Use QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery to retrieve deleted data.

Losing critical financial data in QuickBooks can be a nightmare for any business. Whether it’s due to accidental deletion, corruption, or system crashes, the thought of losing your financial records can be daunting. Fortunately, QuickBooks offers a built-in tool called Auto Data Recovery (ADR), designed to help you recover lost or damaged data. In this blog post, we’ll explore what QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery is, how it works, and how you can use it to retrieve deleted or corrupted data.

Read more:- QuickBooks Data Missing After Update

What is QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery (ADR)?

QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery is a feature introduced in QuickBooks Desktop versions that automatically creates backup copies of your company file data. The purpose of ADR is to minimize the potential loss of financial data by allowing users to recover data that was accidentally deleted, lost, or damaged. It works by keeping a snapshot of your QuickBooks data and saving it in a hidden folder on your computer.

How Does QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery Work?

When enabled, ADR creates two types of backup files:

1. Transaction Log (.TLG) files: These contain a log of all the transactions entered into QuickBooks since the last backup.
2. Backup Company File (.QBB): This is a complete backup of your company file, including the company’s financial data, settings, and preferences.

QuickBooks uses these two files to help you recover data if you experience a crash, corruption, or accidental deletion. Here’s how ADR works step-by-step:

• Creating Backups: QuickBooks automatically creates daily backup copies and transaction logs.
• Saving Files: These backups and logs are saved in a hidden ADR folder on your system.
• Data Recovery: If your QuickBooks file becomes damaged or lost, the ADR tool helps you restore your company file using the available backups and logs.

How to Use QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery to Retrieve Deleted Data

If you need to recover deleted or lost data in QuickBooks, here are the steps to follow:

1. Locate Your ADR Folder

The first step is to locate the Auto Data Recovery folder on your computer. This folder is typically located within the same directory as your original QuickBooks company file. To find it:

• Open the folder where your QuickBooks company file is stored.
• Look for a folder called QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery.

2. Check the Backup Files

Inside the ADR folder, you should see two types of files:

• A . QBB file (the backup file).
• A  .TLG file (the transaction log file).

If the backup file is still intact, it should contain most of your data. If the file is corrupted, the transaction log file can help you restore your records up to the last known transaction.

3. Restore the Backup File

To restore the data from the ADR backup:

• Launch QuickBooks and click on File > Open or Restore Company.
• Select Restore a backup copy, then click Next.
• Choose the Local Backup option and browse to the ADR folder.
• Select the .QBB file to restore the backup.

4. Recover Lost Transactions Using the TLG File

If you need to recover transactions that occurred after the last backup, you can use the .TLG file. QuickBooks uses this transaction log to rebuild your data up to the last recorded transaction. This can be helpful if only a portion of your data was lost or deleted.

5. Rebuild Your Company File

After recovering your data, it’s important to verify and rebuild the company file to ensure all transactions and records are intact. You can do this by going to File > Utilities > Rebuild Data.

When ADR is Not Enough

While ADR is a powerful tool, it’s not foolproof. It may not always recover 100% of your data, especially in cases of severe file corruption or hardware failure. In such cases, you may need to turn to other backup strategies, such as manual backups or cloud-based solutions, to ensure your data remains safe.

Conclusion

QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery is a lifesaver for businesses that rely on QuickBooks for managing financial data. By creating automatic backups and transaction logs, ADR ensures that you have a safety net in case of data loss or corruption. While it’s not a substitute for regular backups, it’s a valuable tool that can help you recover lost data and minimize downtime.