RECOVER LOST DATA WITH QUICKBOOKS AUTO DATA RECOVERY

One of the most heartbreaking things to happen to a company is the loss of their QuickBooks data. This only happens when there was no backup of the file created, which is probably the fault of the one working on it, as the file should be backed up frequently. However, recovering data from a damaged QuickBooks company file is possible but you’ll have to wait several days without QuickBooks for the data recovery experts to work on your file. There’s also a way of recovering the data using a feature introduced in QuickBooks as from 2012 and later versions which allows you to recover the data on your own. It’s called auto data recovery and can provide you with nearly all your data right away. This should be the last resort after all other solutions have been exhausted.

There are two ways of ADR is used to recover lost data:

• Recreate lost transactions using your current Transaction Log file and a copy of your Company file.
• Recreate all but the last few hours of transactions with a copy of both your Company file and your Transaction Log file.

1. Use the current .TLG and .QBW.adr files

• Create a new folder on your Desktop named QBTest.
• Open the folder where the company file is saved.
• Quick tip: You can check the location of the company file on the Product Information screen and No Company Open Window.
• Copy the corresponding .tlg file of your company file and paste it to the QBTest folder on your Desktop.
• Open the QuickBooksAutoDataRecovery folder
• Quick tip: It is is in the same location as your company file.
• Copy the .QBW.adr file and paste it to the QBTest Folder. You should now have a .QBW.adr and .tlg file on your QBTest folder.
• In your QBTest folder, right-click the .QBW.adr file and select Rename.
• Delete .adr from the end of the file.
• Open QuickBooks.
• Open the company file that is saved on your QBTest folder. use your account register to verify all transactions are there.
• Run verify utility to ensure the integrity of this company file.
• If this copy of the company file is good, you can move the damaged company file to a different location and transfer the copy from QBTest to the original location.

2. Use .QBW.adr and .TLG.adr files

• Create a new folder on your Desktop named QBTest.
• Open the folder where the company file is saved look for QuickBooksAutoDataRecovery folder
• Quick tip: You can check the location of the company file on the Product Information screen and No Company Open Window.
• Copy the .TLG.adr and .QBW.adr files and paste them to the QBTest folder
• On your QBTest folder, remove the .adr from the end of the file name. That should give you a .qbw and .tlg files on your QBTest folder.
• Open QuickBooks.
• Open the company file that is saved on your QBTest folder. use your account register to verify all transactions are there.
• Run verify utility to ensure the integrity of this company file.
• If this copy of the company file is good, you can move the damaged company file to a different location and transfer the copy from QBTest to the original location.

Points to Note:

• ADR is is only available in QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Enterprise Solutions for Windows.
• This feature is not available in Accountant Editions
• The ADR file size limitation is 1.5 Gigabytes. If your backup is bigger than 1.5 Gigabytes, an ADR will not be created.
• To maximize this feature, make sure that your QuickBooks Desktop always has the latest updates.

If all this doesn’t work for you, contact the data recovery experts for professional advice and quick diagnosis on your file.

With that said, the best way to avoid such a situation is to always create a backup of the company file regularly, preferably after every transaction is recorded. This avoids any loss of data through damage to the file which can occur at any time, so it’s advisable to stay safe as you never know when disaster may strike.