Missing .qbw company file after windows 10 reset (keep my files)

[lan101]

I have a customer that did a windows 10 reset (keep my files) after of course a botched update. They knew they would have to reinstall quickbooks. I cannot find the .qbw file anywhere looking all over the place. Looked in windows.old folder and still nothing. They claim to have a backup from the day before on an external but I don't have access to that until probably Monday.

You know how customers are you can't trust that it's actually backed up. So I am wondering if there's any odd places to look for .qbw file. A search brings nothing and easeus data recovery hasn't brought anything regarding it. Hopefully they have the backups lol.

 

[glennd]

I have a customer that did a windows 10 reset (keep my files) after of course a botched update. They knew they would have to reinstall quickbooks. I cannot find the .qbw file anywhere looking all over the place. Looked in windows.old folder and still nothing. They claim to have a backup from the day before on an external but I don't have access to that until probably Monday.

You know how customers are you can't trust that it's actually backed up. So I am wondering if there's any odd places to look for .qbw file. A search brings nothing and easeus data recovery hasn't brought anything regarding it. Hopefully they have the backups lol.

Normally stored in the user's Documents folder, possibly under Intuit or Reckon or whatever the company name was that year.

 

[Diggs]

I don't have an install in front of me to check for sure but QB files are always in Public - Documents - Intuit - etc. by default.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Default location for QB's is in the public users libraries
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Intuit\QuickBooks\Company Files

Of course many people store them in some more specific folder if they know enough to create them in a directory then want. Else...default is...the above link.

 

[mraikes]

I don't know about newer versions, but if I recall correctly, QB didn't always default to a normal user folder like documents. And the user could choose any old location at company setup.

Depending on the version of QB, it could have been in the (sometimes) default QB program installation folder. You know, \Programs\intuit\quickbooks\etc.

 

[lcoughey]

Hopefully the first thing you did was get a full sector-by-sector clone of the drive and/or make sure that you removed the drive are are looking at in in read-only mode.

 

[lan101]

Thanks. I've checked the normal directories and the Intuit folders exist just nothing with the company file. I'll keep looking.

 

[lan101]

Hopefully the first thing you did was get a full sector-by-sector clone of the drive and/or make sure that you removed the drive are are looking at in in read-only mode.

They already did the reset before I could get the machine. Would a sector by sector clone still make sense now just in case?

 

[lan101]

Default location for QB's is in the public users libraries
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Intuit\QuickBooks\Company Files

Of course many people store them in some more specific folder if they know enough to create them in a directory then want. Else...default is...the above link.

Yeah...no files really were in the public folders so makes me wonder if they specified a different folder elsewhere.

 

[lcoughey]

They already did the reset before I could get the machine. Would a sector by sector clone still make sense now just in case?

Of course, every time you access the drive, you are likely overwriting more sectors, making it less likely to recover the files.

 

[lan101]

Of course, every time you access the drive, you are likely overwriting more sectors, making it less likely to recover the files.

Very true. I'll do that and wait until Monday to see if their backups actually exist and work. Thank you.

 

[Markverhyden]

I've had more than a few customers who, some how (who knows how), managed to move the company data file to the backup device.

 

[Larry Sabo]

I've had more than a few customers who, some how (who knows how), managed to move the company data file to the backup device.

I know how: The customer opens a file they earlier copied to a flash drive. Next time they open QB, it by defaults opens the last file opened. Their flash drive dies and it's all gone.

 

[lan101]

I'm thinking that's exactly what happened here.

 

[Markverhyden]

I know how: The customer opens a file they earlier copied to a flash drive. Next time they open QB, it by defaults opens the last file opened. Their flash drive dies and it's all gone.

That's been my suspicion as well. But it would require that somehow the app lost the original link since most launch it from the app desktop shortcut. But, as we all have observed over the years, what goes on in the EU ecosystem is very mysterious.

 

[GTP]

I've had more than a few customers who, some how (who knows how), managed to move the company data file to the backup device.

+1 have a client that though she had to put it on a USB key on installation!

Did the same thing with CFM!

 

[Larry Sabo]

But it would require that somehow the app lost the original link since most launch it from the app desktop shortcut.

That's what happens.

QB opens the last QBW file opened, when launched from the desktop shortcut. I always modify the shortcut to include the file path that points to the preferred location on the PC.* However, some people prefer to just double-click the QBW file to open it, which is fine if you pay attention to where that file is located. Under the Open menu, QB stupidly lists all the recent file names opened without showing their paths, IIRC.

* - At least the version my customer uses. I'd have to test whether the 2016 version also does that but I think it does.

EDIT: Just confirmed that QB Pro 2016 does the same thing -- opens the last-opened qbw file when program is opened from the QB program desktop. Also, the "Open a Company file" menu lists the previously opened QBW file names (which includes duplicates) and if you hover over them, show their paths.

 

[HCHTech]

I know how: The customer opens a file they earlier copied to a flash drive. Next time they open QB, it by defaults opens the last file opened. Their flash drive dies and it's all gone.

Quickbooks makes me crazy that they allow this. I used to see it all the time when folks sent their file to the accountant for review. The accountant sends it back, they put it on the desktop, or if they used a flash drive, they just put that in the computer and open the file and start using it - clueless what they've done. At least that particular problem is solved now that most accountants use the built in "send file to your accountant" feature which doesn't move the actual company file.

w/r/t OPs problem, can't you just do a search of the whole [cloned copy of the] drive for .qbw files? Might take an hour, but keyboard time = 45 seconds. It's either there or it's not. @Markverhyden is probably right - their live company file is probably on their backup device.

 

[TAPtech]

Haven't you just Windows searched the c:\ for *.qbw ?

 

[Larry Sabo]

At least that particular problem is solved now that most accountants use the built in "send file to your accountant" feature which doesn't move the actual company file.

Except that the accountant has to have the customer's version of QB or the one previous to that, in order to open an Accountant's Copy of the file. I submit paper copies of the reports he requires to prepare my taxes but need to take a laptop with my QB file on it for him to make registry entries so I'm in sync on tax-related items (personal use of home/car, depreciation etc.). You'd think for all the money they take in from QB customers, they could hire a decent programmer or two.