QuickBooks Tips & Tricks: What is the best backup to use and how often should I backup?

Most people do not think about backup files until they need one in an emergency. That is when they discover whether they have done backups frequently enough.
The best way to determine how often to backup is to think of a system crash. How much data entry do you want to have to redo? If you process many transactions in one day then a daily backup is in order. If you go several days without processing then a weekly or biweekly schedule is appropriate. Make sure that you backup often enough that any data entry needed after restoring from your most recent backup is minimal.

QuickBooks 2011 offers several types of backups. Under File>Create Backup on the Menu Bar you can select to create a full backup. This includes all program and data files. The first screen gives you the option to create a local (on your system) backup or if you have purchased the on-line backup you can backup to Intuit’s server. Most often you will be selecting the local backup.

The options button allows you to select where to save the backup file as shown below.

Use the browse button to select the place to store your backup. You can select your hard drive but this won’t help in the event you have a system crash. The best option is to save to an external drive; a thumb drive, CD or other external hard drive.
You can then setup the other options on the screen and save them for future backups. The next screen allows you to backup right then, or save the backup schedule and also do a backup, or just schedule future backups. Remember that this backup file will be big; it includes program files and data files.

Other backup options are available under File>Create Copy on the Menu Bar.
 

 
The full backup option is available here as well but one of the best options is the Portable Company file. It is named portable because it is a smaller file that just backups the data files. This means you can sometimes email a portable file if the original file is not too big. You can save it easily to a thumb drive and work on it from another location as long as no one will access the original file and make changes. You can’t merge portable or backup files into the original file. You would have to overwrite the original with these backups.

The other option is to make an Accountant’s Copy which can be merged back into the original file. This is used to send the file to your accountant for review which will keep transactions in the review period from changing in the original file. It sets a closing date that will not allow changes to be made before that date. When we send the transfer file back you can import all changes that were made while you continued to work in the original file and the closing date restrictions will be lifted.

Please call any of our QuickBooks ProAdvisors if you would like more detail on these tips or if you have any other QuickBooks questions. (850) 435-8300

**These tips are based on the 2011 version of QuickBooks.