cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Charles76
Level 1

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

The only answer I found here was for QB 2018 which says it is in user/Documents/Quickbooks.  No QB folder there, nor the QB file on my iMac 2019 running Mojave (10.14.5).

 

QB could not find the file when I started it today; it had been running fine.  I restored it from the last backup and put it in Documents.  QB now runs fine.  Probably a good thing that I keep the backups on an external drive.

 

I did a Find on the name of the QB file; the only one it found was the one I just created.

14 Comments 14
ShallyMarR
QuickBooks Team

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

Hello @Charles76,

 

Thanks for joining the Community. 

 

I want to make sure you're able to bring those missing company files in your QuickBooks Desktop 2019 for Mac. To fix this issue, let's restore the most recent backup of your company.

 

Here's how:


1. Go to the File menu, then click Restore Company.
2. Select Restore a Backup File, then click Next.
3. Hit the Local backup.
4. Select the company file, then click Next.
5. Choose the location where to save the restored file.
6. Hit Save.

 

I've added a helpful article for your reference on how to restore company file:

 

I’m always ready to help if you need anything else. Have a good one!

Charles76
Level 1

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

Thanks, but I've already restored the file.  I just want to know where it is normally stored so that I can verify that it had in fact disappeared.  Of course, if it had, the big concern would be why it had.

JessT
Moderator

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

Let's check the location of your company file, Charles.

 

The default location is actually in the Documents folder, the one you mentioned above. You can also find your company file's location by clicking on Help and choosing Product Information. You will see it in the bottom part.

 

The article about finding a company file can give you more details about this.

 

Please let me know if you need help finding other files.

Charles76
Level 1

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

I suspected as much, which would make this the first time I have ever seen a file just disappear, and I've used Macs since 1986.  I'm now wondering if it is a computer or QB problem.

Ryan_M
Moderator

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

Hi @Charles76,

 

Allow me to join in this conversation and share my thoughts on locating your company file.

 

Instead of searching for a specific company name, try to do a wildcard search by typing in (*.qb) without the parenthesis. This way, you'll be searching for all QuickBooks related files.

 

Once you've found a possible match for your previous company file, take note of its location then open it in QuickBooks to see if you're still able to access it.

 

Other troubleshooting steps you can try for this kind of issue can be found in this article: Company file is missing or cannot be found.

 

Let me know if you have other questions for me by posting it in the comments below. I'll make sure to get back to you.

Charles76
Level 1

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

Doing this search using Find or Spotlight on my iMac doesn't find anything.  The file created when I restored from backup has an extension of .qb2019.  Searching on *.qb2019 also doesn't find anything, even though it exists in user/Documents (not user/Documents/Quickbooks).  Searching on the entire filename finds both that file and the one on my nightly backup disk.  So I'm guessing Find on the Mac doesn't support wildcards.

Angelyn_T
QuickBooks Team

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

Allow me to help share additional information about locating the stored files in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac, @Charles76.

 

Yes, you can locate the file by following the steps provided above. However, if you aren't able to locate the file, you may follow these steps:

 

  1. Go to the File menu.
  2. Click on File Finder Window.
  3. Click on Documents on the All My Files page.
  4. Look for the file on the Documents page or search the company name on the search field.

You can also check our QuickBooks for Mac guide in case you have any other QuickBooks concerns in the future: User's Guide for QuickBooks Mac.

 

If you have any other questions, just add a comment below. I'll be happy to help however I can.

 

Charles76
Level 1

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

I'm just guessing that you mean File in the Finder menu bar.  If so, I don't see a File Finder Window.  There is a Find in the File dropdown menu, but that's the one I've been using.  I don't see an All My Files page.

GlinetteC
Moderator

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

Let's check the location of your current open file, Charles76.

 

Here's how:

  1. Click QuickBooks.
  2. Select Preferences.
  3. Then, choose Product Information.

Let us know how these steps work, we're here to help you more on this.

Charles76
Level 1

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

Product Information is under Help, not Preferences.

 

It shows my company file exactly where I told it to put it during the Restore process:

 

user/Documents/... .qb2019

 

The question is not where it is now, but where QB put it when I first installed it.

FritzF
Moderator

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

Thanks for getting back to us, @Charles76.

 

Yes, that's right! When you access the Product Information on the Help menu, the location that is at the bottom of the window is where you should find the QuickBooks file you've restored.

 

Since you're still unable to see it, I highly recommend contacting our Phone Support team. They have a screen-sharing (remote access) tool that can check your computer and help locate it for you.

 

Here's how to reach them:

 

1. Go to https://help.quickbooks.intuit.com/en_US/contact.
2. Choose QuickBooks Mac Desktop on the pop-up window.
3. Select Company File on the What can we help you with? section.
4. After that, scroll down to Here's how to connect with a QuickBooks expert section and click the Get Phone Number (green) option.

 

Just in case, I'll be adding these articles for future reference:

 

 

Please keep me posted if you have any other issues or concerns. I want to make sure everything is taken care of for you.

Charles76
Level 1

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

As I've already said in this thread, I restored QB with no problem from a backup, and during that restoration I told it to put the company file in user/Documents.  When I open that folder I can see the file just fine, and QB is running again with no problems.

 

Again, the question is:  Where does QB put the company file when you run it the first time?  I just want to know if the file disappeared from my computer.  If the answer is user/Documents/Quickbooks, then it is indeed gone.

contact-2525
Level 1

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

I have similar problem.  I bought QB 2016 desk top.  Kept it updated. I use a mac pro and I thought everytime i quit quickbooks and the backup pop up that my file was backing up.  Februrary preparing my taxes I open up disc and there is no back up files icon.   I do not know where on my Mac Pro these files where backing up?  Anyone can help?

Mary

katherinejoyceO
QuickBooks Team

Where does QB 2019 for Mac store the company file?

Thanks for following this thread, @contact-2525. As additional insights, QuickBooks for Mac created DMG file when you create a backup. 

 

It contains a copy of your company file and other documents you saved in QuickBooks, like forms or PDFs. The file name also shows the year version of QuickBooks to make it easy for you to locate it. 

 

We can search it by following the steps below: 

 

  1. From the QuickBooks menu, select Preferences.
  2. Click Backup, then select Reveal Backup Folder and double-click the folder where you save your backup files.
  3. You can select Date Modified to sort by date and see your most recent backup.

 

After you locate your backup file, follow Step 2 to restore it in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac

 

You can also check out this article for more troubleshooting steps in case your company file is missing or can’t be found in QuickBooks Desktop.

 

I'll always be here if you have additional concerns. Take care!

Need to get in touch?

Contact us