This assistant helps you to create a set of GnuCash accounts. It will appear if you choose Create a new set of accounts in the Welcome to GnuCash! menu.
To start this assistant manually go to File ->New -> New File. This will create a new blank GnuCash file and then automatically start the New Account Hierarchy Setup assistant.
The New Account Hierarchy Setup assistant opens with a screen that briefly describes what this assistant does. The three buttons at the very bottom of the screen will not change while using the assistant.
The Cancel button is used to exit the assistant and cancel creating a new set of accounts. Any selections you have made in this assistant up to this point will be lost.
The Back button will bring up the previous screen so you can change a selection made on that screen.
The Forward button will bring up the next screen so you can continue though the assistant.
The next screen allows you to select the default currency to use for your accounts.
The Currency: drop down list defaults to USD (US Dollar). If you wish your accounts to use a different default currency select one from the list.
The Forward button is used to confirm your selection and continue to the next screen.
The next screen is used to choose a hierarchy of accounts to create. You will see a screen divided into three parts.
The left upper portion has a list of Categories for commonly used hierarchies of accounts. Select from this list the types of accounts you wish to use. You can select as many of the categories of accounts as you wish.
The left lower section has a Category Description that displays a detailed description of the category currently highlighted.
The right side has a list of the Accounts that will be created from the selected category.
The Select All button allows you to include all of the account categories.
The Clear All button allows you to deselect all of the categories selected.
The next screen allows you to enter opening balances for your accounts and also select if the account is a placeholder account. Placeholder accounts are used to create a hierarchy of accounts and normally do not have transactions or opening balances. Equity accounts also do not have opening balances.
Follow the instructions in the display on how to select the account and entering an opening balance for the account. A single "click" is used to highlight an account.
The left side of the screen has a list of Account Names. Select an account by "clicking" once in the Account Names column with the account highlighted. This will open the account name for changes.
The right side of the screen has a check-box to make an account a Placeholder and a box to add the Opening Balance for the selected account. Again a single click in the Opening Balance or Placeholder column will open the field for changes.
The last screen gives you a final list of the three choices to finish the assistant.
The Cancel button is used to exit the assistant and cancel creating a new set of accounts. Any selections you have made in this assistant up to this point will be lost.
The Back button will bring up the previous screen so you can change a selection made on that screen.
The Finish button creates the accounts you have selected.
You should now have a hierarchy of accounts in your main GnuCash account window.