How to Recover Lost QuickBooks Data?

If you have been using QuickBooks for a long time, chances are you have accumulated lots of data and files that you would not think existed. If you have QuickBooks Desktop installed on your system, you might have noticed that many of these files are tied together. If one file is corrupted or lost, it could severely hamper other operations. Your system will eventually throw some QuickBooks error, some of which we have elaborated in our previous articles. While the diagnosis could vary with the type of error, it is imperative to know how to recover lost QuickBooks data to continue accounting operations.

When Is QuickBooks Data Lost?

There could be many antecedents to the loss of QuickBooks data. Here are some of the reasons for the loss of data from the accounting software.

• Data could be lost when you are changing the QuickBooks Desktop version.
• Issues might have crept in during an upgrade process.
• Certain critical functions might have been interrupted leading to data corruption.
• Improper storage and access to multiple company files in the same system can also result in data loss.
• Power outages or system crashes resulting in corruption.
• Malicious or unintentional deletion of data.
• Virus or malware attacks on .QBW, .QBB, .QBA, or some other important files.

What Are the Steps to Recover Lost QuickBooks Data?

Conflicting changes are one of the leading causes of loss of QuickBooks data. The first step to recover lost QuickBooks data is to search the system manually.

• Search for the missing file with the extension .QBW in the search dialog box.
• Check if there are duplicate files that could be causing conflicts.
• If you find a .QBW file, right-click on it and verify if it is a QuickBooks company file.
• Check the date modified for the file and confirm the path for it.
• If it is not in the correct folder (typically one in the C drive), copy and paste it in the right location.
• Make sure that the residual files are deleted to avoid conflicts if the issue is resolved.

If the lost QuickBooks data cannot be found using the manual method, use QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery (ADR) for recovering transactions.

Data Recovery Using Current Transaction Log file and ADR Company File

This method can be used to recover data on all recent transactions if you have the original Transaction Log file and the .QBW.adr file.

• Create a fresh folder on your Desktop.
• Search for the .TLG file in the existing company folder. It will have the same name as your company file.
• Copy the file into the folder that you have newly created.
• Copy the .QBW.adr file in the QuickBooksAutoDataRecovery folder that is in the same location as the company file, and paste it in the new folder that you created on the Desktop.
• Rename the .QBW.adr file as a .QBW file in the folder.
• Launch QuickBooks and use the company file and transaction file in the new folder to verify the data accuracy.
• If the data is accurate, rename and move the damaged files elsewhere, and copy the company file and transactions log files back to their original location.

Data Recovery Using ADR Company File and Transaction Log File

If you suspect that data in both the company file and the current transaction log file are inaccurate, use the ADR version to recover the lost data. You might not be able to recover the data on transactions in the last 12 hours using this method.

• As with the previous procedure, create a new folder on the desktop.
• Instead of the .TLG file, copy the .TLG.adr file along with the .QBW.adr file to the new folder.
• Remove .adr from both files and verify the data accuracy in QuickBooks.
• Replace the damaged .TLG and .QBW files with the ones in the new folder and map QuickBooks to the original location.

Apps4Rent Can Help Prevent QuickBooks Data Loss

Ensuring that you have regular backups of your QuickBooks files can help in the unfortunate event of a data loss. While the QuickBooks ADR tool is a handy solution, it has its limitations. It cannot be used with QuickBooks Accountants or with backups larger than 1.5 GB. Besides, the ADR files will also be generated on your local systems making them vulnerable to corruption and attacks. As an Intuit Authorized Hosting Provider, Apps4Rent provides secure access to virtual desktops for your preferred version of QuickBooks. Our nightly backups of QuickBooks data ensure that the latest changes are available at all times, from anywhere. Contact our QuickBooks experts, available 24/7 via phone, chat, and email, for affordable QuickBooks hosting plans.