Restoring a deleted company in QBs Desktop

Thank you for considering seeking help in this forum, @pbccpa1, about recovering your deleted file. QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) has an option to restore a company file. I'll be glad to share this with you.

Before anything else, you can try to review the Recycle Bin to see if the deleted company file folder is there. 

If you are unable to locate it there, we have ways to find it. You can go to your server computer and perform a wildcard search for all company files by typing one of the following into the search bar. Keep note to include the Asterisk (*) before the extension type to ensure the search works correctly. You can see it below:

• *.qbw (Working Files)
• *.qbb (Back Up Files)
• *.qba (Accountants Copy Files)
• *.qbx (Accountants Transfer Files)
• *.qby (Accountants Change Files)

Once the file is found, take note of the file's location and proceed to opening your file in QuickBooks. You can see the detailed steps by going to Solution 2 from the "If you are accessing your QuickBooks file saved locally on the same computer" section in this article: Company file is missing or cannot be found.

If it is confirmed that the file was deleted, you can try to utilize the Auto Data Recovery (ADR) using the original.TLG file with QBW.adr file to recover lost transactions using the Transaction Log file and a copy of your company file. Check out this article for the specific processes you will need to follow: Recover lost data with QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery.

However, if the procedure provided was not able to attain your goal, I recommend reaching out to an IT expert to guide you on the best approach to restoring your deleted company file, even without a copy.

Let me know if you need additional assistance with restoring your company file, because I know how crucial this is in the day-to-day operations of your business. You can leave a comment below anytime.

@pbccpa1 

Have you tried the Recycling Bin?