How to Safely Restore your QuickBooks Backup and Recover Lost Data?

Several QuickBooks users have reported encountering issues, such as lost data or missing data in the company (QBW) file. One of the user queries is:

“My computer was compromised, and I lost all of my data. Is there any way of getting the last copy uploaded to Intuit? I am a woman business owner and desperate to get my client database back and locate my outstanding invoices.”

This query indicates that the company file data has been lost due to an issue in the system where the file is saved. In such a case, you can restore the lost data from the backup. In this article, we’ll discuss the methods to safely restore the QuickBooks backup file.

Methods to Restore QuickBooks Backup Files and Recover Lost Data

First, find the most recent backup file on your system from the No Company Open window. This window is displayed when you start your QuickBooks Desktop application. You can click on Find a company file. It will automatically display the QuickBooks backup file on your system. If you have a readable backup file, then follow the below methods to restore the file.

Method 1: Use the Open or Restore Company Option

QuickBooks’ Open or Restore Company option lets you restore the backup file. The following are the phases:

Note: Before restoring, copy the backup file to your local hard disk should it be kept on an external device.

• Open your QuickBooks application.
• Select Open or Restore Company from the File menu.
• Select the option labeled Restore a backup copy and click Next.
• Click the Local Backup option and then select Next.
• Browse your system for the backup (.qbb) file.
• After choosing a location to save the restored company file, click Open.
• Click Save.

Note: You can use the Verify and Rebuild data tool to verify the restored company file data.

Method 2: Use the Auto Data Recovery Tool

You can use the Auto Data Recovery tool to restore the lost data in the QuickBooks company file. It is a built-in tool that can help you recover recent transactions using the original (.TLG) file and .QBW.adr file. This method will not work if you’re using the QuickBooks Accountant edition. Follow the below steps to use the Auto Data Recovery tool to recover lost data in QuickBooks company files:

• First, create a new folder on your system (e.g., QBTest).
• Then, go to the company file folder. If you don’t know where the company file is located, press the F2 key to open the Product Information window.
• In your company file folder, search and right-click on the .tlg file, which has the same name as the company (QBW) file.
• Click on the Copy option to copy the .tlg file and then paste it into the new folder that you created earlier.
• Next, in the same company file folder, find QuickBooksAutoDataRecovery and double-click on it to open it.
• Search for the .QBW.adr file in that folder, and copy and paste it into the QBTest folder. Two necessary files -.TLG and .QBW.adr – are now present in the QBTest folder.
• Next, remove the .adr extension. To do this, right-click on the QBW.adr file, choose Rename, and then delete the .adr extension.
• Now, use the company file that is saved in the new (QBTest) folder to launch QuickBooks.
• Next, use your account register to verify if all the transactions are recovered.
• Now, confirm the recovered file’s data integrity. To do this, go to File, click Utilities, and then click Verify Data.

Note: Though the Auto Data Recovery tool can help you recover lost data from the company file, it is unable to recover large-sized backup files (more than 1.5 GB).

Quick and Safe Method to Recover Data from QuickBooks Company File

If the backup restore fails due to any reason, then you can restore the data from the company file using professional QuickBooks repair software. Stellar Repair for QuickBooks is one such software that can help you restore data from corrupted QuickBooks company files without any file size restrictions. Also, it maintains data integrity while performing the restore operation. The tool supports all the versions of QuickBooks, including Pro, Premier, and Enterprise solutions. The tool is compatible with QuickBooks versions 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and earlier.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve explained different methods to restore QuickBooks backup files. We have also mentioned a quick and safe tool – Stellar Repair for QuickBooks that can quickly repair corrupted or damaged QuickBooks company files and fully recover all the data. It allows you to save the recovered data from a damaged QuickBooks company file to a new healthy file. It can help resolve the QuickBooks errors if they’ve occurred due to corruption in the QBW file.