I have some old habits that started way back in the 8-bit DOS/CPM days, but they apply today too. Those were the days, hard sectored 5.25 discs, no hard drives, and the 300 baud modem, …….but I digress.
First I never ever keep my data files (for any program not just QB) on the same drive as the program and operating system. Drives today are cheap – so put another one in your computer! The main drive gets a lot of use, the main drive is where virus attacks happen, the main drive gets cluttered, etc etc. When you get the second drive, make a folder called something like QB company data. QB for some reason does not have a “Save as …” function under the File menu – stupid! So you will have to find the company files and copy them to the new folder, then select open company and navigate to the new folder. Once saved QB always opens the last opened file, so it will use the file on the second drive from then on.
And when you get a new computer, pull the drive and put it in the new computer – unless the interface for the drive changes in the new computer (EIDE to SATA as an example) it will work fine. And there are EIDE to SATA adapters out there.
Backing up your data is just as important. At a minimum back up to the second drive, in a different top level folder. When hard drives crash, most of the time only some folders get ruined, there is a good chance some techie can rescue data in another folder, when they can’t from a sub-folder.
Buy a USB external hard drive. you can find back up software on the net that is free (look for open source programs) that will make a back up of any folders and/or drives you want at what ever schedule you want. Then if there is an evacuation and you have warning (hurricane, tornado, whatever) you can just pick up the USB drive and take it with you.
QB offers an online back-up service that they charge for, but there are numerous free on line back-up sites on the net – find one you like and back up to there too. If you have a company web site that is hosted off your property (you don’t have the server in other words) you can back up to your company web site. Create a folder, and FTP your data folder to that folder.
The test file.
You need a test file, let me say that again, you have to have a test file.
And it makes more sense to have a file that has your accounts, your items, your customers, so that when you fool around trying to figure something out, you are used to what items you are using. And you should fool around in the test folder, even if you read something here or on a forum, try it out on a test file first.
In windows, I have no idea how to do it on a mac, bring up windows explorer, find the drive and folder that holds the company data file, right click on the folder and select copy. Then click on the top level of the drive and right click and select paste. Windows will make a new folder called “Copy of
Open QB, from the file menu select open company and navigate to the test file folder, open the file. The first thing you do when creating a test file like this is to open Company information, ( use the menu Company>Company Information) the very top line in the window that comes up is the company name, replace it with the words “TEST TEST” and click OK. Then whenever the test file is open the main QB window title will read TEST TEST rather than the company name, an easy way to determine which file you are in.
Since QB always opens the last opened file, I developed the habit of opening the company file, and then closing down QB. That way it never opens with the test file open.