eMail invoices without admin privileges

Are you able to create PDF files of the invoice either through QB or using a

3rd party PDF tool like CutePDF? One workaround would be to convert the invoice to a pdf file and manually attach it to an e-mail message.

Hi Laura,

Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!

We are using a third party product similar to CutePDF called PDF Creator. And, yes they can create a PDF from it and eMail the invoice manually.

Problem: this would be okay for you and I to do, but the customers are so, so not that technically skilled.

Speaking of PDF Creator, there may be a work around here. When I (temporarily) give the users Windows Admin rights, the eMail invoice process goes right through. None of the expected pop ups from PDF Creator that you would normally see. Quick Books must be intercepting the data stream somewhere.

When I give QB users the standard (Windows) user account, they get the following *stupid* error message:

QuickBooks cannot connect to remote server because part of your company data is currently in use

And you get all the customary pop ups from PDF Creator as to what to do with the PDF. So the data stream doesn't get diverted.

So, I am figuring the way to eMail invoices is to give "everyone" rights over something in the printing process that would allow QB to intercept data from a print driver as if it had admin privileges. Problem: I have no clue how to do it. Anyone have any suggestions?

Many thanks,

-T

Here's a thought....what if you changed the shortcut used to launch QB so that it runs the program as Administrator? You might also need to do something similar for the QB PDF convertor. This certainly sounds like a permissions issue. Something in the back of my mind says that QB must be run in admin mode but I can't remember where I got that from so it might not be accurate.

Hi Laura,

That is how I tested it. If I let the users do that, they will be able to see each other's company files. That would really, really get us in hot water!

"QB PDF converter" is on the machine, but does not even show up unless the user has admin rights over the computer.

What I think I need is for the users to have "everyone" rights over either or both "QB PDF converter" or "PDF Creator"

-T

If the files are password protected would that turn the water to warm?

Which leads me to believe that QB does need to be run in admin mode.

I just noticed that I could also "share" the QB PDF converter. That might be worth checking out too.

This is really a fight between Microsoft and the software developers. MS is trying to prevent the common user from being the Admin but the software developers are requiring users to run in Admin mode. Can't have it both ways.

If these ideas don't work you may end up having your users violate some rules and run as admin. It may be easier to deal with the fallout of that change than to fight Microsoft & Intuit on the use of admin user.

Todd,

we provide a free tool called billFLO that streamlines the process of emailing invoices . The good news is that it doesnt require Windows or QB admin access to use. It does require Windows and QB admin access to install it, because its being given access to the company file. Thereafter it can be run with lower level permissions.

You can find it here:

Feel free to email me if you have any questions! ian at anoowa dott comm

Ian

Hi Ian,

I am getting an error trying to open it. I will send you a screen shot of the error on your eMail.

-T