Reference

QB-Flow command reference.

QB-Flow is a command-line utility that automates QuickBooks Desktop maintenance, including major version upgrades and minor patch updates. Copy the commands below and see what each switch does.

Before you run

Run QB-Flow on the computer where QuickBooks Desktop is installed.
Close QuickBooks and related windows if possible.
Run PowerShell as Administrator for best results.
Most update commands require your Customer ID: /customerid <ID>.

Quick start

Run all updates (major and minor) for all installed QuickBooks years:

PowerShell

.\qb-flow.exe /customerid <YourCustomerID>

Default behavior: if you do not specify /major or /minor, QB-Flow runs both.

Most common commands

Minor patch updates only, recommended weekly:

PowerShell

.\qb-flow.exe /customerid <YourCustomerID> /minor

Major upgrades only:

PowerShell

.\qb-flow.exe /customerid <YourCustomerID> /major

Target specific years only:

PowerShell

.\qb-flow.exe /customerid <YourCustomerID> /minor /years 2023,2024

Updates and targeting

/customerid <ID>

Your Customer ID used for license validation. Required for update actions.

Example

.\qb-flow.exe /customerid cus_123456789

/years <Year1,Year2>

Targets specific QuickBooks years, comma-separated. If omitted, all installed years are targeted.

Example

.\qb-flow.exe /customerid <YourCustomerID> /minor /years 2022,2023

/major

Runs only major version updates (for example 2023 → 2024). Cannot be used with /minor.

Example

.\qb-flow.exe /customerid <YourCustomerID> /major

/minor

Runs only minor patch updates for currently installed versions. Cannot be used with /major.

Example

.\qb-flow.exe /customerid <YourCustomerID> /minor

Tools and cleanup

/qbtools install

Installs the QuickBooks Tool Hub.

Example

.\qb-flow.exe /qbtools install

/qbtools uninstall

Uninstalls the QuickBooks Tool Hub.

Example

.\qb-flow.exe /qbtools uninstall

/deletepublicdesktop

Deletes all public QuickBooks desktop icons.

Example

.\qb-flow.exe /deletepublicdesktop

New client information

Looking for detailed information about Customer IDs, pricing and billing?

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