QB‑Flow Nerdio Setup

Automating QuickBooks Updates in Nerdio to streamline your QuickBooks updates using Nerdio, start by following the steps below:

Step 1: Create a Script in Nerdio

  1. Open Nerdio Manager for MSP (NMM).
  2. Go to Scripted Actions → Windows Scripts → Add New.
  3. Create a new script, naming it something memorable like QB‑Flow, and add a short description. Tag it with Flowdevs.
  4. Set the Mode to Combined for reliable execution.

Step 2: Add the PowerShell Script

  1. Paste the PowerShell script into the Script Body.
  2. Replace YOUR_CUSTOMER_ID with your unique Customer ID from your welcome email.
  3. Be sure QuickBooks is completely closed before executing the script to avoid file lock conflicts.

Step 3: Add a Link for Direct Executable Access

‍For added flexibility, you can also run the Standalone Executable outside of Nerdio. Check out the guide here:
QB‑Flow Standalone Executable – Flowdevs

Step 4: Execute Quickly via Standalone

‍The standalone guide explains how to download and run QB‑Flow.exe directly using PowerShell either with or without logging making it ideal for one-off updates or testing outside of Nerdio.

# Enter your Customer ID, which can be found in your Welcome Email after subscribing to QB-Flow
$customerid = ""

# URL to download the QB-Flow executable
$QBUpdateURL = "https://flowdevsblob.blob.core.windows.net/qbflow/QB-flow.exe"
# Destination path for the QB-Flow executable
$QBdestination = "C:\Windows\Temp\qb-flow.exe"

# Create a WebClient object to download the file
$webclient = New-Object System.Net.WebClient
$webclient.DownloadFile($QBUpdateURL, $QBdestination)

# Execute the QB-Flow application with the Customer ID as an argument
Start-Process $QBdestination -ArgumentList "/customerid $($customerid)" -NoNewWindow -Wait

Removing public desktop icons

Article explaining this switch: here

# Enter your Customer ID, which can be found in your Welcome Email after subscribing to QB-Flow
$customerid = "Your_Customer_ID"

# URL to download the QB-Flow executable
$QBUpdateURL = "https://flowdevsblob.blob.core.windows.net/qbflow/QB-flow.exe"
# Destination path for the QB-Flow executable
$QBdestination = "C:\Windows\Temp\qb-flow.exe"

# Create a WebClient object to download the file
$webclient = New-Object System.Net.WebClient
$webclient.DownloadFile($QBUpdateURL, $QBdestination)

# Execute the QB-Flow application with the Customer ID as an argument
Start-Process $QBdestination -ArgumentList "/customerid $($customerid) /deletepublicdesktop" -NoNewWindow -Wait

Verifying a Successful Run

QB-Flow doesn't pop a "success" dialog when it finishes. Instead, there are two reliable signals you can check on the endpoint:

  1. The log file exists. QB-Flow writes a log to C:\Windows\Temp\qbflow_<yyyyMMdd_HHmmss>.log on every run. If a recent log is there, it ran.
  2. The QuickBooks installer folder is empty (or no longer contains the latest .msi / .cab files). This is intentional. The QuickBooks updater uses the presence of those files as its trigger to apply an update. QB-Flow removes them after applying the release so Intuit can't re-trigger the same update outside your scheduled window.

Do not open the QuickBooks Update window to verify a run

The QuickBooks Update window inside QuickBooks Desktop is not a passive status screen. Simply opening it can re-enable Intuit's automatic update service in the background, even if you never click "Update Now." That's the exact behavior QB-Flow is built to prevent.

If you want to confirm QB-Flow ran, check the log file. That is the source of truth, not the in-app Update window.

Quick verification checklist

  • Recent log present at C:\Windows\Temp\qbflow_*.log ✔
  • QuickBooks installer folder empty or pruned of latest installers ✔
  • Nobody opened the QuickBooks Update window during or after the run ✔

If the log is missing entirely, the script never executed. The usual culprits are AV blocking the signed executable, or a firewall blocking the download URL: https://flowdevsblob.blob.core.windows.net/qbflow/QB-flow.exe.

New Client Information

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

View Page