QuickBooks Portable Copy Process

For QuickBooks 11 Enterprise Edition.:
These are basic utility functions and they haven't changed much over the 7 years that I have been working with QuickBooks

This is very important TOUCH NO KEYS, CLOSE ALL PROGRAMS THAT MIGHT POP OPEN A WINDOW; SUCH AS YAHOO IM OR ANY PROGRAM YOU CAN THINK OF THAT MIGHT POP OPEN A WINDOW. If this happens the Rebuild will crash and you will have to start all over.

If you get (Not Responding) in the header bar or window bar, start over

Create a Folder on your computers C: drive and name it something like “QB Working File-02/14/12”, or whatever the date is when you do your portable file.

Copy the Following files to the folder. The xxxxxx being the name that you or QuickBooks gave the files.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.qbw

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.DSN

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.ND

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.TLG

Create a folder in the QB original file  drive or folder and name it something like QB portable-02-14-12.

Of course this is done while no one is using the file or while no one is making, or will be making, changes to the current file.  The usual time is Saturday or sometime after hours

Open QuickBooks working file and cancel your usual login,

Then click on the middle lower button that says “Open or restore an existing company”.

Login to the company file that you copied to the C: drive in the “QB Working File-02/02/12”

For Creating a Portable file will need to login as Administrator. The process does need Administrative privileges.

Once logged in you can double check that you are in the right file by pressing F2 on the Keyboard which brings up the Product Information Page where you can see you are in the file on the C: drive. Click the “OK” button to close the Product Information Page.

I know this seems like a lot of work, but when you are working with years of a companies records you can never be too careful! 

Now you will need to switch to “Single User Mode”. Click “File” then “Switch to Single-user Mode”

Once you are in “Singe user mode” You will see this notification

Click on file > Create Copy...

… This will open the "What Type of File Do You Want to Save Window"

Be sure the Radio button for “Portable company file” is selected. Then click next.

Browse to the QB original file drive or folder and, if you didn't do so earlier, create a new folder for the portable copy then click “Open”

Then click ‘Save”

QB Lets you know that it is closing the company file and then creating the portable file. Click OK

Then it stars the process of creating the file. It takes about 15 to 30 minutes.

Please remember do not use the computer for anything else. Anything will cause the process to crash and you will need to start over from step 10. . 

QuickBooks will let you know the file is done and where it was saved, Click OK

After a few minutes QB will open the Company file. Then you are done.

Be sure to log out as Admin of the QB file and switch it back to Multi-User.

You now have a portable file to send to an accountant, tax person or any other entity that might need it.