Quickbooks...data stored ??? after changing computers

[bozo]

I have been using QB v5.0 for a long time on my *now* old computer which did not have any partitions on that system (c: only) and used normal backup floppies to back up data. I recently setup a new computer, with several partitions on it (c:=WinXP, e:=Win98, f:=data, h:=programs, i:= master backup, as well as some others not relevant here). When setting up the new computer, I sucessfully restored the QB company data, & was off & running. I have been entering current data right along, and doing normal floppie backups. I have moved on to setting up an automated backup routine that runs at night, to copy the QB data to my *master backup* partition. I have selected the file "H:\QBOOKSW\new.qbb" as the file which I use in this auto-backup routine. That is where the data was on the old computer. In doing a check of the bytes (number count), I have realized that the byte count is not going any higher, and it seems that the only thing I am backing up to, i:\master backup, is the orriginal backup from the old computer, and the current data is being stored in another file somewhere. I also, using QB's backup, backed up the data to f:\Quickbooks Backup\NEW.QBB (not a typo here, I intentionally used upper case in this file to disguinish between the two) , and while the byte count is slightly different than H:\QBOOKSW\new.qbb file, the same thing is happening there (byte count remains constant with no increase after adding new data). I speciffically tested both files, by writing the exact byte count, then writting several bogus invoices, then checking the byte count after writing the bogus invoices. In both cases the byte count remained the same as before the bogus invoices were written. So my bottom line conclusion is that the current data since setting up the new computer, is being stored somewhere else, and therefore, I am not backing up current data, only the orriginal from the old computer. I have looked all over to find where it might be stored, including a *search* of the complete system for "*.qbb" files, and the two (new.qbb & NEW.QBB) are the only ones found on my system. I have looked in the QBOOKSW folder into the file "QBW.ini" and this is what it says:
start of cut & paste
__________________________________________________

DataIntegrity=1
LastDataDrive=H:
LastDataDirectory=\QBOOKSW\
DataFile=BLACKHAW.QBW
BackupDrive=A:
BackupDirectory=\
AutoBackupFrequency=4
__________________________________________________

end of cut & paste

That is not all that is in that file, but I think thats the relevent lines.
Can someone direct me as to where the current data is going & being stored?
BTW... I am using Win XP on the new computer, & was using WinME on the old
thanx-bozo

[glc]

Have you tried restoring the backup to see if the data just might be there? I know in the newer versions of Quickbooks you can restore to a new company instead of overwriting the existing one, if you don't have that option you can restore to your old computer or do a parallel install of Quickbooks to experiment with. Have you checked the date/time stamp of these .qbb files? You also need to search for multiple copies of your .qbw file and see which one the program is really using by comparing date/time stamps.

[bozo]

thanx for the reply GLC. I also have another thread going on a Quickbooks forum, which brecor added some help
http://66.70.248.104/.forums//showth...=1408#post8152
and with his advice, I did not feel the need to try resoring the company as you sugested (but your advice was a good sugestion). It does seem that the BLACKHAW.QBB file does have the up-to-date data in that file. I cannot understand why the byte count test that I do (described below) does not change when I create new data. Perhaps you could shed some light on that.
my reply is below

I do now understand the difference between .qbw & .qbb as .qbw being the working data file. In my QBOOKSW folder there is a file named "BLACKHAW.QBW" which is the current company folder (the name of my company is BLACKHAWK), I can click on that folder and the right company comes up with current data present. I did do another byte count test with the BLACKHAW.QBB by checking the byte count (5,644,288) first, and then writing 10 bogus invoices. After writing the invoices, I go back to check the file size, and it remains the same (5,644,288). This is what I do not understand. Shouldn't the byte count go up with each of the bogus invoices that I have written? I have checked the properties of the BLACKHAW.QBB file immidiately after writing a bogus invoice and the " Modified" time & date is "Today, November 17, at 7:19 AM" which is the correct time that I wrote the bogus invoice, yet the byte count, as I stated earlier, remains the same (5,644,288). I am lost on this one.

thanx-larry

[bozo]

glc

Have you tried restoring the backup to see if the data just might be there?

It seems as thought the data was there all along. I have played around with creating bogus invoices, then deleting the company file (BLACKHAW.QBQ), then restoring the file using my Master Backup file, and everthing was restored perfectly. I then burned the Master Backup partiton to CD, and again deleted the company file (BLACKHAW.QBQ), and then checked QB (and as expected there was no company file), then did a restore of the company file using the backup CD, and that went perfectly also. So I have changed and verified that the two step backup routine is working the way I wanted it too. Much thanx for helping me (& others) to complete these sometimes scarry adventures in computing. By having experts like you & others on this site, it gives us lay-people a lot more coonfidence to get our feet wet!
thanx-larry

[glc]

If I read you right, you are checking the byte count of the .qbb file? It doesn't change till you actually do a backup, it does not dynamically update like the .qbw file.

