QuickBooks 2005: The Missing Manual

Verifying Your QuickBooks Data

QuickBooks files hiccup now and then. Perhaps you worked through a spectacular thunder storm and a power spike zapped a bit of your company file. The QuickBooks Verify Data utility scans your company files and tells you whether your file has suffered any damage. It's a good idea to run the Verify Data utility every so often, just to make sure that your company file is OK. How often you run this utility depends on how hard you work your company file, but monthly verifications are in order for most companies. However, the utility is indispensable if you notice any of the following symptoms:

• Invalid Protection Faults or Fatal Errors. If these types of errors appear when you run QuickBooks, you almost certainly have a damaged data file.

• Discrepancies on reports. Your Balance Sheet might not show all of your accounts, or transactions show negative values instead of positive ones.

  Note

  If the totals in your reports don't seem right, don't panic. First check that the report dates are correct and that you are using the correct cash or accrual accounting setting (see page 150).

• Missing transactions and names. Transactions or names that you're sure you entered don't appear in reports or lists.

Running the Verify Data Utility

Whether you're just giving your company file a checkup or you see signs of problems, the Verify Data utility is easy to use. To run the utility, choose File→Utilities→Verify Data. When the utility completes its task, you'll see one of two ...