I have a laptop mac. I started a new company file the other day. The 2 I already have are fine but this new company fails to backup when I close it. I get an error message that says quickbooks was unable to back company file. Quickbooks could not create a disk image.

I have the unable to back up problem as well. I get the same warning about unable to create a disk image. It started about a month after I started using Mac 2019.  I manually duplicate the file and then date it an put it in a folder.  I sure would like to go back to automatic backups.  

Any suggestions?

Hello there, Cyd.

Thanks for letting us know. Let me help you get rid of the error so you'll be able to backup your company file successfully.

Have you tried verifying and rebuilding your QuickBooks software? If not, I bet you give it a try, doing this helps fix common data issues and unexpected behavior within your company file.

Before you proceed with the troubleshooting, please secure a backup of your company. Once done, you can now start to verify and rebuild your QuickBooks. 

To Verify:

1. Click File at the top menu.
2. Go to Utilities.
3. Select Verify.

To Rebuild:

1. Click File at the top menu.
2. Go to Utilities.
3. Select Rebuild.

Check out this article for a step by step guide in resolving common data damage on your company file: Verify and Rebuild Data in QuickBooks Desktop.

If you're still unable to create a backup of your company file, you may need to reach out to our QuickBooks Desktop Mac Support. A specialist will be able to look up your account securely and conduct further investigation on why you'reassist you via secured remote access session.

Here's how you can contact our phone support: 

1. Click this link: https://help.quickbooks.intuit.com/en_US/contact.
2. Select QuickBooks Mac Desktop.
3. Type-in Technical Support on the search bar.
4. And click Get the Phone number below.

Let me know how it goes after giving these steps a try. Feel free to leave comment below if you have other questions about creating backups in QuickBooks. I’m always here to help.

Thank you for the great reply.  I have done the verify and rebuild. The problem continued.  I was hoping to avoid having to submit my data file for review and repair, but I guess there's no quick fix.

Thanks for your response!!

Thanks for getting back to us, @Cyd.

Allow me to step in for a moment and help make sure that you can backup our company file.

First of all, I appreciate you following the steps provided by my colleague. Since you're still unable to create a backup copy of your company file after running the verify and rebuild utilities, I highly recommend contacting our QuickBooks Desktop Mac Support. They have tools such as screen-sharing (remote session) that can pull up and check your account and investigate why you're having this issue.

Here's how to reach them:

1. Click this link: QuickBooks Support 
2. Choose QuickBooks Mac Desktop, then type-in Technical Support on the search bar.
3. Select Get the Phone number (green button) below.

Just in case, you can also visit this article for future reference: Restore a backup (.dmg) in QuickBooks Mac.

Thanks for being a part of our QuickBooks family. Please let me know how it goes after contacting them. Please leave a comment below should you have any follow-up questions or concerns. I'll be here to help you out. Have a great rest of the day!

Hi,

I clicked on your link, but was given one of those "it doesn't exist" pages.  I went to the support page and put "technical support" into the search bar, but it only returned a list of links - no phone button.  I am currently on hold for the phone support line.  The recording tells me that I can schedule a call back online, but I can't find anywhere to do this.  I think the support system must be changing and the various parts aren't coordinated yet.  I know how to restore a backup - but the last ones that let me back up were in September.  I was an early adopter of 2019.  I really like - except for having to manually create backups.  I finally have time to try and resolve this issue - please let me know what to do.

Thanks!

Thank you for getting back to us, @Cyd.

I can help you restore your backup file in QuickBooks for Mac.

When you back up your files in QuickBooks, it creates a disk image file which includes a copy of your company file and Attached Documents Library.

Here's how you can restore your company file:

1. Double click the .dmg file.
2. Drag the company file to the folder where you want to store the company file.
3. Drag the Attached Documents Library folder to the same folder.
4. Click on File, then select Open Company.

Also, you may contact our QuickBooks Desktop Mac Support so they can access your account and help you successfully restore your backup.

You may refer to this article for more information: Restore a Backup (.dmg) in QuickBooks Mac.

Fill me in if you have any other questions about restoring your company files. I'll be around to help you.

Thank you for the RESTORE instructions.  I do know how to do that.  My problem is with backing-up and it is a program/data file problem.  I have submitted my file to data services.

Again, thank you for taking the time to respond.

Cyd

I sent my file to data services and it returned with the back up function working - BUT my company info and preferences are missing.  The email says that they converted my file to windows to fix the problem.  The conversion seems to have erased all custom preferences.  I have been on hold with customer support and did a chat support session - nothing seems to help.  

Any suggestions??

I appreciate you for keeping us updated, Cyd.

I can help you get pointed in the right direction.

First, I want to thank you for sharing the steps you've tried and for contacting our Data Services Team. While we are unable to automatically restore your custom preferences and information, you can manually set them up and enter it in your company file.

