Your QuickBooks file just like you, your car, or your equipment benefits from some basic maintenance. Most people don’t periodically check the health of their QuickBooks file to help prevent data corruption – mainly because they don’t realize that they should or even how to go about it. Below are some best practice tips for some basic file maintenance tasks that you should perform on a regular basis – but more importantly before and after you upgrade your company file to a new version of QuickBooks.
DO NOT plan to install the new version of QuickBooks on a day when you need to run payroll, do your billing, or perform any task(s) that will require extensive access to your company data file.
Before you upgrade:
1. Make sure that your current computer meets QuickBooks 2012 requirements, by clicking your Start button -> choose Computer -> select System and compare the information displayed to that shown below.
Operating System:
- Windows XP, all versions – Service Pack (SP) 2 or later strongly recommended
- Windows Vista, all version with User Account Control (UAC) turned on {installed under a Standard User Account if using 3rd party add-ons}
- Windows 7, all versions with User Account Control (UAC) turned on {installed under a Standard User Account if using 3rd party add-ons}
- Windows Server 2003
- Windows Server 2008
Processor, RAM, Hard Drive Requirements:
NOTE: You’ll be better off with the recommended requirements.
- 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 Processor {2.4 GHz recommended}
- 1 GB RAM {2 GB recommended} for a single user or client machine
- 2 GB RAM for multiple, concurrent users for Pro & Premier
- 2 GB RAM or more strongly recommended for Enterprise on a server
- 2.5 GB free disk space for the actual QuickBooks program – additional space required for the data files
- 250 MB disk space for Microsoft .NET 4.0 Runtime {provided with the installation}
Screen (monitor) resolution:
- QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Enterprise is optimized for a 1024 x 768 screen resolution, 16-bit or higher color
Database Server Requirements:
- Windows XP, all versions – Service Pack (SP) 2 or later strongly recommended
- Windows Vista, all version with User Account Control (UAC) turned on
- Windows 7, all versions
- Windows Server 2003
- Windows Server 2008
2. Rebuild your QuickBooks Data file:
You’ll need to be logged into QuickBooks as the Administrator. If you have a large file, this could take quite awhile – so plan to run this process at lunch time, or gear it up just before you leave for the day.
- From the File menu
- Choose Utilities
- Rebuild Data
The first thing that the Rebuild will require you to do is to make a backup of your data file, go ahead and do that.
As soon as the backup has completed, the rebuild function will automatically start. This tool will take two passes through your file, looking for problems, organizing your data, and trying to fix any problems with your data that it finds. If you sit an watch the process, don’t be concerned if QuickBooks seems to stop responding or stop working at 99% on the first pass and 50% on the second. This just means that it’s found things that are wrong, is attempting to fix them, and then going back to check that everything it found on the first pass has been fixed.
For more information on the rebuild function, read this article.
3. Check your current file size and health
To check the size of your own QuickBooks file – with QuickBooks open press the CTRL and the 1 keys at the same time OR press the F2 key at the top of your keyboard – this will open a Product Information window; similar to that shown below, paying close attention to the circled areas – file location, file size and DB (database) file fragments:

NOTE: File size and DB (Database) File Fragments are crucial! During beta testing I found that file size increased 20-25% on a consistent basis – and database file fragments also increased. Typically a QuickBooks data file that has over 15-20 DB File Fragments is NOT a healthy file. Our blog post for Wednesday September 14th will provide you with some tips for making your file healthy again. To get a basic idea of how big your file will be after upgrading, add 20-25% to your existing file size.
4. Back up your QuickBooks data file
If you use a remote backup service, save this backup to your computer or an external drive.
After you upgrade
1. Rebuild your QuickBooks file
2. Check current file size and health
Check back tomorrow for a complete list of best practices for upgrading to QuickBooks 2012 when you already have an existing version on your computer.
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[…] blog post – Basic File Maintenance Before & After You Upgrade – talked about checking your current file size and health before before you upgrade to a new […]
Hey Murph! Thanks for dropping by! Glad you like the article.
Great article Nancy !
Murph