBooks Desktop?

Display issues in QuickBooks limit user interaction with the application. Common problems include overwritten fields, irregular fonts, and mismatched colors. These issues lessen the software usability and adversely impact productivity.

Quick resolution of these issues ensures smooth workflow and stops errors and downtime. This method keeps QuickBooks running competently and supports precise financial management.

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What Causes QuickBooks Desktop Display Errors?

Several factors cause display issues in QuickBooks Desktop. Understanding these causes helps resolve the problems quickly:

• High-DPI settings: QuickBooks Desktop is created for standard DPI settings. High-DPI displays (e.g., 125%, 150%, or 200%) trigger blurry text or overlapping fields.
• Unsupported screen resolution: Using QuickBooks on unsupported resolutions leads to misaligned fields and buttons.
• Outdated graphics drivers: QuickBooks rely on graphics capabilities. Outdated or corrupt drivers trigger display issues.
• QuickBooks version issues: Older QuickBooks versions fail to work with newer systems, leading to display glitches.
• Windows scaling settings: High Windows scaling settings trigger unsuitable scaling in QuickBooks, triggering display issues.
• Corrupt QuickBooks installation: Corrupted files from installation impact the display.

What are the Indicators of QuickBooks Desktop Display Glitches?

Here are the key signs to watch for, to determine the QuickBooks display problems:

• The transaction form fails to fit on the screen.
• Some buttons vanish, and font size increases.
• The sizing icon on the top right corner is absent.
• The home page appears blank or unreachable.
• Fields overwrite and hide labels, signifying display issues.
• The screen becomes blurred when minimizing or maximizing.

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How to Troubleshoot QuickBooks Desktop Display Issues?

Here are the step-by-step methods to troubleshoot display issues in QuickBooks depending on the underlying causes:

Method 1: When the DPI (Dot per inch) settings are at a higher resolution

To edit QuickBooks DPI settings to match the default display requirements, follow the steps below:

• Shut down QuickBooks Desktop.
• Go to the Windows Start menu.
• Type “QuickBooks” in the search bar, right-click the “QuickBooks” icon, and choose the Open file location tab.
• Right-click the “QuickBooks.exe” file in the folder and select the Properties option.
• Go to the “Compatibility” tab.
• Check the box for “Disable display scaling on high DPI settings”. Next, click the option “Change high DPI settings” and choose the “Override high DPI scaling behavior” option.
• Click the “Apply” and “OK” buttons.
• Restart QuickBooks and look for display issues. You are all set if the display looks correct.

Method 2: Adjust the Screen Resolution Settings

Set your screen resolution to 1024×768. This ensures that screen elements are correctly sized for easier interaction. Change the resolution to avoid difficulty in clicking or viewing elements.

On Windows 10

• Hit right-click on the Desktop and choose the “Display” option.
• Choose the option “Advanced Display Settings” from the left pane. Choose the one you want to change if there are multiple displays.
• Under the “Resolution” section, choose the recommended screen resolution of 1024×768 or higher.
• Click the “Apply” button and then select the option “Keep the Changes”.
• Note: Change the default settings in QuickBooks for optimal display on a newer high-resolution monitor. This ensures appropriate scaling and compatibility.

On Windows 8, 8.1 and 7

To adjust screen resolution settings:

• Hit right-click anywhere on the Desktop and choose the Display option.
• Click on the “Screen Settings” option.
• Search for the Resolution drop-down menu and choose “1024 x 768” or higher.
• Click the “OK” button to implement the changes.

Method 3: Reset the Default Display Settings of Your Windows

Restore the default display settings of Windows to resolve display issues in QuickBooks, using these steps:

• To restore default display settings for Windows 10 and Windows 8, adhere to the Microsoft Instructions.
• Set the minimum resolution at 1024 x 768 for the screen. However, 1920 x 1080 is the ideal display recommended.
• Once completed, restart the system and open QuickBooks and the company file again.

Method 4: Restart Windows

Rebooting the system fixes many QuickBooks issues, including display problems. This simple and efficient method clears the RAM and temporary files from the system cache, boosting performance. Properly shutting down and restarting the system can help resolve the QuickBooks display issues.

