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J
jvstevens
October 10, 2022
Question

Trying to setup QB Pro 2013 on new Windows 11 Desktop PC

  • October 10, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 54 views

My 12 year old desktop PC running Windows 7 suddenly stopped booting up recently.  I had been using QB 2013 for my business and it was working just fine for my simple purposes (invoicing, customer contact info, reports). I took it to a computer repair shop and they did a diagnostic test on it.  As it was explained to me, the motherboard failed, but the hard drive data was recoverable.  So I purchased a brand new desktop PC running Windows 11 from them, and paid to have them intialize it and transfer all the data from the old hard disk over to the new PC.  As near as I could tell, all my various documents, photos, etc seemed to have made it over to the new PC which was good news. So,I downloaded QB 2013, retrieved my  license & product info via email, and went about initializing QB 2013 on my new PC. Everything seemed to go without a hitch until it came time to load my company file.  I can't seem to find it, even by searching on *.qbw files. After doing some online research, I'm finding out that QB 2013 is not considered compatible with Windows 11, so perhaps that's the problem?  Regardless, it does seem puzzling that I cannot find my old company file and it has me worried.  I am hoping someone here has some ideas and can help me out.  I would upgrade to the most recent Quickbooks, but can I be assured that I will be able to retrieve my company file data?  And unfortunately, I don't have a recent backup from a USB drive that I could use to recover my data.  Any and all help is much appreciated!!

 

 

2 replies

Fiat Lux - ASIA
Fiat Lux - ASIA
Level 14
October 11, 2022

Try to find *.QBW, *.QBB, *.ADR files on your drive. If you can't find any of it, your tech service probably missed recovering the file. You can also purchase a one-time license of QBD 2021 to upgrade your version.

K
Klent
Level 8
October 11, 2022

Let me share some insights on how you can retrieve the file, jvstevens.
 

I agree with Fiat Lux - ASIA's suggestion. Since you've mentioned that all the data has been transferred, you can perform a wildcard search for all company files by typing one of the following into the Windows search bar:

 

  • *.qbw (Working files)
  • *.qbb (Back-Up file)
  • *.qba (Accountants Copy)
  • *.qbx (Accountants Transfer)
  • *.qby (Accountants Change)
  • *.adr (Auto Data Recovery)

Be sure to include the asterisk symbol before the extension type to ensure the search works correctly. Once the file is found, take note of the location and then open it in QuickBooks Desktop. Here's how:

 

  1. Open QBDT, then go to the File menu.
  2. Select Open or Restore Company.
  3. Choose Open a Company File or Restore a Backup File, then click Next.
  4. Select the company file or local backup.
  5. Follow the on-screen instruction to complete the process.

However, if you're unable to locate the file, I'd recommend reaching out to an IT professional. They can help you recover the file from your old computer.

 

You may also need to purchase and install a supported version since QuickBooks 2013 isn't compatible with Windows 11 operating system. You can visit our website or talk to our Sales Team to help determine what plan suits your business needs. 

 

Moreover, your company file won't immediately work after switching to a newer version of QuickBooks. You can contact our technical supports so we can prepare and upgrade your company file.

 

Lastly, here are some resources that you can read to help set up your company and know more about the new features of the QBDT 2023:

 

Let me know in the comment section if you have additional questions about restoring company files. Have a good one.

J
jvstevensAuthor
October 23, 2022

Thanks everyone for the replies.  I do have an update, and its good news.  I purchased a hard disk drive reader for about $40 on Amazon so I could see if my QB files were still on the old hard drive.  Sure enough, when I scanned it for .qbw files, I got multiple hits.  And as hoped, my company file from the day the PC crashed was there.  Evidently, the computer repair shop didn't transfer the QB files over like they said they did.  When I initially tried to have QB load my company file, I got some file opening errors and QB "froze" requiring me to get into Task Manager to end the process.   With a little bit of luck and some playing around, I finally got it to open, and have been entering "hours worked" data and creating & sending invoices all morning.  So far, the QB 2013 seems to be working fine with my Windows 11 machine and I have not encountered any "bad behavior". from either QB or Windows.  I am so relieved to have gotten this far!

 

At this point, I am trying to figure out what my options are going forward.  I am going to continue using QB 2013 on this machine for the next few days so I can get my business caught up, and I'm making frequent backups in case of disaster.  But I am thinking that I should upgrade to a Windows 11 compatible QB product, for peace of mind, if nothing else.  My preference is not to go with any of the subscription based QB products, as they seem a little too costly for my small, simple one man business. So, what would be the QB product recommendation for my situation?  And how much can I expect to spend?

A
AileneAModerator
Moderator
October 23, 2022

Hello, jvstevens. 

 

Version 2013 is too old and is no longer compatible with the new Windows system. That’s why you encountered an problem when opening your backups. I suggest contacting our QB Desktop Support so they can help you with your file and also they can suggest which product suits the small business like you.

 

  1. Click on Help and choose QuickBooks Desktop Help.
  2. Select Contact Us at the bottom.
  3. Type in your concern and click Continue.
  4. Select Message an agent or Get a callback.

 

You can check out this article to know more about file compatibility in QBDT: Company file limitations when upgrading to another product.

 

Additionally, visit our QuickBooks Community help website for references if you require guidance or tips in the future: QuickBooks Help Articles page.

 

If you have further questions or concerns, let us know. We're available to help you 24/7.

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