Portable company file

chris-r-624 · ‎January 08, 2024

Hey everyone, I tried searching for the answer to this question but couldn't find a definitive one.

The situation is this: I have a 1.04 GB company file that is 21 years old, and I want to reduce the file size for better performance. Today I created a portable file as a test, that took the size down to 144 MB, which is a huge decrease. My understanding is that Quickbooks shaves off all customizations including logos, templates, etc. when creating a portable file.

My question is, if I were to restore the portable file and place it back in the original location (after backing up my original file), and give it the same file name as the original, will it find and restore all the existing customizations and support files in that directory? If so, this would be a better solution for me than condensing the file which has me a little nervous about losing data.

Thank you all in advance!

AlverMarkT · ‎January 08, 2024

Hi, @chris-r-624. I'm here to help.

You are correct. Creating a portable company would only include your financial data, and customizations such as custom templates, logos, and images will be removed. As such, it serves best as a copy for reviewing transactions.

First, if you restore the portable company file and place it back in the original location with the same file name, it will overwrite the original one. It would be advisable to either rename the portable company file or save it to a different folder. If you prefer this method in reducing your company file size, please refer to this guide about restoring missing customized templates, logos and information from a restored backup. Here's how you can restore a portable company file:

Open QuickBooks and log in as an admin.
Go to the File menu and select Open or Restore Company.
Select Restore a portable file, then select Next.
Select your portable company file. It should look like this: [Unique company file name].qbm. Then select Open.
Either rename the portable company file or save it to a different folder.
Read the notes on the Where do you want to restore the file page, then select Next.
When you're ready to open your file, select Save.

Next, you can also consider condensing your company data file which will retain your customizations and templates while removing transaction details and list entries that may no longer be necessary. However, it's important to note that this may or may not reduce the overall file size.

Before beginning the condensing process, I recommend reconciling all accounts, printing all reconciliation and discrepancy reports, saving these reports in PDF format, and creating a backup of your company file. It's also a good idea to consult your accountant before proceeding with the condensing process. Here are the steps you can follow to condense your company data file:

Select File, then select Utilities.
Select Condense Data.
Select Keep all transactions, but remove audit trail info to date.
Select Next.
Let the process complete. Select Close.

Let me add this article as a future reference about the maximum number of list entries you can make in QuickBooks Desktop to help you manage your data: Maximum number of list entries (list limits and custom fields).

We're always here in the Community should you need further assistance reducing your company file size to improve your software's performance. We'll do our best to assist. Take care.

View solution in original post

AlverMarkT · ‎January 08, 2024

Hi, @chris-r-624. I'm here to help.

You are correct. Creating a portable company would only include your financial data, and customizations such as custom templates, logos, and images will be removed. As such, it serves best as a copy for reviewing transactions.

First, if you restore the portable company file and place it back in the original location with the same file name, it will overwrite the original one. It would be advisable to either rename the portable company file or save it to a different folder. If you prefer this method in reducing your company file size, please refer to this guide about restoring missing customized templates, logos and information from a restored backup. Here's how you can restore a portable company file:

Open QuickBooks and log in as an admin.
Go to the File menu and select Open or Restore Company.
Select Restore a portable file, then select Next.
Select your portable company file. It should look like this: [Unique company file name].qbm. Then select Open.
Either rename the portable company file or save it to a different folder.
Read the notes on the Where do you want to restore the file page, then select Next.
When you're ready to open your file, select Save.

Next, you can also consider condensing your company data file which will retain your customizations and templates while removing transaction details and list entries that may no longer be necessary. However, it's important to note that this may or may not reduce the overall file size.

Before beginning the condensing process, I recommend reconciling all accounts, printing all reconciliation and discrepancy reports, saving these reports in PDF format, and creating a backup of your company file. It's also a good idea to consult your accountant before proceeding with the condensing process. Here are the steps you can follow to condense your company data file:

Select File, then select Utilities.
Select Condense Data.
Select Keep all transactions, but remove audit trail info to date.
Select Next.
Let the process complete. Select Close.

