Identify, Prevent and Fix QuickBooks Corrupted File

Various factors can cause a QuickBooks data file to become corrupt. These can be problems with the hardware or software, sudden system shutdowns, network connection issues, large file sizes, malware/virus attacks, etc. Whatever the cause, being unable to access the file can hinder business operations and even harm data. Fortunately, the following tips can assist you in avoiding QuickBooks file corruption.

QuickBooks Corrupt File Issue

The QuickBooks data file is a large database without moving parts or programs, which are part of the QuickBooks software. The data must be properly ordered for the software to read it accurately. When the file is small (under 200 MB), it is easier for the software to keep the data organized and add new information correctly.

As the file grows larger, the software may struggle to maintain proper organization, leading to potential issues like inaccurate reports. One way to spot corruption is by comparing the balance sheet—if the total assets don’t match the total liabilities and equity, or if balances differ across reports like Net Income, Accounts Receivable, or Accounts Payable, there may be a problem.

If a corrupt file is connected to external reporting programs, it can cause further issues such as inaccurate data or syncing failures. Fortunately, QuickBooks provides built-in tools to repair corrupted files. However, if you don’t reduce the file size after fixing the corruption, the issue may happen again.

what causes QuickBooks data corruption

When using QuickBooks Desktop, data loss can occur for several reasons. These are a few of the causes of QuickBooks data damage:

• If the system where the company file is stored stops working suddenly, there is a high likelihood of corruption.
• Insufficient storage space and incorrect data entry can lead to corrupted company files.
• Data corruption may have resulted from processes being interfered with by third-party applications.
• It’s possible that some malware meant to corrupt files attacked the application.

What Kinds of Data Damage Errors Can Occur in QuickBooks Desktop?

In QuickBooks Desktop, data damage falls into one of four general categories. They are as follows:

• Damage to Structured Data
  Data is stored in tables in a database used by QuickBooks Desktop. QuickBooks Desktop will display errors like Error -6000, -301, or Error -6150, -1006 when there are problems with the table’s contents or their headers. These suggest that the structure of the QuickBooks data may have been harmed.
• List Data Damage
  List items are used by QuickBooks Desktop to store data on specific attributes. These include, but are not limited to, clients, staff members, suppliers, accounting charts, inventories, and services. List Incorrect sequence, incorrect or redundant entries for unique attributes, or other problems can cause data damage in QuickBooks Desktop.
• Damage to Transaction Data
  Users occasionally may notice an incorrect open balance or discrepancies between their sales orders and the item history. Transaction data damage is the cause of these mistakes.
• Data Link Damage
  When links between transactions are broken, errors like these happen. Inconsistencies in the reports could be the result of these broken links. These are challenging to diagnose because the only way to fix them is by manually opening transactions.

process to Repair QuickBooks Corrupt File

The steps to identify and fix these errors frequently depend on the kind of data damage. Here are a few of the methods that are most frequently employed to fix data damage in QuickBooks Desktop.

Using the Rebuild Data Tool

Inbuilt in QuickBooks Desktop the Rebuild Data Tool can be used to automatically correct small problems with company files. It’s listed under utilities in the File menu. When you click on Verify Data, the tool runs a check for errors. Click Rebuild Now to fix the problem if QuickBooks detects data damage.

Using QuickBooks File Doctor

Sometimes, even after rebuilding the QuickBooks company file, the problem still exists. Or the actual rebuilding process itself takes an unexpectedly long time. This could mean that there are additional factors, such as network problems, or that the data damage may be more severe. Deeper scans can be performed by QuickBooks File Doctor and other tools in the QuickBooks Tool Hub to find and fix data damage and other problems.

Preventing QuickBooks Data Corruptions 

According to Intuit guidelines, you should compress your file if it is larger than 200MB for QuickBooks Pro or Premier or 450MB for QuickBooks Enterprise. You can choose from a few options:

• Make regular backups of your company files: While not exactly a way to stop QuickBooks file corruption, this does assist in preventing data loss. By regularly backing up your QuickBooks Company file, you can ensure that if the company file becomes corrupt, you can quickly restore your data. Additionally, it’s crucial to keep a backup copy accessible across multiple sources; this will guarantee that, if one of the backup files is corrupt, you will always have a copy you can restore. You can use Intuit Data Protect to automatically backup your QuickBooks data online or create a backup manually.
• Reduce the size of your QuickBooks file: As you add transactions, your QuickBooks company file’s size may increase significantly. Additionally, the file size grows as the transactions are deleted. This occurs because the transactions only being marked as deleted in the database, leaving the file space where they were stored empty. Large Company files are vulnerable to corruption, which could cause data loss. Therefore, you must shrink the file. This is possible by:
  • Establishing a new corporate file
  • Utilizing the utility QuickBooks Condense Data
  • Removing transactions from the QBW file for a given period to truncate it. Truncation, however, is not a service provided by QuickBooks. You must deliver the file to a third-party vendor.
• Verify Your QuickBooks File: To find any data problems in a Company file, use the built-in “Verify Data” utility in QuickBooks. Running this utility can assist you in identifying any “discrepancies on invoices or bills,” “missing transactions,” “deposited payments not showing up in the “Payments to Deposit window,” etc.
  
• Use the Verify Data tool by performing the following steps:
  • Open the QuickBooks Desktop application, select File, and then select Utilities. Click Verify Data.
  • When QuickBooks reports that there is no issue with your data, click OK. As a result, you can keep using the QB data file without encountering any issues.
  • If the message “Verifying finds some problem with your company file” appears, click View Errors.
  • To resolve problems with Company files, click ‘Rebuild Now’.
• Always Update Your Hardware and Software: The company file for QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) can become corrupt or suffer data loss because of hardware or software problems. Maintaining updated hardware and software is therefore essential.
  
  Ensure that QuickBooks Desktop is updated, either automatically or manually, to the most recent version (2021). Launch QBDT and check the Product Information window to see if you have the most recent release. Install and configure the hardware that QB supports.
• Run QuickBooks Desktop through a clean installation: The QB file may be harmed if a clean QuickBooks installation is not performed. You must therefore uninstall the corrupt QB installation.
• Make use of an emergency power supply (UPS Backup): The file can become corrupt if there is a power outage and the system shuts down suddenly while you are entering data into your QuickBooks data file. Use an uninterruptible power supply to fix the problem and guard against damaging QB files from brief power outages. In the event of a power outage, a UPS backup will give you enough time to properly shut down your system, especially in areas where power outages are common.
• Do not use QB over a VPN: Because a VPN connection can be erratic and insecure, using QuickBooks over one increases the risk of data loss. Although you won’t notice the corruption of your QuickBooks file right away, you might later.

Conclusion

Even though these steps may fix your current file corruption issue, if the root cause (incorrect QuickBooks setup or a lack of proper processes and procedures) is not addressed, you will continue to experience the “garbage in, garbage out” syndrome.

The article outlined some indicators of corrupt QuickBooks files and provided information on how to fix them. However, keep in mind that the same thing could happen again. Your QuickBooks data file might start giving you problems once more.

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