QuickBooks Desktop: Batch Updating "Other Names" List Fails

When managing lists in QuickBooks Desktop, you may need to clean up outdated entries by changing their type. A common frustration in the community is that batch-updating the “Other Names” list simply does not work. If you select multiple entries to retype them as Vendors or Customers, the operation fails silently, leaving the entries unchanged.

The Batch Update Problem

QuickBooks Desktop allows you to change a list entry’s type from the “Other Names” list. You can usually open a single “Other Name,” select “Change Type,” and successfully convert it to a Vendor, Employee, or Customer.

However, attempting to highlight multiple entries and change their types simultaneously routinely fails. The software processes the request without throwing an error, but none of the selected records are actually updated. This happens consistently across different company files, indicating a long-standing limitation or glitch within the desktop software’s list-management framework rather than a problem with your specific data.

The Practical Workaround

Because the multi-select feature is unreliable for retyping list entries, the only consistent method is to process the conversions one at a time:

1. Open the Other Names list from your Lists menu.
2. Select a single entry and click Reports or right-click the name.
3. Choose Change Type (or highlight the name and press Ctrl+E to edit, then look for the type dropdown at the top).
4. Select the new type (such as Vendor) and confirm the change.
5. Repeat this process for each entry that needs to be converted.

While tedious for large lists, this single-entry method is currently the most reliable way to ensure your records are actually updated without data loss or silent failures.

Managing List Cleanup

Cleaning up an unwieldy “Other Names” list is often part of a larger file-maintenance effort. If you are preparing your company file for a major transition, such as migrating to QuickBooks Online, resolving these list-type discrepancies beforehand is essential. Oversized or messy lists frequently cause conversion errors or failures. If your file is too large to convert cleanly, condensing your QuickBooks company file can reduce the overall list size and eliminate problematic, unused entries before you begin your migration.