If you are experiencing issues with QuickBooks or accessing the data in the QuickBooks company file, it’s probably due to damage, inconsistencies, or corruption in the QBW file. Data in QuickBooks company files may get corrupted or become inaccessible due to various internal and external factors. Although the Verify and Rebuilt utility is a commonly used inbuilt tool to repair QBW files, it has limitations, such as it may not be able to repair severely corrupt QuickBooks company files. In this article, we will see the causes behind the corruption in QuickBooks company files, data recovery tools in QuickBooks, and third-party QuickBooks repair tools to fix QuickBooks corrupt company files.
Causes of corruption in QuickBooks company file:
The QBW file may get corrupted in various instances, such as
- If QuickBooks is closed abruptly
- Issues on the driver file system of the system where your company file is saved.
- Due to virus or malware intrusion.
Methods to fix QuickBooks corrupt company file
The following are the methods you can use to repair a QBW file in QuickBooks:
Method 1 – Restore Company File from Backup
If your QBW file is damaged or corrupted, you can try restoring the backup file (if you have a healthy and updated backup of the file). Before restoring the backup file, first ensure that it is not in compressed form. If it is, then decompress the file. Next, follow the steps below to restore the company file from backup:
- Open your QuickBooks application.
- Click File > Open or Restore Company.
- Click Restore backup copy and then click
- Click on the Browse option to select the backup company file (.QBB).
- Click on the folder where you need to save the restored file.
- Click Open. In case you see a message to overwrite the data, click the suitable option.
- Next, click the Save
Method 2 – Use the Auto Data Recovery (ADR) Feature in QuickBooks
Auto Data Recovery is a powerful feature in QuickBooks to recover data from corrupt QBW files. However, to use this feature, your company file folder should have a transaction log file (.tlg) and a .QBW.adr file. Go to your company file folder and check if these files are available. The default location of QuickBooks Desktop company files is C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Intuit\QuickBooks\Company Files. Then, follow the steps below to recover the company file data using the ADR feature:
- First, create a new folder in an easy-to-access location, like the Desktop, and give it a name (e.g., QBTest).
- Then, go to the company file folder and search for the .tlg file.
- Copy the .tlg file and paste it into the QBTest folder (created above).
- Again, go to the company file folder, search, and open the QuickBooksAutoDataRecovery folder.
- In the QuickBooksAutoDataRecovery folder, copy the .QBW.adr file and paste it into the QBTest folder. Now, the QBTest folder contains both .QBW.adr and .tlg files.
- Next, right-click on the .QBW.adr file and then click
- Delete the extension (.adr) from the .QBW.adr. file.
- Open QuickBooks and then the company file (.QBW) from the QBTest folder. Type your account registration credentials and verify all the transactions.
- You can also check the integrity of the data by going to File > Utilities and then clicking Verify Data.
After verifying the data, move the corrupted company file to a different location and transfer the recovered copy from the QBTest folder to the original company file location.
Note: You can use the ADR option if your backup file is less than 1.5 GB. Also, the QuickBooks Accountant edition does not support this option.
Method3-Use the QuickBooks File Doctor tool
QuickBooks File Doctor tool is a powerful QuickBooks repair tool to fix issues with company files, networks, and connections. This tool is helpful in repairing company files with mild or moderate corruption and their related 6000 series and H series errors in QuickBooks. To use this tool, first download QuickBooks Tool hub. Make sure the version of the tool hub is advanced. Here are the steps to use QuickBooks Tool hub-a free application to repair QuickBooks company file:
- Open your QuickBooks Tool hub and click Company File Issues.
- Click the option named Run QuickBooks File Doctor.
- Wait for some time till the QuickBooks File Doctor tool opens. If it fails to open, then use QuickBooks Desktop File Doctor and open it manually.
- Next, click on the drop-down menu in the QuickBooks File Doctor window to choose the company file.
- Click Check your file and then click
- Fill in your QuickBooks admin credentials and then click
- The scan time may vary depending on the size of the company file. Sometimes, it may take up to 15 minutes.
- Once the scan is complete, then open QuickBooks and the company file.
This tool works on company files with moderate corruption. However, it may not be effective in resolving complex corruption-related issues. Also, it has a file-size limitation and requires QuickBooks admin credentials.
Use a professional QuickBooks repair tool:
If the above QuickBooks repair methods fail to repair the QuickBooks company file, it indicates that the company file is severely corrupted. In such a case, the best option is to take the help of a reliable QuickBooks recovery software, like Stellar Repair for QuickBooks. It is the best QB repair tool, recommended by a pro advisor to easily repair severely damaged QBW files and recover all the data with absolute precision. The tool can safely save the recovered data to new QuickBooks files. Also, you can even preview the data, like the chart of accounts, reports, employees, contacts, etc, of the corrupt QBW file before saving. This will help decide the best and most effective tool to repair company files with minimum time and effort. The tool supports all versions available in QuickBooks, like Pro, Premier, and Enterprise solutions. Furthermore, it is compatible with all Windows editions.
Conclusion
We have explained different methods to recover and repair corrupt QuickBooks company files to resolve issues in QuickBooks. You can restore the .QBB file/use the ADR option in QuickBooks to recover the data from the company file. But if the backup is not accessible, then the best option is a professional QuickBooks repair tool, like Stellar Repair for QuickBooks, to repair your QuickBooks file. It can repair highly corrupted QuickBooks company files without any data loss.
