Corrupt QBW files in QuickBooks are prone to errors. Common QuickBooks errors, such as 6000 series and H series, are associated with corrupt company files. The company file can get damaged or corrupted due to a several reasons. When a QuickBooks company file is damaged, the QuickBooks application fails to access the company file. You may fail to access information like vendors, company, customers, etc., from the company file. Sometimes, when you try accessing a corrupt company file, you can get unexpected errors.
The QBW files are used to track the financial data of the business organization and payroll management. The corruption in these files impacts cash flow and your payroll activities. To prevent this disruption, you need to repair the QBW files as soon as possible. In QuickBooks, it is possible to repair and restore the QBW files using the built-in utility. However, there are many other repair options you can try. In this post, we will learn some repair tools to help you repair data corruption in QuickBooks files.
Possible Causes for Corruption in QuickBooks Company (QBW) Files
Corruption issues in company files will make the file unreadable or inaccessible. Your company file gets damaged or corrupted due to one or more of the following software or hardware reasons:
- Hardware issues: Problems with hardware, such as hard drives, can damage the company file. Issues like bad sectors on a disk can cause read/write errors that can corrupt data.
- Abrupt shutdowns: The QuickBooks application's accidental shutdown while working on a company file interrupts the process. This leaves files in an unfinished state that can cause inconsistencies.
- Virus/malware attacks: If your system does not have Antivirus software installed, malicious programs can easily damage your files.
- Power outages: If power is unexpectedly lost while working on the company file, it can corrupt or make it unreadable.
Methods to Repair Corrupt QBW Files
When your QBW file is corrupted or damaged, you can try to restore your company file. In QuickBooks, you can either restore your company backup or use the QuickBooks Auto Recovery feature. Auto Data Recovery (ADR) is a QuickBooks option often used to restore lost transactions in the QuickBooks company file.
To use ADR, you require the current Transaction Log file (TLG) and the company file copy (ADR version of the company file). To use this method, make sure your backup file is not more than 1.5 GB. If it exceeds the expected amount, QuickBooks will not be able to create the ADR file. If restoring the company file does not help you to repair the corrupt QBW files, then try the below repair methods:
Method 1: Run ‘Verify and Rebuild Data’ Utility in QuickBooks
You can fix the damaged QBW file using QuickBooks's built-in 'Verify and Rebuild Data' utility. It can help identify and fix any data inconsistencies within a company file. Here’s is a procedure to use the inbuilt- "Verify and Rebuild Data" utility in the QuickBooks Desktop application:
- Open your QuickBooks Desktop application.
- Go to the File Menu, click Utilities, and then select Rebuild Data.
- You will see the QuickBooks Information display wizard on the screen. Click OK.
- Next, a dialog box is displayed on the screen that prompts you to create a backup of the company file. Follow the instructions on the screens to create a backup.
- Once the backup process is completed, the tool initiates rebuilding the QBW file. Once the data rebuilding is complete, click OK.
Next, run the Verify Data tool to check if there are any additional issues with the company file. To do so, here are the easy steps to follow:
In your QuickBooks Desktop application, click and follow File > Utilities > Verify Data.
The tool will begin verifying the company file data for issues. If it fails to detect any issues, click OK.
Method 2: Use Repair Tools in QuickBooks Tool Hub
QuickBooks Tool Hub is an Intuit-recommended tool for repairing QuickBooks errors. It contains various tools like Network repair tools, QuickBooks repair tools, and Company file repair tools. Among these tools, QuickBooks File Doctor and Quick Fix my file are the company file repair tools. These repair tools can help you repair the basic corruption-based issues in the QBW files. To run these tools, you need to download, install, and launch the latest version of QuickBooks Tool Hub.
Run QuickBooks File Doctor Tool
To use the QuickBooks File Doctor tool, follow the steps given below:
- In QuickBooks Tool Hub, click the option Labeled Company File Issues.
- Click Run QuickBooks File Doctor.
- Select the problematic company file (QBW) using the drop-down menu.
- Click Check your file, and then click on Continue.
- A window is displayed asking you to fill in QuickBooks admin credentials.
- Fill in your QB admin credentials, and then click on Next.
You can also use another QBW repair tool- Quick Fix my File to repair the company file. Here’s how to do so:
- On the same Tool Hub tool, click Company File Issues.
- Click Quick Fix my File. Click OK when the process is complete.
What If None of the Repair Methods Work?
If you've tried all the repair methods to repair corrupt QBW files, but none of them works, then you can seek the help of professional QuickBooks repair tools. The Stellar Repair for QuickBooks tool can help you repair corrupt QBW files on your Windows. It is a powerful and comprehensive QBW repair tool recommended by QB ProAdvisors to resolve any company file damage. It can fix a wide range of errors that are caused due to corruption.
Why should you use Stellar Repair for QuickBooks?
- Easy to use QBW repair tool capable of repairing severely corrupted company file
- It has no file size limitations.
- Supports recovery for QuickBooks® Enterprise Solution, Premier, and Pro editions
- Repairs all QBW file components like Company, Customers, Vendors, and Employees
- It helps you fix all errors caused by corruption in the company file.
- It helps you preview recoverable components, such as Vendors, employees, reports, etc., in the company file before saving.
Conclusion:
Corruption in QBW files can be problematic and hinder your workflow, but you can easily repair corrupt QuickBooks company files with the right methods. The above post mentioned the common and effective QuickBooks repair tools to repair company files and quickly fix QBW errors. If you have a large-sized company file or your company file is highly corrupted, you can use a QBW file repair tool like Stellar Repair for QuickBooks. It is an outstanding QBW file repair tool that repairs and restores QBW files precisely. You can download a demo version of the tool to check its operability and functionality. It allows you to preview the repairable data in your company file without the need to purchase it. This helps you to evaluate the accuracy of the tool easily.
This article was written in cooperation with “Stellar Data Recovery Inc.”