Resolution Guide to Resolve QuickBooks Data Missing After Update Issue

Last Updated on March 26, 2025

Are you unable to find your crucial data and QuickBooks data missing after update? The following detailed solutions will assist you in locating and recovering missing QuickBooks Desktop data effortlessly.

QuickBooks users need their crucial company data and invoices to operate the application seamlessly. However, sometimes, the data might get lost while updating the application, which can cause havoc in the work environment. If you are experiencing lost or missing QB data, follow this guide till the end to learn how to eliminate the issue once and for all.

Although the solutions in this blog will help you find or recover the missing data, sometimes, you might be running short on time and need external assistance. In such scenarios, you can contact Accounting Helpline’s specialist team at 1.855.738.2784 to get prompt guidance in fixing the QB lost data issue.

List of Reasons Why QuickBooks Data Disappeared After Update

There can be several reasons why your data disappeared after the update, and you must learn about these reasons for better clarity and understanding. The following list of possible reasons can evoke the missing data issues in QuickBooks –

1. There is damage to the company file, and data corruption and integrity issues can lead to missing data.
2. You have condensed the QB data recently, which can lead to the removal of info prior to a particular date.
3. The QB backup file is frequently moved from one location to another, which can cause data loss.
4. If someone else on the network is operating a different QB company file, the missing data may be stored there.
5. The internet connection isn’t stable or strong, or the connection was disrupted while backing up QB data.
6. You have recently moved to a new device, or some data has not been restored while upgrading QB.
7. The recent QuickBooks data backup failed, or it was accidentally deleted by the user.
8. You have changed the company file location, and QuickBooks is still searching for the file in its previous location.
9. There are incompatibility issues between QB and the new system, leading to missing/lost records in the data backup.
10. The company file access permissions might be incorrect during or after application updates.
11. Software glitches or malware infections in the PC can also lead to losing data after the update process.
12. If QuickBooks is damaged, corrupted, or incorrectly installed on the new PC, it can lead to missing invoices.

Practical Ways to Address QuickBooks Data Loss After Update

Once the reasons are clear, let’s perform the steps in the troubleshooting solutions below to find or retrieve your lost QuickBooks data after the update –

Solution 1 – Check the Audit Trail Report

The Audit Trail Report contains all the transactions recorded in the company file; thus, reviewing the report can help find past transactions and changes made to them. These transactions include the deleted ones, and you can find them by reviewing the Audit Trail Report as follows –

1. Open QBDT, go to the Reports tab, then select Accountant & Taxes and choose the Audit Trail.
2. Customize the report as per preference in the audit trail location, click Customized Report at the top, and move to the Filters tab.
3. You can add filters, like the Transaction Type, Name, and Date, to find your transaction, then locate the person linked to the transaction on a specific date and click OK to see the report.
4. Various items will be displayed, along with some lines with slight changes to the same transactions; you must look for a bold section highlighting the parts of transactions that were edited and saved from their previous amount.
5. Further, select the Last Modified By column, find which users were logged into QuickBooks when modifications were made, and look for missing transactions after the update.

After reviewing the audit report, you should be able to find the missing or lost transactions. However, if you can’t find the company data lost after the update, follow the steps in the next solution to fix it.

Solution 2 – Move the Company File to its Default Location

You might be unable to find your QB data after the update if it has been moved from its default location. To relocate the file, you need to execute the following instructions and return it to its original spot –

1. Begin by opening the search panel, then type your company file extension (.qbw) with an asterisk (*) mark to narrow down the search and navigate to the company file location.
2. Right-click the data file, select Copy, and paste it at the location followed by this path – C: Users\Public\PublicDocuments\Intuit\QuickBooks20XX\CompanyFiles.
3. Lastly, try opening the file in QB Desktop by selecting Open or Restore Company from the File tab. Then, click Open a Company File and pick the file you just moved to access it.

Now check if the lost data is found after moving the file to its original location, but if invoices are still lost after updating QuickBooks, move to the next troubleshooting solution.

Solution 3 – Check if the Company Data is Condensed

Data condensation can remove info before a specific date to reduce the file size, which can evoke the missing data issue. To fix it, you must inspect your company file to review if the data is condensed using the steps below –

1. Open QuickBooks Desktop, press the F2 key to access the Product Information window and wait for the Condense Information section to appear on the right.
2. Further, check this section to determine if the QuickBooks data has been condensed and review the last run and payroll deleted date.

Once the data is inspected for condensation, check if the missing data is found; otherwise, move to the next resolution step.

Solution 4 – Locate Missing Transactions in Another File

If someone on the network works on a different file, another company file might accidentally store the missing transactions. This can be why you have missing data in QuickBooks Desktop, and you can find it by checking another company file using the steps below –

1. Open the Product Information window (press F2), check the information about the current company file, and scroll down the window to view the File Information section.
2. Next, note down the File Path of the file you’re currently using, ensure the path is the same as your regular company file where everyone is working, and perform these steps on all the network PCs.

If you find a different file path on any of the PCs, look for the lost transactions in the company file saved in that different location. However, if QuickBooks data missing after update, follow the steps in the next solution to find it.

