Backup
Always backup before starting any process that might damage or alter your data.
Repair QuickBooks Installation
To repair your existing QuickBooks installation, ensure that QuickBooks is closed, then …
Windows 10, 8, 7 or Vista
- On your keyboard, press Windows + E to open the Computer window. Note: in Windows 8, click the Computer tab
- Click Uninstall or change a program
- Select QuickBooks
- Once QuickBooks is selected, click Uninstall/Change
- In the QuickBooks Installation window, click Next, select the Repair radio button, click Next, click Repair
- Click Finish. Your installation of QuickBooks should now be repaired
If repairing QuickBooks does not work or resolve your issue, you will need to perform a clean install of QuickBooks.
Condense Data Utility
Located under File>Utilities>Condense Data
Streamlines a companies data file by condensing closed transactions into summary journal entries and removing unused list elements. The utility can create a journal entry for each month in the selected period. The summary journal entries affect your accounts in exactly the same way as did the detail transactions.
What you need to know before you Condense
A Condense cannot be undone. Do not run Condense Data just because you can. You need a really good reason to run it.
If your data file is so large that it slows QuickBooks performance, and you have done all you can to enhance your performance. Or if you are bumping up against a list limit.
Before running a Condense, reconcile all accounts, print all reconciliation and discrepancy reports or save these reports in PDF format, and backup your Company file.
Give the Condense Data Utility enough time to complete. The time depends on your company file size and complexity and the system resources available to QuickBooks. You may want to start the Condense Data utility at the close of business and let it run overnight or over the weekend. To maximize resources available to QuickBooks while running Condense Data, do not run other applications.
Do not run Condense Data across the network. Run it on the computer where the company file is stored. If the company file is on the server, run Condense Data on the server or copy the company file to a workstation and run Condense Data locally.
When you select Condense Data, your data will be verified, if the verify finds errors you will then need to Rebuild your file.
WARNING: If the Condense Data fails, or if you abort Condense Data, you cannot continue using the data file. You must restore the backup you made when you started the process.
Steps to run the Condense UtilityIn the menu bar, click File, then Utilities and then Condense Data.
If your post-Condense Data reports are different from your pre-Condense Data reports, then you will most likely need to restore your back up, fix damage in your company file and try the Condense Data again.
After the Condense
After the Condense Data
After running the Condense Data utility, much of your detailed data no longer exists. Summary reports are not affected. Detail reports and reconciliation are incomplete or missing because their data is condensed into a few journal entries. All of this data is included in the back up that you made at the beginning of the Condense Data and in the Archive Copy. You may want to keep extra copies of the backup and the archive copy in a safe place like your safety deposit box.
Rerun and print (or save as PDF) these reports:
The accrual based Profit & Loss for all dates.
The accrual based Balance Sheet for all dates.
The Statement of Cash Flows.
Compare them, line-by-line to the reports you saved before running Condense Data. Since these are accrual based summary reports, they should be identical to the pre-Condense Data reports. If you find any discrepancies, restore the backup that you made as part of the Condense Data process.
Your options include:
Determining which transactions are damaged, repairing them and rerunning Condense Data. Repairing the file may require that you send it to Intuit Data Services.
Using the restored company file without rerunning Condense Data.
Creating a new company file.