Back up your company files

by Intuit •

25 •

Updated 5/26/2026 12:22

Learn how to back up your company files in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

Create backups of your QuickBooks company files to keep your business data safe and up to date. This lets you restore your files if something unexpected happens. Here's how:

Note:

Create a backup of your company files at the end of every session.
Keep the backup copy on a different device, like:
- Dropbox
- iCloud Drive
- USB key
Store a copy of your backups in a place besides your work. You can use the following to store it:
- iCloud Drive
- Dropbox
- Google Drive

Schedule automatic back ups for your company files

You can back up your company files automatically to ensure your data is safe and available when you need it. Here’s how:

Select QuickBooks, then select Settings.
Select Backup.
Select your backup preferences.
- Automatically back up company files every x hours: Select how often QuickBooks backs up your company files in a full day.
- Automatically back up company files when closing: Select if you’d like to back up your files when you close QuickBooks.
- Save backup files in: Select where you’d like QuickBooks to back up your files. We recommend that you use a different drive or computer to save your backup. This way, if something goes wrong, you can still get to your files.
- Overwrite last backup: Select if you want QuickBooks to replace your last backup file with a new one. This means you'll only have your most recent backup stored.
- Encrypt files with a password: If you want your backups to have a password, select Change and enter one.
- Back up attached documents library: Select if you want to back up attachments you’ve added to QuickBooks records and transactions.
When you’re done, close the Backup settings window.

Customize your default filename for automatic backups

You can now customize the default filename format for automatic backups. This helps you identify the files scheduled for backup. Here’s how:

Note: This option is available in QuickBooks 2024 for Mac, R10, and higher.

Select QuickBooks, then select Settings.
Select Backup.
From the Filename format: section, select your preferred format.

Consider the following when you format your filename:

Both static text and variable tokens (Name, Date, and Time) are accepted in the Filename format section.
The Name token can use either the company name or the company filename.
The Date and Time tokens offer multiple formatting options.
A real-time preview shows exactly how your backup filename appears.