Most of the small, medium, and large businesses have switched to QuickBooks for efficient storage and retrieval of accounting data. The software helps organizations maintain data in an organized way. However, sudden instances of the loss of data trouble users to a great extent. Know how to recover lost QuickBooks Data File from a Hard Drive.
The users never forget to keep the data up-to-date. But what they forget is to take a backup of the same regularly. They keep postponing things and then, suddenly one day, they lose it all. Thus, it is recommended to users to be particular about taking the backup regularly without delaying it.
Being an accounting software, however, QuickBooks offers an inbuilt feature to ensure the data is easily recovered in case the businesses lose them due to any whatsoever reasons. Apart from using the inbuilt feature, you can also apply other methods of recovery for the lost QuickBooks Data.
What are the Main Causes of Data Loss in QuickBooks?
Before browsing through the methods of recovering QuickBooks data when lost, it is essential to know the causes of such loss. Here are a few of them discussed:
- Upgrading company files to a higher version of QuickBooks software
- Issues while upgrading the software
- Troubles or malfunctioning of the applications while using the software
- Abrupt power shortage or sudden system crash
- Failure to take regular backups
- If files are corrupt or broken
- If files are deleted unintentionally
- Viral attacks on the system
Steps to Recover Lost QuickBooks Data From Hard Drive
Here learn how to recover lost QuickBooks Data from hard drive. Follow the mention steps to fix the issue:
Option 1: Using the Current Transaction Log File (.TLG) and Company Log File (.QBW.adr)
You can use the current Transaction Log File and a copy of the company log file to recover your data. The steps to be followed are:
- Make a new folder on the Desktop
- Name it QBTest
- Go to the location where your company file is stored
- Search for the .TLG extension for your company file
- Copy the file with the extension
- Paste it in the new QBTtest folder you created in Step 2.
- Navigate to QuickBooksAutoDataRecovery folder
- Copy the company log file with .ADR extension
- Paste that too in the particular folder, QBTest
- Open the folder called QBTest now
- Right-click the .QBW.ADR file
- Choose the Rename option
- Remove .ADR from the end of the file name
- Open QuickBooks
- Open the particular company file in the folder QBTest
- Use the given account register for any verification of transactions if required
- Go to File
- Select Utilities
- Click on Verify or Validate Data option to check and verify the particular recovered file
If the file seems recreated properly, you can move this file from the folder QuickBooks Test to the original location.
Option 2: Using .QBW.adr (Company File) and .TLG.adr (Transaction Files) Files
You can use the ADR versions of both the transaction log file and company log file. However, this option should be used only if the data has been lost within the last 12 hours of transactions. The steps to be followed are:
- Make a new folder on the Desktop
- Name it QBTest
- Go to the location where your company file is stored
- Search for the .TLG.ADR extension for your company file
- Copy the file with the extension
- Paste it in the new QBTtest folder you created in Step 2.
- Navigate to QuickBooksAutoDataRecovery folder
- Copy the company log file with .QBW.ADR extension
- Paste that too in the folder QB Test
- Open the folder QBTest now
- Right-click the .TLG.ADR. and QBW.ADR files
- Choose the Rename option for both individually
- Remove .ADR from the end of both file names
- Open QuickBooks
- Open the particular company file in the folder QBTest
- Use the given account register for any verification of transactions if required
- Go to File
- Select Utilities
- Click on the particular Verify or Validate Data option to check and verify the particular recovered file
If the file seems recreated properly, you can move this file from the folder QBTest to the original location.
Though the steps mentioned above are clearly stated, there might be instances where you get stuck in the middle of a step.
What if I don’t Find the File with .TLG.ADR or the .QBW.ADR Extensions?
While copying and pasting the file with .TLG.ADR or the particular .QBW.ADR extension, if you do not find the required file in the original folder, here are the steps you can follow to search for the same:
Navigate to the Product Information screen Look for the No Company Open Window Search for the files. These files are named after the particular company files. If you still cannot identify them, you can:
Press Windows+E and open File Explorer
Choose the Organize option
Select the particular option, Folder & Search [If you are using Windows 10, Windows 8.1 & 8, go to View and choose the particular File name extension]
Click on Hide extensions. This will be for the identified file types
Click on Apply
Select OK
What is an ADR? How does it Help in Recovering the Lost Data in QuickBooks?
ADR stands for Auto Data Recovery, which is an inbuilt feature in QuickBooks to ensure users do not lose their data from the hard drive because of sudden outages or problems.
ADR can help users recover the files by either/or:
Restoring the transactions through the current transaction log file and a backup for company file already on the system
Restoring all lost transactions but only if they have been lost within the last 12 hours of transactions.
What do I Need to Remember While using ADR for Data Recovery in QuickBooks?
ADR is only available in QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Enterprise Solutions for Windows. You will not find it in Accountant Editions.
Keep updating the software to maximize the utility of this feature of QuickBooks.
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