QuickBooks Online Backup & Restore

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.

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?

Thank you so much! I'm newish to QBO, and just wanted to make sure that I was correctly understanding the policy...

You're very much welcome, @Carol_at_GGM.

We're glad that our colleague was able to help you understand the policy of QuickBooks Online (QBO) correctly.

We'll continue to provide the best customer service here. Just click the reply button and we'll reply as soon as possible. Have a great day.

Can you backup one day earlier

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.

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?

How do I get the system to start backing up again as it has in the past. Nothing has changed that I am aware of.

Thank you for sharing the exact error message you encountered while backing up your file, @crh7064.

I'll ensure to help you fix the system so you can proceed in backing up your company file.

I'd like to ask if you're using QuickBooks Online Advanced (QBOA) or QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT).

If this happens while backing up your QBOA, you can perform some basic troubleshooting steps. Let's start by signing in to your account via a private window to determine if this is a browser-related concern because outdated files in the history can cause unexpected errors like yours.

Feel free to utilize the shortcut keys below: 

• Google Chrome: press Ctrl + Shift + N
• Mozilla Firefox: press Ctrl + Shift + P
• Microsoft Edge: press Ctrl + Shift + N
• Safari: press Command + Shift + N

Then, start backing up your file there. If this works, clear the cache of your default browser to remove accumulated data. If the error persists, utilize another supported browser or device.

If your product is QBDT, the error "Backup was not successful because the file is open" means there are two companies open while backing up your file. To avoid this from happening, ensure that only the company that needs a backup should be open. If the QBDT file is open via network drive, you can follow this solution to resolve the error:

1. Close the QuickBooks company file.
2. Go to the Intuit Data Protect tab in the system tray, and select Open Intuit Data Protect.
3. Then, Back up now.

If the issue persists, verify that IBuEngHost.exe is running as the system user and not the local user. Here's how:

1. Go to the Taskbar and pick Start Task Manager.
2. Find the process IBuEngHost.exe and locate the user in the User Name column. You need to select " Show processes from all users" to see the IBuEngHost.exe. If the user's showing is anything other than System. IDP will be able to back up opened files.
3. To correct this, verify QBIDPService.exe is started and reboot your system.

• To check if QBIDPService.exe is running open the Services Console from the Windows run line by typing in Services.msc and clicking Enter.
• QBIDPService.exe should show with a Status of Started. If it is not, start the service, then restart your PC.

You can continue following the solution in this article if the same error happens after performing the steps above: Intuit Data Protect backup incomplete: Files did not backup because they were open or not reachable.

Don't hesitate to return here if you have additional questions about backing up your company file in QuickBooks. We'll be willing to help you. Take care, and have a good one.

@ crh7064 

If you are using QB Desktop, can you run the backup manually to local?

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!!!!

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!!!!  None of the "apps" actually make a copy like we get in the desktop version. I really feel like my back is against the wall in terms of pricing here and can't image spending a few years in the pro online version only to lose it all because there are no backups.  I'm hoping someone can explain this to me - if that's true, its absolutely CRAZY!  TY

Transitioning can be challenging, especially when it involves crucial aspects like backing up your essential business data, @1984s. I appreciate you sharing your experience moving from QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) to QuickBooks Online (QBO). I understand adjusting to new ways of managing your files can require time and effort, and I want to ensure that I give some insights to help make this transition smoother.

To begin, please know that QBO handles data security differently than QBDT. While the desktop version allows you to create manual backups, the online version backs up your data continuously and automatically, as it operates in the cloud. You can rest assured that your critical data will always be backed up securely regardless of the edition you use — whether it's Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, or Advanced. For more information, please refer to this article: QuickBooks Online Security. 

In addition to these automatic measures, QBO Advanced allows you to manually back up your data through its Online Back-up and Restore enabling you to roll back changes made in your company file, copy accounting data from one company to another, or export it to your cloud storage using your Google Drive. Here's what it looks like in the QBO Advanced account:

To learn more about this, I'm adding this article as a reference: Back up and restore your QuickBooks Online Advanced Company.

Once you're assured of your data security, check out the different terms QBO uses for menu options, features, lists, items, transaction types, reports, and other labels. You can learn them here: Learn how features and data move from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online.

We're here to support you during this transition and ensure your information remains safe. If you need assistance or clarification on managing data backups with QBO, feel free to click the Reply button.

@1984s 

Do you need to downgrade to QB Desktop Pro Plus or switch to QB Online?