I'd also recommend contacting our QuickBooks for Mac Support Team to assist you with this. Please let the representative know what you tried so far, so we don't recommend the same troubleshooting steps. They can refer you to our Data Services for further assistance.

Here's how to reach us:

1. Go to: https://help.quickbooks.intuit.com/en_US/contact
2. If asked, choose QuickBooks Mac Desktop.
3. On the Contact Us page, click a topic.
4. Click on the Get Phone Number button to see the support number.​​

I'm sure they will take care of this for you. I'd appreciate if you can update me on how it goes. I'll be here if there's anything else you need.  I'm cheering you to continued prosperity.

I'm having this problem, QB 2016 won't backup or create at disk image. I am running the desktop version, on Mojave 10.14.4. I have verified my company, trying to backup onto the HD where I've always backed up, but can't get it to work? Have the released a fix yet?

Hello there, @astaudt.

I appreciate you choose the Community to assist you with the error you're getting when creating a backup in QuickBooks for Mac. Allow me to help share additional troubleshooting steps to get this taken care of today.

To start, let's try creating a backup using a sample file to isolate the error. If it's working, let's try to use a different backup location. 

Here's how: 

1. Go to QuickBooks the select Preferences.
2. Choose Backup.
3. Change the location. 
4. Close the Preferences window.

After that, update QuickBooks to the latest release. Once done, try creating a backup copy again.

 If you get the same result, I recommend reaching out to our Customer Care Support for further help. They can use the screen share tool to determine what's causing the error and get you to the resolution quickly. Please refer to the steps provided by my colleague, PreciousB.

That should get you back in track. Please stay in touch after trying the steps or if you have any other question while working with QuickBooks. I'll be happy to help you further. Have a wonderful day. 

Dear Sir/ma'am

I am facing a problem in creating a backup. As whenever I create a backup of my data it is saved as .tmp file instead of .qbw file. I don't know how to solve it. Please provide some guidance.

Thank you.

Hi Waqar Ahmad,

The extension for the backup company file is .qbb. You can find it in the QBBBackup Temp (.tmp) folder, which is automatically created when you back up your files. 

On the other hand, the .qbw you mentioned is the file extension for a working file in QuickBooks Desktop for Windows.

You can check out the article about the list of file extensions for more details.

If there's anything that you need help with, feel free to click on Reply below.

Thank you for your response.

Sorry I mistakenly wrote .qbw, actually problem is that when I backup my company file I get a .qbb file. But when my colleague in another project backup the company data the backup is saved in .tmp file but not in .qbb extension. So that is what I want to know what is the issue. Why he is unable to get backup file in .qbb extension?

Thanks for the additional information, Waqar Ahmad.

I've checked our records, and I didn't see any reported issues about this.

Please let your colleague update his QuickBooks to get the latest release. The update contains patches that fix issues in the program. If the same thing happens, please have him repair the QuickBooks program to fix any damaged program components that could have caused this behavior.

If it's still not fixed after trying the steps mentioned, please have him contact our Phone or Chat agents. They can do a screen-sharing session to gather more data and investigate this further.

You can always go back to this thread if you have other questions.

I can't get out of the transaction I was trying to transfer to another QuickBook business. Now I can't close the company file or do the backup.  How do I delete the transaction? it is not letting me delete everything and is locking my computer.

Hello there, @seej.

I can see how challenging it is for you. But I'm here to ensure that you'll be able to delete the transaction and get you back to working order.

Before we proceed, have you perform the troubleshooting steps provided by my colleagues above? If you haven't yet, I recommend doing it so.

If it still doesn't work, let's perform other troubleshooting steps so you can delete the transaction successfully. To get started, let's perform a mini repair on your QuickBooks by using the QuickBooks Refresher Tool. Here's how: 

Let's use the QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool to fix the issue. 

1. Download the QuickBooks Install DiagnosticTool.
2. When prompted, save the file to the local Desktop.
3. Close any open programs and run the QBInstall Tool.
4. Restart your computer after running the tool.

For more troubleshooting steps, please check out this article for your reference: Solutions for when QuickBooks Stops Working.

If all the troubleshooting steps don't work, I suggest contacting our Technical Support Team. They have the tools to further investigate this matter and get this fix for you. 

To reach them:   

1. Go to the Help menu.
2. Select QuickBooks Desktop Help.
3. In the Have a Question window, click Contact us at the bottom portion of the screen.
4. Click Search for something else.
5. Type in a keyword about your concern.
6. Hit Search.
7. Click on Start a Message.

You can check out this article for your reference: Contact the QuickBooks Desktop Customer Support Team. 

You can also visit QuickBooks Community in case you need some tips and related articles in the future. 

Please let me know if you have other QuickBooks concerns. I'll be around if you need any help.

I had no problem backing up to my e drive but since I have a new computer it won't back my files