My software won’t open the screen just goes gray with a green QuickBooks symbol in the middle.

Find out what to do if you notice font, size, or other display problems.

Do your icons or fonts appear fuzzy? Are the windows blank or oddly sized?

If you have a modern high-resolution monitor, you may need to adjust your QuickBooks default settings. Here are the QuickBooks Desktop settings we recommend for the best results.

Step 1: Modify the QuickBooks display settings

Change your display and view choices in QuickBooks before modifying any Windows settings.

• QuickBooks Desktop should be closed.
• Navigate to the Windows Start menu.
• Enter "QuickBooks" into the search box. Then, on the QuickBooks icon, right-click and select Open file location.
• Right-click the QuickBooks.exe file in the folder and select Properties.
• Navigate to the Compatibility tab.
• Check the option labeled Disable display scaling on high DPI settings. Change high DPI settings and then Overriding high DPI scaling behavior are other options.
• Choose Apply, then OK.
• Look for display difficulties in QuickBooks. If everything appears to be in order, you're ready to go. If you still experience problems, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Modify your QuickBooks view choices

• Select Preferences from the Edit menu in QuickBooks.
• Choose Desktop View from the list, followed by the My Preferences tab.
• Select the One Window option in the View section. Then click OK.
• QuickBooks and your company file should be closed and reopened. Look for any display difficulties. If you can still see them, go to Step 3.

Step 3: Modify the display settings in Windows

• QuickBooks performs best when the default Windows DPI settings are used. If you modify these settings, you may experience display problems.
• Important: Keep in mind that modifying your Windows settings impacts all of your computer's apps, not just QuickBooks.
• To reset the default display settings in Windows 10 and Windows 8, follow Microsoft's instructions.
• Set the resolution of your screen to at least 1024 x 768. For the best viewing, we recommend 1920 x 1080.
• When you're finished, restart your computer and launch QuickBooks and your company file.