> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://zenofirm.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set Up Company Files

> Authorize each company, build its local copy, and finish with a harmless test

Open the **Setup Center** from **Start Menu → Zeno → Zeno for QuickBooks Desktop** after installing and restarting your chat client. It keeps a separate checklist for every company file and remembers where you stopped.

Allow about ten minutes for the first company and a few minutes for each additional file. QuickBooks asks for permission once per company.

## Keep these open

| Window                 | What you do there                                                   |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Setup Center**       | See progress, open the next company file, and copy the next request |
| **QuickBooks Desktop** | Sign in, approve permission, and switch company files               |
| **Your chat client**   | Paste the copied request and let Zeno run the setup step            |

<Warning>
  Bring QuickBooks to the front whenever the chat appears stuck. Its permission dialog opens in the QuickBooks window and can sit behind your chat client.
</Warning>

## Find your company files

If the Setup Center has no companies yet, copy its **Copy setup request** prompt into your chat client. Zeno searches QuickBooks' recent-file list and the normal company-file folders, then shows you the candidates.

Confirm every file before registering it. A filename is only a suggested company name. If discovery misses a file, open it in QuickBooks and ask:

*"Register the company that is open in QuickBooks, then continue its setup."*

Registering the open file records the exact company name and path QuickBooks reports.

## Authorize one company

Repeat these steps for every company in the Setup Center.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the company as Admin">
    Click **Open in QuickBooks** in the Setup Center, or open the file from **File → Open Previous Company**.

    Sign in as the QuickBooks **Admin** in **single-user mode**. Windows administrator rights aren't required; the QuickBooks Admin is required for this one-time permission.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the next step">
    Click **Copy next step** in the Setup Center and paste it into your chat client. Let the assistant run the harmless connection check.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve access in QuickBooks">
    Switch to QuickBooks when the chat waits. In the Integrated Application prompt:

    1. Choose **Yes, always allow access even if QuickBooks is not running**.
    2. Select the ordinary or dedicated QuickBooks user Zeno should use for closed-file reads.
    3. Click **Continue**.
    4. Type **YES** in the QuickBooks confirmation when asked.
    5. Click **Done**.

    QuickBooks keeps the selected user's password. Zeno neither asks for it nor enters it.

    Choosing an open-only option is supported, but QuickBooks must then be open for reads and mirror refreshes. The Setup Center records the option you chose instead of guessing.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the permission">
    Return to the chat client and let the connection check finish. The Setup Center marks **Permission verified** and **Access choice recorded**.

    If it doesn't, copy the next step again. Setup resumes at the first unfinished item.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Build the local copy">
    Confirm the date range the assistant suggests. The prior fiscal year through today is a useful start; use a shorter range for a large file.

    Zeno copies the lists and transactions for that range into a local, read-only mirror. This step can take several minutes because QuickBooks returns transactions slowly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Answer the harmless test">
    Ask the suggested question about vendor spending. Read the result, including the mirror's through-date, then let the assistant mark the company ready.

    This final question proves that registration, permission, the local copy, and the chat connection all work together.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Continue with the next company

Return to the Setup Center. The finished company says **Ready**, and the next unfinished company shows its exact next action. Open that file and repeat the loop.

Use **Skip** through the chat if a drive is disconnected or a company isn't available. Zeno saves the reason and can resume it later.

## Understand closed-file access

The recommended permission lets Zeno open a registered company invisibly for reads, QuickBooks reports, and mirror refreshes. It doesn't allow unattended posting.

Anything that changes the books requires all three conditions:

* The target company is visibly open in QuickBooks.
* The prepared work has been shown for review.
* You explicitly approve the write.

If a different company is open, the write stops and names the file you need to switch to.

## Ask what to do next

Once a company is ready, copy its **Copy next-ideas request** prompt or ask:

*"What should I do next with this QuickBooks company?"*

`qb_help` reads this workstation's actual state. It prioritizes stale mirrors, reviewed plans that weren't applied, draft client notes and playbooks, missing coding rules, and useful read-only questions. Each suggestion says whether it is read-only or needs review before a write.