HOW TO MAINTAIN QUICKBOOKS, UPGRADE OR CORRECT A DAMAGED FILE
Occasional damaged file components is not uncommon for QuickBooks Desktop. After all, a large database does require maintenance including making backups from INSIDE of QuickBooks. It is a common fallacy to believe that daily windows backups, though of course advisable, is sufficient for database maintenance.
Note – for many organizations, this means the “IT department” cannot do this maintenance because they are generally not provided a password to open the QuickBooks data file. A management team with insufficient knowledge of maintaining QuickBooks databases may assume that Windows backups are sufficient, as they are with many flat files.
This guide touches on regular maintenance, preparation for software upgrades and if needed and is intended to help troubleshoot damaged files. Chronic or consistent damaged files however, is an indication of a deeper issue, such as a damaged installation of QuickBooks, network or system damage and/or problems with negative inventory or import utilities. This guide is intended to help troubleshoot a wide variety of corruption issues but is in no means comprehensive.
It’s important enough to note that all file activities that involve data manipulation need to be done in Single User Mode and ON THE LOCAL MACHINE. Never attempt to run rebuild or upgrade a company file “across” a network or on a remote desktop where the data file is not physically stored on the same machine where the rebuild or upgrade is being done. “Verify” is okay, because data is not actually being manipulated. You can temporarily circumvent potential network issues by moving the .QBW file to a local drive, performing the rebuild or upgrade, then moving it back. I say “move” because duplicate file names in duplicate locations is generally a bad idea.
