Skip to main content

Get 50% OFF QuickBooks for 3 months*

Buy now
Switch to QuickBooks and 70% off for 3 Months
December 20, 2023
Solved

QuickBooks Online Backup & Restore

  • December 20, 2023
  • 4 replies
  • 44 views

For QBO Advanced, I need clarification on this:

 

{Effective February 26, 2024, Intuit will limit the ability to restore company data to within one previous calendar year. Backups that are older than one year will not be retrievable by the company.}

 

Specifically, I want to know, will data older than one previous calendar year be lost forever if I need to restore a backup?

Best answer by Tori B

Thanks for checking back with us, @Carol_at_GGM.

 

The message you're seeing means that a copy of the backup that is older than one year can not be restored. This doesn't mean that the data in your company that is over a year old won't be restored.

 

QuickBooks won't allow older copies so your data can stay as up to date as possible. For example, if you were to restore a back up that was made 11 months ago, your current data wouldn't be included. However, if you restored a recent back up, all your data, even over a year ago would be included. 

 

I hope this helps explain the backup process a little better. Please shoot me a reply if there are any other questions or concerns. Take care! 

 

 

4 replies

ShyMae
QuickBooks Team
December 20, 2023

Hi there, @Carol_at_GGM. I got the information you need about backing up data. 

Backups older than one year will not be retrievable by the company. This does not directly mean that data older than one previous year will be lost forever.

 

On the other hand, while the software allows you to back up and restore data, there's information you can't back up. Here's the following:

 

  • QuickBooks Online Payments information
  • Customer types and price rules
  • Delayed credits and charges (although you can back up associated invoices)
  • Recurring transactions
  • Bank feeds and their links to entries and bank rules
  • Reconciliation reports
  • Account-based billable expenses
  • Item-based billable expenses with markup
  • Custom reports
  • Custom form templates
  • Audit log entries

 

You can visit this article for more information: Backup and restore your QuickBooks Online Advanced Company.

 

Meanwhile, you can create a copy of an existing QuickBooks Online Advanced company and use it to start a new one instead of a backup. 

 

You can press the reply button below if you need further clarifications regarding backing up data in QuickBooks Online. I'm always here to support you.

December 27, 2023

So, very specific here.....

 

If I have data that is older than 1 year in my QBO file, it will continue to be backed up regularly as the file is backed up. If something happens to my file tonight, and I need to restore the most recent backup tomorrow, data that is older than 1 year will be included in that backup that I am restoring?

 

This new policy simply means that I cannot restore from a backup that is more than 1 year old?

Tori B
Tori BQuickBooks TeamAnswer
QuickBooks Team
December 27, 2023

Thanks for checking back with us, @Carol_at_GGM.

 

The message you're seeing means that a copy of the backup that is older than one year can not be restored. This doesn't mean that the data in your company that is over a year old won't be restored.

 

QuickBooks won't allow older copies so your data can stay as up to date as possible. For example, if you were to restore a back up that was made 11 months ago, your current data wouldn't be included. However, if you restored a recent back up, all your data, even over a year ago would be included. 

 

I hope this helps explain the backup process a little better. Please shoot me a reply if there are any other questions or concerns. Take care! 

 

 

September 25, 2024

Can you backup one day earlier

QuickBooks Team
September 25, 2024

Welcome to the Community, ebev1234. Allow me to share some insights about backing up your data in QuickBooks Online (QBO).

 

If you're using QuickBooks Online Advanced, you can back up your data one day earlier by manually creating a one-time backup. Maybe you're in the middle of an important project and want to save everything. This feature lets you do a manual backup of your data anytime.

 

Here's how:

 

  1. Go to Settings, then select Back up company.
  2. Hit Add Company.
  3. Click the Search for a company dropdown menu, then choose the company you want to back up.
  4. Hit Next, then Connect.
  5. Find the company you want to back up.
  6. From the Action dropdown menu, select Run full backup.

 

Please note that this can only be applied to QBO Advanced users if you're not using QBO Advanced, I suggest upgrading your subscription.

 

Furthermore, I've added this article for detailed information about backing up and restoring your QuickBooks Online Advanced Company: Back up and restore your QuickBooks Online Advanced Company.

 

Thank you for reaching out, ebev1234. I hope the information and steps above have clarified your concern regarding backing up your data in QBO. If you have further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to post a reply. Our team is available to help and looks forward to assisting you further.

November 25, 2024

So this sounds insane - I was downgrading from Enterprise desktop to quickbooks online pro because I simply can't afford those annual fees anymore. Now I am seeing that if I do that - NONE of my files will be backed up?????  That's insane - can someone explain this to me!!!!

September 26, 2024

I am trying to create an online backup. It has automatically backed up before but now I get the message that the backup was not successful because the file is open. What do I do?

March 5, 2026

Hello-

I backed up Quickbooks to the online.  My computer was destroyed and I need to retrieve my data, preferably by download.  Please let me know the best way to go about this.

Joe- GLF Enterprises

QuickBooks Team
March 5, 2026

Hi there, Joe. To get back up and running, you'll first need to install QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) on a new computer. Access your Intuit account or the cloud service where you saved the file, then download and restore your .qbb backup using the Open or Restore Company feature.

 

After installing the software, follow these steps:

 

  1. In QuickBooks, go to the File menu and select Open or Restore Company.
  2. Select Restore a backup copy, and then click Next.
  3. Select Local Backup and then Next.
  4. Browse your computer for your backup company file. It should look like this: [Your company name].qbb.
  5. Select a folder to choose where to save your restored company file, then click Open. Note: Opening the backup in the same folder as your existing company file may overwrite your data.
  6. To avoid overwriting, you can rename your existing company file or backup to ensure unique names, or save the backup in a different folder.
  7. When you're ready, select Save. If you see any messages about possibly overwriting your data, choose the option that best suits your needs. Only overwrite data if you are sure you want to.

 

If you need additional assistance with QuickBooks, please leave a comment below. We're here to help you.