Download & Install

PrimeConnect is a lightweight Windows desktop application that installs in seconds without requiring administrator privileges. Follow these steps to get up and running.

Where to download

Visit tryprimeconnect.com/download and click the Download for Windows button. The installer file (PrimeConnectSetup.exe) is approximately 25 MB and downloads in a few seconds on most connections.

Running the installer

Locate the downloaded PrimeConnectSetup.exe file — it will typically be in your Downloads folder.
Double-click the installer to begin. If Windows SmartScreen shows a warning, click More info and then Run anyway. This warning appears because the app is new — it is safe to proceed.
The installer will run through a brief setup wizard. Accept the license agreement and click Install.
Installation takes only a few seconds. When complete, click Finish to launch PrimeConnect.

Install location

PrimeConnect installs to %LocalAppData%\PrimeConnect — a per-user directory that does not require administrator access. Your data files (databases, settings, logs) are stored in a separate data subfolder so they persist across application updates.

Tip: Because PrimeConnect installs to your user profile, you never need to ask your IT department for admin permissions. This also means each Windows user on a shared machine gets their own independent PrimeConnect installation.

First Launch

The first time you open PrimeConnect, you will be guided through a quick activation flow. This takes about 60 seconds and requires an internet connection.

Trial activation

PrimeConnect starts every new user with a free 7-day trial. No credit card is required. During the trial you have full access to all features — import, export, delete, rollback — so you can evaluate the product without limitations.

On the welcome screen, enter your email address and click Send OTP. This email will be associated with your license.
Check your inbox (and spam folder) for a 6-digit one-time password (OTP) from PrimeConnect.
Enter the OTP in the verification field and click Verify.
Once verified, PrimeConnect activates your trial and takes you to the main window. Your trial expiration date is shown in the status bar at the bottom of the window.

Note: The OTP is valid for 10 minutes. If you do not receive it within a minute, click Resend OTP. Some corporate email servers may delay delivery — check your spam or junk folder.

Connecting to QuickBooks

PrimeConnect communicates directly with QuickBooks Desktop through the official Intuit QBFC SDK. This is a local, on-machine connection — your data never leaves your computer during the connection process. No internet is required for the QuickBooks connection itself.

Before you connect

QuickBooks Desktop must be open with a company file loaded. PrimeConnect cannot start QuickBooks for you — it connects to the already-running instance.
Make sure you are logged in to QuickBooks as a user with sufficient permissions (Admin is recommended for full functionality).

How auto-detection works

When PrimeConnect launches, it automatically scans for a running QuickBooks Desktop instance. If QuickBooks is open and a company file is loaded, PrimeConnect connects within seconds. You will see a green indicator dot in the status bar at the bottom of the window, along with the name of the connected company file.

If QuickBooks is not running or no company file is open, the status bar will show a gray dot with the text "Not connected." Simply open QuickBooks, load your company file, and PrimeConnect will detect it automatically.

Authorizing the Connection

The very first time PrimeConnect connects to a QuickBooks company file, QuickBooks will display an authorization dialog. This is a standard Intuit security measure — QuickBooks wants to confirm that you trust this application to access your financial data.

When the QuickBooks authorization dialog appears, you will see PrimeConnect listed as the application requesting access.
Select "Yes, always; allow access even if QuickBooks is not running". This grants PrimeConnect persistent access so you will not be asked again for this company file.
Click Continue to confirm.

Important: If you choose "No" or "Yes, this time only," PrimeConnect will either be blocked or will prompt you again on every launch. For the best experience, always select "Yes, always". If you accidentally denied access, see Re-Authorizing Access to fix it.

Once authorized, PrimeConnect remembers this company file. You will not see the authorization dialog again unless you revoke access from QuickBooks preferences or connect from a different Windows user account.

Main Window Overview

Once connected, you will see PrimeConnect's main window. The interface is designed for clarity and speed — everything you need is accessible from one screen.

Navigation bar

The top of the window features a navigation bar with two tabs: Home and Settings. Home is where you perform all operations. Settings lets you configure import behavior, auto-create preferences, and other options.

Operation cards

The center of the Home screen displays three large operation cards, each representing a core PrimeConnect capability:

Import — Import data from Excel or CSV files into QuickBooks. Supports 40+ entity types including invoices, bills, customers, vendors, items, journal entries, and more.
Export — Export QuickBooks data to organized Excel spreadsheets with filtering and field selection.
Delete — Bulk delete QuickBooks records with preview and confirmation. A unique capability that no other QuickBooks tool offers.

Recent activity

Below the operation cards, you will see a Recent Activity section that shows your latest operations — imports, exports, and deletes — with timestamps, record counts, and status indicators. Click any entry to view its full details in the History window.

Status bar

The bottom of the window contains the status bar, which shows:

Connection status — a green or gray dot indicating whether PrimeConnect is connected to QuickBooks, plus the company file name.
License status — your current license tier (Trial, Standard, or Premium) and expiration date.
Update status — notification when a new version is available.

Your First Operation

The fastest way to get familiar with PrimeConnect is to run a quick export. Exporting is read-only — it does not modify any data in QuickBooks — so it is the safest way to start.

Click the Export card on the Home screen. The Export Wizard opens.
Choose an entity type — for your first try, select something simple like Customers or Accounts.
Apply filters (optional) — you can skip this step for now and export all records.
Select fields — choose which columns you want in your spreadsheet, or leave the defaults selected to include all available fields.
Click Export. PrimeConnect will fetch the data from QuickBooks and generate an Excel (.xlsx) file.
Choose where to save the file and click Save. Open the file in Excel to verify that your QuickBooks data exported correctly.

Tip: Starting with an export lets you see how your QuickBooks data is structured. The exported file makes an excellent template for preparing future imports — just modify the data and import it back.

Next Steps

Now that you have PrimeConnect installed, connected, and have run your first operation, you are ready to explore the full capabilities. Here are the recommended next steps:

Importing Data into QuickBooks — Learn how to use the 6-step import wizard to bring Excel and CSV data into QuickBooks.
Field Mapping & Saved Templates — Understand how column mapping works and save reusable templates for repeated imports.
Connecting to QuickBooks Desktop — Deep dive into connection management, multi-user mode, and troubleshooting.
License Activation & Tiers — Understand the difference between Trial, Standard, and Premium licenses.
Supported QuickBooks Entity Types — Browse the full list of 40+ record types you can import, export, and delete.

If you run into any issues, check the Troubleshooting article or reach out to our support team.

Getting Started with PrimeConnect