Method 5: Update the Graphics Drivers

Updating the Graphic Drivers often resolves QuickBooks display issues. Here are the steps to update the graphic drivers:

• Click the “Start” tab.
• Go to the “Control Panel”.
• Click on the option “Device Manager”.
• Select the “Display Adapters” option and right-click on the video/graphic card you require to upgrade. Select the option, “Update Driver Software”.
• Choose the option, “Search automatically” to go to the manufacturer’s website and locate the correct driver.
• Note: Manual driver updates are not advised, as they may lead to incorrect files or failed installations.
• Download and install the driver.
• Finally, reboot the system.

Method 6: Configure Compatibility Settings

To resolve display issues in QuickBooks, configuring compatibility settings often helps. Here are the steps to do it:

• Open Internet Explorer and click on the “Tools” option, then choose “Compatibility View Settings”.
• Click “ALT + T” to use the Tools menu.
• Ensure the option “Add this website” does not include intuit.com or qbo.intuit.com.
• Confirm that the “Display all websites in Compatibility View” checkbox is not selected.

Method 7: View Preferences in QuickBooks should be correct

To change the View Preferences in QuickBooks:

• Open the company file and go to the “Edit” menu, then select the option “Preferences”.
• Choose the option “Desktop View” from the list and click the “My Preferences” tab.
• In the “View” section, choose the “One Window” option and click the “OK” tab.
• Close and reopen QuickBooks, then open the company file to check for display issues.

To resolve issues in Internet Explorer, use these steps:

• Uncheck the box beside the option, “Include updated website listings from Microsoft”.
• Close the Internet Explorer.
• Open QuickBooks and check if the display issues in QuickBooks are resolved or not.

Method 8: Close Process Running in Background

By shutting down processes running in the background, QuickBooks display issues can be resolved. Here are the steps for it:

• Reboot “QuickBooks” by clicking the “Windows Start” tab and opening the “Start Menu”.
• Type “Task Manager” and open it.
• Click on the “Processes” tab to view the current running processes.
• Look for a process named “QuickBooks (32-bit)” or “QuickBooks.exe”.
• Select the process and click the “End Task” option.
• Reboot the system, then launch “QuickBooks” to check if the display issues are fixed.

Method 9: Change the QBW.ini file

Change the QBW.ini file and fix QuickBooks display issues using these steps:

• Go to Windows and type or paste the correct file path for your QuickBooks version, then click the Enter tab.
• QuickBooks 2018: C:\ProgramData\Intuit\QuickBooks 2018\QBW.ini
• Enterprise Solutions 18.0: C:\ProgramData\Intuit\QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 18.0\QBW.ini
• QuickBooks 2017: C:\ProgramData\Intuit\QuickBooks 2017\QBW.ini
• Enterprise Solutions 17.0: C:\ProgramData\Intuit\QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 17.0\QBW.ini
• QuickBooks 2016: C:\ProgramData\Intuit\QuickBooks 2016\QBW.ini
• Enterprise Solutions 16.0: C:\ProgramData\Intuit\QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 16.0\QBW.ini
• QuickBooks 2015: C:\ProgramData\Intuit\QuickBooks 2015\QBW.ini
• Enterprise Solutions 15.0: C:\ProgramData\Intuit\QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 15.0\QBW.ini
• Copy and paste “COLORS, CLassic-0” into the file.
• Save the “QBW.ini” file.
• Open “QuickBooks” to check if the display issues are resolved.

Method 10: Update View Card Drivers

To update view card drivers, follow these steps:

• Click the “Start” tab and go to the “Control Panel”.
• Select the “Device Manager” option.
• Right-click the “Display Adapter” and select “Update Driver”.
• Click the “Search” tab.
• To update manually, type the “Display Adapter’s” name from the “Device Manager” into the “Display Adapters” window.
• Visit the manufacturer’s website and search for the appropriate driver.
• Download the driver and run the downloaded file.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
• Reboot the system.

Conclusion

This article has covered various reasons for QuickBooks display issues and provided solutions to resolve them. We hope that all your queries have been resolved. Still, if the issue is not resolved, or you require professional assistance, feel free to reach out to us.

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