Missing payees and descriptions

I'm here to make sure you can get those missing payees and descriptions recovered, @DZ68.

First, make sure that you've opened the latest backup copy of your file. If you're unsure where the backup file is located, you can display hidden files and folders for help in searching for .qbb file on your computer. You'll have to look at each file, the largest file is likely to be the one with the most data in it. Once done, restore this copy. 

Here's how to download the QuickBooks Tool Hub:

1. Close your QuickBooks.
2. Download the QuickBooks Tool Hub file.
3. Open the QuickBookstoolhub.exe file. It gets saved in the download folder.
4. Follow the on-screen steps to install and agree to the terms and conditions.
5. Click Finish.
6. Double-click the icon on your Windows desktop to open the tool hub.

From there, let's run the QuickBooks File Doctor Tool:

1. From the tool hub, select Company File Issues.
2. Select Run QuickBooks File Doctor. It can take up to one minute for the file doctor to open. Note: If the QuickBooks File Doctor doesn't open, search for QuickBooks Desktop File Doc and open it manually.
3. In QuickBooks File Doctor, select your company file from the drop-down menu. If you don’t see your file, select Browse and search to find your file.
4. Select Check your file (middle option only) and then Continue.
5. Enter your QuickBooks admin password and then select Next.

Once done repairing your data, verify if the information is restored. Otherwise, if the tool is unable to fix this problem, choose the option that's best for you:

• Restore a backup company file
• Recover lost data with QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery
• Send your company file to our Data Recovery Team. To request data recovery service from Intuit Data Services, contact our QuickBooks Technical Support.

For more information about this process, refer to this article: Resolve Missing Information.

Please fill me in on the progress of fixing I'll be happy to help until it's found!

Hi @DZ68,

Hope you’re doing great. I wanted to see how everything is going about finding the missing info. Was it successful? Do you need any additional help or clarification? If you do, just let me know. I’d be happy to help you at any time.

Looking forward to your reply. Have a pleasant day ahead!

Thank you for directions on finding the missing info.  Before I read what you sent, my staff was able to go to each check that was missing a payee, and after a couple of clicks on the check, she was able to see who the payee was.  And then with the payee drop down menu, she was able to put the payee back where it belongs in each check.

We have yet to try another reconciliation, because we do not know what caused the payees to go missing; thus, we do not know how to prevent it.  Any thoughts before we try the next reconciliation?

Thanks! 

I appreciate you for getting back to us and for sharing the details you've done to fix the issue, @DZ68.

To seamlessly reconcile your accounts, you'll want to ensure your QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) is up to date. This way, the system is equipped with the latest features and fixes that help prevents any issues. Let me show you how.

1. Go to the Help menu and select Update QuickBooks Desktop.
2. Select the Update Now tab. 
3. Click Get Updates to start the download.
4. When the download finishes, restart QuickBooks.
5. Then accept the option to install the new release.

Once done, you can now confidently reconcile your account whenever you're ready. In case you run into some issues, you can refer to this article on how to handle the situation: Learn the reconcile workflow in QuickBooks.

I'm always here to back you up if you need further assistance reconciling your account. You can also share with me if you have other QuickBooks concerns. Stay safe and have a great weekend ahead!

Thank you for the response.  The QuickBooks software is on a server, so I would need to have my IT guy try the update procedure you recommended.  However, it was in late May that our IT guy installed QuickBooks Pro 2021.  Is it possible that we would already need an update?

I've got your back, @DZ68.

Let's first verify if your QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) Pro 2021 is already updated. The latest update for QBDT 2021 is Release 6 (R6). Here's how:

1. Open your QuickBooks Desktop.
2. Press F2 (or Ctrl+1) to open the Product Information window.
3. Check your current version and release, it should be R6.

If the version isn't R6, it means that your QBDT needs to be updated. To do so, you can follow the steps provided by my peer JasroV above. You can also check out this article for more guidance: Update QuickBooks Desktop to the latest release.

In addition, you might also want to update your payroll tax table if you use payroll in QBDT. For the detailed steps and information, you can read this article: Get the latest payroll tax table update.

Our doors are always open to help you again if you have any other concerns or follow-up questions about updating your QBDT. Have a great day ahead.

Thank you for your response.  Using your directions, I just checked for the current version, and it is R6.  Do you have any directions on how to avoid getting missing payees, when doing a reconciliation?  If not, I assume that we should try another reconciliation and hope for the best.  Any other ideas?

Thanks for coming back to the Community, DZ68.

I appreciate for following the solution shared by my peer and letting us know that your QuickBooks is up to date. We’ll have to enable the Start with payee field on check feature to prevent missing payee names when reconciling your account.

It only takes a few clicks to get there. Let me show you the step-by-step process.

Here’s how:

1. Go to the Edit menu at the top bar to choose Preferences.
2. This will open a window that lets you configure the program's features.
3. Tap the Checking menu on the left panel and select the Company Preferences tab.
4. Tick the box for the Start with payee field on check.
5. Click OK for the changes to take effect.

For more details about the Checking preferences, follow these steps to access our built-in articles. Here’s how:

1. In the Checking menu, press the Help button to open the Have a Question window.
2. From there, choose the topic and click on it to view more details.

You can also bookmark this guide for future reference: Fix issues when you're reconciling in QuickBooks Desktop. It contains solutions on how to resolve when you encounter any hurdles reconciling an account.

Reach out to me again if you need assistance managing checks and reconciling your account. I’m more than happy to lend a helping hand. Wishing your business continued success.

Greetings,

Can you tell me what does the software do, if in the screen for "Preferences" you check the box for "Start with payee field on check"?  We didn't have that checked before, and we didn't have the problem of missing payee names after doing a reconciliation.  

Your help is appreciated.  Thanks!

I'm here to share some details about the Start with payee field on check feature, DZ68.

Adding a checkmark on this feature will automatically place the cursor in the payee on the Write Checks window. Otherwise, it'll be placed in the Bank Account field.

For your visual reference, I've attached some screenshots below.

Additionally, I've included these articles that'll help you reconcile your transactions. This ensures the amounts match your real-life bank and credit card statements.

• Learn the Reconcile Workflow in QuickBooks
• Reconcile an Account in QuickBooks Desktop
• Get Reports for Previous Reconciliations in QuickBooks Desktop

I'm only a post away if you need help in reconciling your accounts in QuickBooks. It's always my pleasure to help you out again. Have a good one.

Hello,

We recently converted a client from QuickBooks Mac to QuickBooks Desktop.  When I went to reconcile the checking account all of the payee information is blank.  I downloaded Quickbookstoolhub and went through the steps.  It said nothing was wrong with the file.  I made sure we had the latest QuickBooks version and I also went to the preferences screen and under company preferences selected start with payee field on check.  Everything is still blank.  Please help.

Kristin