Let me add this article as a future reference about the maximum number of list entries you can make in QuickBooks Desktop to help you manage your data: Maximum number of list entries (list limits and custom fields).

We're always here in the Community should you need further assistance reducing your company file size to improve your software's performance. We'll do our best to assist. Take care.

chris-r-624 · ‎January 08, 2024

Thank you very much for the detailed reply!

If I decide to condense my company file to reduce it's size, what is the significance of removing the "audit trail"? Is it safe to delete this information? We are a small business with only 2 Quickbooks users.

Thank you again,

Chris

SashaMC · ‎January 08, 2024

Good afternoon Chris,

Thanks for reaching back out. The decision is ultimately up to you. The audit trail is used to track your activities in the program. Below, I am adding a list of information you can lose:

The date of any change to your books
The name of the user who made the change
The type of change or event
The name of any customer or vendor related to the change
Any original transaction date and amount

Hopefully, this can help assist you as you make the decision. If you need anything, let us know by commmenting. Take care.

chris-r-624 · ‎January 10, 2024

I do have one additional question regarding condensing my company file. What are the critical reports I should print for comparison before and after the condense occurs, to verify no financial data is lost or mis-matched?

Kurt_M · ‎January 10, 2024

Thank you for getting back here in the thread, Chris. We will provide details about what reports to secure before condensing your data and what data are affected after performing this feat inside QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT).

Utilizing the condensed option inside the program affects the data you entered in your company file. Account-based reports will remain accurate because entries on accounts aren’t affected, and item-based reports, on the other hand, will be blank because all of the item data is gone.

Before performing the condense feature, ensure to reconcile all accounts, print all reconciliation and discrepancy reports, or save these reports in PDF format. Also, consider backing up your company file to keep a copy of your original company data.

You can visit this page to learn more about the effects of condense function inside QBDT: Use the Condense Data utility.

Furthermore, here are some articles to help you secure a copy of your company file and restore them when needed:

We look forward to having you here again if you need assistance condensing data, Chris. You can also comment below if you have any additional QuickBooks-related queries. Keep safe, and have a good one.

4Gal · ‎January 10, 2024

@chris-r-624

If the condense data utility is failed to complete, you may consider purchasing a 3rd party condense service.

Patrickoconnell · ‎September 18, 2024

I do have an odd request to see if you can assist. I switched to a new bookkeeper

and she updated my QB file and sent it back to me as a portable file but in a newer version of QB

than I have.

I’m assuming 2023 whereas I have 2022. I’ve since switched to QB online starting 2024 but I want to essentially convert my old file from QB Desktop Pro to QB Desktop for Mac so that I can reference my older data here on my macbook.

Anyways, if I send you the portable file, can you try and restore it on your end and then save a macbook version and send it back to me?

Deity Alpha · ‎September 18, 2024

@Patrickoconnell

You can use the trial version of QB Desktop 2023 Mac for good to open that old file. You should contact @Fiat Lux - ASIA for details.

JanbonN · ‎September 18, 2024

Hello there, Patrick. I'm here to route you to the team that will assist you in converting your QuickBooks (QB) file.

When a company file is converted to a newer version of QuickBooks, please be aware that it cannot be used with older versions. To access your file, I recommend contacting our support team for assistance in converting it back to the 2022 version. They have the necessary tools to facilitate this conversion for you.

Here's how to reach a live representative:

Go to Help and select QuickBooks Desktop Help/Contact Us.
Click on Contact Us.
Provide a brief description of your issue, then click Continue.
Sign in to your Intuit account and select Continue, followed by Continue with my account.
We will email you a single-use code. Enter that code and click Continue.
Choose to chat with us or select Have us call you for further assistance.

Moreover, you can consider following Deity Alpha's suggestion to use the trial version of QB Desktop 2023 for Mac.

Additionally, you can generate and customize reports to get a comprehensive overview of your business finances.

Let us know if you have other concerns with your QB file. We're here to help you in any way we can.

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Portable company file