QuickBooks uses company (QBW) files to store financial data, including company information, products and services information, customers and vendors data, employees credentials, chart of accounts, etc. Like other data files, QBW files are also prone to corruption.
There are various factors that can lead to corruption in company file, such as virus attacks, sudden QuickBooks application termination, network issues, etc. When your QBW file gets corrupt, you can face different errors such as H series or 6000 series.
Sometimes, you even fail to open the company file. Since QBW files contain your important financial data, you need to recover this data as soon as possible to avoid any further complications.
In this article, we’ll explain different ways to recover data from corrupt QuickBooks company files quickly and easily.
Ways to Recover Data from Corrupt QuickBooks Company File
Here are some effective ways to recover data from corrupt company (QBW) file.
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).
Here’s how to restore the company file from backup:
- Open QuickBooks, click the File option, and select Open or Restore Company.
- Click Restore backup copy and then click Next.
- Click on the Browse option to search for the backup company file (.QBB).
- Click on the folder where you need to save the restored file.
- Click Open. If you see a message to overwrite your data, click the suitable option.
- Next, click on the Save option.
Method 2 – Use Auto Data Recovery (ADR) Feature in QuickBooks
QuickBooks comes with an “Auto Data Recovery” feature that helps you to recover data from corrupt QBW files. However, you require transaction log file and .QBW.adr file in the company file folder to use this option. So, 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.
Follow these steps to use the ADR feature to recover company file data:
- First, create a new folder (e.g. on your system’s desktop) and give it a name (e.g. QBTest).
- Then, go to the company file folder and search for .tlg file.
- Copy the .tlg file and paste it to the QBTest folder (created above).
- Next, again go to the company file folder and search and open QuickBooksAutoDataRecovery folder.
- In the QuickBooksAutoDataRecovery folder, copy the .QBW.adr file and paste it to 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 Rename.
- Now, 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 QBTest folder to the original company file location.
Note: The backup file size should be less than 1.5 GB to use the ADR feature. This feature is not available in QuickBooks Accountant editions.
Method 3 – Use QuickBooks Repair Utilities
QuickBooks has an in-built tool, Verify and Rebuild Data that verifies and rebuilds the company file data. If your QBW file is corrupted, you can use this tool to rebuild the file data. However, if it does not work, you can use the QuickBooks File Doctor tool – provided by Intuit to repair company files.
Here’s how to use this tool:
- Download the advanced version of QuickBooks Tool Hub and install it.
- Launch the tool. On the tool hub, click Company File Issues.
- Click on the option labeled – Run QuickBooks File Doctor.
- In the QuickBooks File Doctor window, click Browse to choose the affected company file from the dropdown menu.
- Click the option named Check your file and then click Continue.
- Enter your QuickBooks credentials and then click Next.
- Wait for some time till the scan is complete.
Note: QuickBooks File Doctor works on company files with mild or moderate corruption. It may not be effective in resolving complex corruption-related issues. Moreover, it requires QuickBooks admin credentials.
Method 4 – Use a Third-Party QuickBooks Repair Tool
If the above methods don’t work, it indicates that your company file is severely corrupted or damaged. In such a case, your best option is to use a third-party QuickBooks repair tool, like Stellar Repair for QuickBooks.
This software can easily repair severely corrupted QBW files and safely recover all the data. You can save the recovered data to a new QBW file. Before saving, you can preview the recovered data of the damaged QBW file. The tool supports all QuickBooks versions and is compatible with all Windows editions.
Conclusion
Above, we have mentioned different ways to recover data from corrupt QBW files. You can restore backup company file or try the ADR feature in QuickBooks to recover data from the damaged company file. However, to use the ADR option, you require transaction log file and .QBW.adr file. However, the best option is to use Stellar Repair for QuickBooks. It is a professional QuickBooks repair tool that can repair severely corrupt QBW files without any file size limitations. It helps you restore all the data from the affected company file with complete integrity and precision.