Solution 5 – Edit Windows File & Folder Permissions

Your data might be missing if QuickBooks cannot connect with the company file after the update, which can occur if the Windows file permissions are incorrect. To fix the QuickBooks data missing after update issue, configure the file and folder permissions using the detailed steps below –

1. Exit QuickBooks, find and right-click the Intuit folder by following this path – C:\ProgramFiles\Intuit, and click Properties.
2. Now, move to the Security tab, click Advanced, and if the folder’s ownership is mentioned as SYSTEM or anything else, change it to USERS as follows –

• Open the Intuit Permissions window, select Advanced Security Settings, and click Change.
• Type Users in the text box, click Enter, and ensure the Replace owner on the sub-containers and objects checkbox is marked.
• Further, select Users (PC Name\Users), click Full Control, and hit OK to save the permission settings. 

3. Go to the Security tab on the Intuit Properties window, click Edit, mark the Full Control checkbox for your User Account, and click OK.

Once the settings are changed, try opening the company file in QuickBooks Desktop again and check if all data is available. However, if all QuickBooks data missing after update, proceed to the next solution step to fix the issue.

Solution 6 – Check the Network Connectivity

Network connectivity issues, like the workstation not being connected to the server, can be another reason why your QuickBooks data is missing. To fix the connection issue and find your missing data, ping the server in the following manner –

1. Open the Run tab (Windows + R), type the CMD command, hit OK, and enter ipconfig/all in the command box.
2. Next, press Enter, note down the host/server name, type ping [name of your server], and then hit Enter.

Check the reply for the data packets, and if the replies are prompt, the connection between the server and workstation is reliable. On the contrary, if the replies are slow or there is packet loss, fix the Database Server Manager to ensure the DBSM isn’t restricted by antivirus and repair the Network Data file –

1. Open Windows File Explorer, follow this path – C: Users\Public\PublicDocuments\Intuit\QuickBooks20XX, and right-click the damaged *.ND file.
2. Select Rename, add ‘.old’ after the extension in the file name, then press Enter to save the modified file name and run QuickBooks DBSM.
3. Go to the Scan Folders menu, select Browse, specify the folder location where you renamed the Network Descriptor file, and click Start Scan.
4. Click Start Scan, and once the folder contents are scanned, try accessing the company file on your workstation.

Once the network issues are fixed, check if the missing data is found in the company file and invoices. However, if QuickBooks data missing after update, follow the steps in the next troubleshooting solution to find it.

Solution 7 – Restore the Company File Backup Version

If your QB company data is lost, restore the backup using the detailed steps below to fix the issue –

1. Firstly, ensure the backup file is on the local drive, then launch QuickBooks Desktop, go to the File menu, and click Open or Restore Company.
2. Select Restore a backup copy, click Next, then proceed by selecting Local Backup and clicking Next.
3. Browse the PC to find the backup file with the *.qbb extension, select a folder to save the restored version, click Open, and hit Save.
   Note: Either rename your existing company file or the backup file to ensure the names are unique or save the backup in a separate folder to avoid the risk of overwriting.
4. If any messages about data overwriting are displayed, select the preferred option and avoid overwriting anything you are unsure of.

After restoring the backup file, access your data file, but if the company data is still lost after the update, move to the next solution.

Solution 8 – Repair QuickBooks Desktop

If the current QB application is damaged or incorrectly installed, it can create a risk of missing transactions or lost data. Thus, initiate an application repair using the QB Tool Hub tools as mentioned in the process below –

1. Open the latest QuickBooks Tool Hub version, go to the Program Problems tab from the homepage, and select the Quick Fix My Program tool option.
   
2. After the tool stops running, check if you can find the lost QB data; otherwise, go back to the QB Tool Hub homepage.
3. Finally, select the Installation Issues section to access the QuickBooks Install Diagnostic tool and run the scan to detect and fix the installation problems.
   

Now, recheck the data, but if QuickBooks Desktop data is still missing after the update, use the steps in the next troubleshooting solution.

Solution 9 – Use QuickBooks Verify/Rebuild Data Utility

The Verify/Rebuild data tool will help fix integrity issues that might lead to lost or missing data. You must use the Verify Data utility from the Utilities section of the QB File menu to check if the data has been damaged or corrupted. If issues are identified, run the Rebuild Data tool to rebuild the damage and access the company file again.

However, if the QuickBooks data missing after update isn’t found, follow the next resolution step to recover it.

Solution 10 – Recover Missing QB Data with Auto Data Recovery

If none of the above steps help find the missing or lost QB data, you can recover it using the QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery feature.

After running the ADR tool, you will have recovered the lost data, and the QuickBooks data missing after update issues will be rectified.

The solutions in this thorough guide will help you find the QuickBooks data missing after update. However, if your data is still missing, you can contact our Accounting Helpline’s expert team at 1.855.738.2784 to get instant help in finding the lost company data and invoices in the app.

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Edward Martin

Edward Martin is a Technical Content Writer for our leading Accounting firm. He has over 10 years of experience in QuickBooks and Xero. He has also worked with Sage, FreshBooks, and many other software platforms. Edward’s passion for clarity, accuracy, and innovation is evident in his writing. He is well versed in how to simplify complex technical concepts and turn them into easy-to-understand content for our readers.