[bozo]

I did a typo error in one of my earlier post & refered to .QBB, when I ment .QBW. I do know the .QBB file willl not change until I do a BU. In the backup routine I setup I am not using QB's backup, but Win XP' s backup to move data to my Master Backup partiton scheduled nightly. Then every week or so, burn that partition to CD. After playing around, I now have setup a nightly routine to automatically backup my *critical* data. KOOL!! And I have checked & verified several times this routine, including getting gutsy towards the end, and deleting BLACKHAW.QBW, and then restoring, via both the Master Backup partition, and from the burned CD BU. Both work perfectly. Below is the full routine I setup. Perhaps you may want to post this routine for others to use as a kind of *template* for them.
Thanx again glc!
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This how I did my automated backup
To set the table first, I am a small business owner (contractor) that has about 10 years worth of data on my computer, as well as a lot of pictures from my digital camera and the normal other things such as an address book, bookmarks (favorites), and email addresses that I want to use an automated backup routine that is fail safe, and easy to setup, AND RESTORE QUICK.
First, I have my hard drive partitioned into 6 different partitions, (partitioning of your hard drive is essential if want a system that is easy to backup and restore, as well as troubleshoot). This is very easy to do, even with data on your hard drive, with programs like Partition Magic, or I use a program called V-Com System commander, which has a partition utility bundled with it. My partitions are set this way on a 40 Gb hard drive:
C:\ Windows XP 5 Gb (operating system only, no programs or data)
E:\ Windows 98SE 2Gb (I have dual OS’es so I can boot to either Windows XP or 98 SE)
D:\ Data 16Gb (I direct *all* data from programs to be placed on this partition for easy location)
F:\ Programs 12Gb(when installing programs use “custom install” and have the programs installed on this partition)
G:\ Pictures 2 Gb (I like to keep my pics on a separate partition for easy location)
H:\ Master Backup 3Gb (this is the partition that I use for my “two step” backup routine)

Next step:I determined which files (data) are important to backup on a daily basis. There is no need to backup programs, OS’es, and in my case pictures on a daily basis, only the critical data that changes daily.
For me the critical data fell into 5 categories:
1. Address Book ( I use the address book bundled with Win XP and the file is located at “C:\Documents and Settings\Larry\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book”
2. Data on D:\ Data partition (all files)
3. Bookmarks & email addresses ( I use Opera as my primary browser so those files are “Contacts.adr & Opera6.adr in the Opera program folder)
4. Documents & settings (C:\Documents and Settings)
5. Quickbooks ( I use Quickbooks as my accounting S\W and the file that is the working data file in Quickbooks will have a “.QBW” filename extension in the Quickbooks program folder, in my case it is BLACKHAW.QBW)
Next step: I use the “Backup” utility that comes with WinXP. Go to start,all programs, accessories, system tools, backup, which will launch the backup utility. The Wizard will open, select “Next”, by default the “backup files & settings” will be checked (if not then check it) then “Next”, in the next window select “let me chose what to backup” then next, then choose which files to backup for this set (in this example I will create the backup for my address book. #1 above). Click on the “+” on the left of My Computer to expand, then the “+” next to C:\ Win XP, then the “+” next to Documents & Settings, then the “+” next to Larry (Larry is the default user here), then the “+” next to Application Data, then the “+” next to Microsoft, then the select Address Book by placing a check mark in the box to the left of Address Book, then select “Next” at the bottom of the window. This will open a window to “choose a place to backup too”, select “Browse” and I go to H:\ Master Backup\Daily Backups (I previously created a new file in the H: Master Backup and renamed it “Daily Backups”). Then a “Completing the Backup or Restore Wizard” screen will appear. I select “Advanced”, by default the “Normal” will be highlighted, select “next”. In the next window select “Verify” then “Next”. In the next window select “Replace existing backups”, then “Next”. In the next window select “Later”, and fill in the Job Name, then”Next”. In the next window enter a name (address book), and select “Set Schedule”. In the next window under Schedule Task select “Daily”, and under the “Start Time” enter the time you want the task to run, then “OK”, then “Next”. In the next window enter the Password that you use as your Administrative password (In Win XP you have to have a Administrative password to do a Schedule task, so if you are operating without a Administrative password, you will need to make one in user settings in the Control Panel), confirm password, then ”OK”. In the next window select “Finish”
That’s it1 You now have created a Scheduled Task to run daily that will run at the time you chose that will copy your Address Book to the Master Backup partition .
Next I do the same procedure to make a schedule task for the other 4 *critical* data files that I want to backup daily, spacing out the schedule times for each, about 15 minutes apart so they don’t run at the same time (you can change the times later in “Schedule Task” properties window if you need too). BTW the other task are easier to setup, since the files are easier to locate than the “address book”, for example the Data set, the only thing I have to select, is the checkmark on that “D:\Data” partition, and *all* the files on that partition will be included in the Task.
When done setting up the 5 Scheduled Task, I will have 5 files that will end up on my “H:\ Master Backup” that is updated every night, and completely automatic. In my case the entire “H:\ Master Backup” is less that 300 Mb so this can easily be burned to a single CD for permanent storage. There is no need to compress or zip the files down, since the overall size is not that big.
I then, at my leisure, will burn the “H:\ Master Backup” to a CD about every two weeks, and store them away. The nice thing about this two step backup process is that you can restore directly from the “H:\ Master Backup” partition if necessary in seconds, or from the CD backup copy.
***************************************************
Well now I have the critical data backed up nightly, I use a great program “Power Quest Drive Image” to make the *other* non critical backups on say a monthly basis. I will do a drive image of the C:\WinXP , and G:\ Pictures partitions, on a monthly basis. Once or twice a year I will do a drive image of my entire system (all partitions) as well. Now I have everything covered with a good backup routine that will save the day in case of any kind of failure (HD failure, OS failure, theft, fire or flood). And don’t forget to store a backup set of your system off site in case of a catastrophic event or theft.
That’s it!!!
All of the credit for setting up this routine goes to Fred Langa, publisher of the “Langa News Letter”, and this routine may not be perfect for you, but it works for me, and can be a sort of *template* for you to design your own perfect backup. A quote from Fred “The only bad backup, is one that was never made”