Common Symptoms that you are headed for trouble (or already in trouble):
You go to run a report, and it “takes forever” for the report to display
You get random error messages when opening, closing or working in QuickBooks or QuickBooks shuts down all by itself
You can’t verify, rebuild or backup your QuickBooks data properly
Minimal Computer system requirements according to Intuit are 512MB minimum. This isn’t even enough to run your computer. We recommend no less than:
1GB on Windows XP; 3GB preferred
4GB on Windows 7; 8GB preferred
4GB on Mac; 8GB preferred
Avoid Abnormal Shutdowns
Battery Backup
Logout when finished using Quickbooks (FILE > EXIT); don’t just leave it sitting there. Don’t let the computer go to sleep or hibernate while Quickbooks is up. If necessary, turn off power saving options on the computer.
Shutdown your computer properly. Don’t just push the power button.
Recommended Month End Procedures
Reconcile your accounts. If you have anything that is more than 30 days old, find out where it is and fix that problem. If you know that you previously entered a transaction(s) and don’t see It, verify your data.
Backup your database using standard Quickbooks backup procedures (on the Mac, backup will automatically verify your database) – automate your backup if it is a problem for you to backup
Verify your data file
If your data file does not verify – STOP – fix the problem before using Quickbooks again
Commonly asked Questions
How frequently should you backup?
No less than DAILY if you use Quickbooks Daily.
How many backups should you keep?
I like 31 (or however many days of the month there are) – PLUS 12 monthly – PLUS 1 Annual
How frequently should you verify your data?
Every time you run the backup. No less than monthly.
Local, Offsite, or Online backups?
A combination of two or three. Online backups work great when you only need to recover a few files. When you are in a state of disaster, online backups are not good enough – because it takes a long time (days or weeks) to download a full backup. Use offsite backups for disaster recovery.
The question is…how long can you afford to be without your data?