QuickBooks Portable File: Create, Restore & Open
With technology taking the accounting industry in the right direction, accountants find it easy to tackle tight deadlines easily. This involves the freedom, flexibility, and simplicity in moving the QuickBooks company file. A QuickBooks portable company file makes sharing or moving company data straightforward.
Accountants need not depend on multiple storage solutions for big company file backups for their clients. Instead, they can create a portable file in QuickBooks, which is compact enough to move. Through this article, we’ll learn what a portable QuickBooks file is, and how to create, restore, and open it to use.
What is a QuickBooks Portable File?
A QuickBooks portable file is a compact version of your company file. It is small enough that you can send it through email or store it on USB. The portable file becomes smaller because it lacks templates, logos, letters, or the Transaction Log (.tlg) file.
You may also use a portable company file to fix minor data issues. It re-indexes the data while recovering the company file, resolving data problems. Thus, a portable company file only has crucial data.
How to Open a QuickBooks Portable File?
Here is how to open a QuickBooks portable file and create it to move your data or fix issues quickly:
Step 1: Update QuickBooks before Creating QuickBooks Desktop Portable File
Before proceeding with the creation of QuickBooks Desktop portable file, you must update QuickBooks Desktop to the latest version.
Step 2: Consider Backing up your Data
Portable company files are useful for transferring or sharing accounting data but do not replace a full backup. You won’t find the following things in a QuickBooks Enterprise portable file:
- Message templates, logos, images, or custom templates
- .tlg or .log files
- Statement Writer, Loan Manager, or Fixed Asset Manager files
For a complete backup, follow the steps to create a full backup company file. If you’re sending data to your accountant, you can create an accountant copy instead.
Step 3: Create a Portable Company File in QuickBooks
Here’s how to create a portable company file in QuickBooks:
NOTE: Please note that in order to create a backup or a portable company file, you must be running QuickBooks in single-user mode.
- Open QuickBooks. Log in as an admin.
- Go to File and click Create Copy.
- Select Portable company file and proceed with Next.
- Assign a unique name to distinguish it from your regular company file.
- Choose a save location, such as your desktop, for easy access.
- Click Save, then OK in the “QuickBooks must close and reopen your company file before creating a portable company file” popup.
Your portable file is now ready to be shared online or saved to a USB drive. The QuickBooks portable file format will be:
[CompanyFileName].qbm
Note: If you share a portable company file, the recipient can access all data within it. The file is password-protected, and they’ll need the password to open it.
Step 4: Open a Portable Company File
You can open a QuickBooks QBM file as follows:
- Launch QuickBooks and log in as an admin.
- Click File, then select Open or Restore Company.
- Select Restore a portable file. Then, click Next.
- Find your .qbm file and hit Open.
Important: Do not use the same name for both your portable and regular company files if saving them in the same folder. The portable file will overwrite the regular file. You can avoid this by either renaming the portable file or saving it in an alternate location.
- Review the details on the Where do you want to restore the file? page, then click Next.
- Click Save to open your QuickBooks portable company file.
Once you open it, QuickBooks automatically re-indexes your data, resolving many common data issues.
Differences between QuickBooks Portable File & Backup File
While QuickBooks Portable Files and Backup Files serve different purposes, users often confuse them. Here’s a breakdown of the key portable file vs backup file points:
| Feature | QuickBooks Backup File (QBB) | QuickBooks Portable File (QBM) |
| Purpose | Creates a full copy of the account and all its data for recovery. | A lightweight version of the account for easy sharing or transfer. |
| File Extension | .QBB | .QBM |
| Size | Larger, contains all account data, images, logos, invoices, and templates. | Smaller, contains only essential financial data. |
| Includes Logos & Images | Yes | No |
| Includes All Transactions | Yes | Yes (but excludes some non-financial data) |
| Used For | Recovering data in case of corruption or system failure. | Quick sharing or transferring data via email or external storage. |
| Compression | Requires compression due to size. | Already small, no compression needed. |
| Best For | Safeguarding complete company data. | Sending company data. |
QuickBooks Portable File vs Accountant’s Copy
Here’s a quick QuickBooks portable file vs Accountant’s Copy comparison:
| Feature | QuickBooks Portable File (QBM) | QuickBooks Accountant Copy (QBX/QBA/QBY) |
| Purpose | A compact version of the company file for easy sharing or transfer. | Allows an accountant to review and make changes while the business continues working in QuickBooks. |
| File Extension | .QBM | .QBX (Exported Copy) / .QBA (Accountant Copy) / .QBY (Returned Copy) |
| Size | Smaller, contains only essential financial data. | Similar to the full file but restricts some actions for the user until the accountant returns the modified file. |
| Includes Logos & Images | No | Yes |
| Includes All Transactions | Yes (but excludes some non-financial data) | Yes (up to the dividing date; changes after this date can’t be modified by the accountant) |
| User Restrictions | No restrictions, can be restored and used as a full company file. | Business owners can still work on new transactions but can’t modify earlier data until the accountant copy is merged. |
| Used For | Quick sharing or transferring data without unnecessary files. | Collaborating with an accountant for adjustments while continuing daily operations. |
| Best For | Sending a QuickBooks file via email or external storage without excess data. | Allowing accountants to review and modify financials while minimizing disruption to business operations. |
Summing Up
Using a QuickBooks portable company file is the perfect way to move your accounting data without hassle. It’s the ideal touch of digitization, helping you work on your files and share information securely. This guide has explained the process of creating and restoring a company file in detail. So, you can enjoy the QuickBooks portable file uses- securely backing up or transferring data easily. If at any point you need help, you can seek expert assistance.
FAQs
How to create a QuickBooks portable file for an accountant?
If you’re using QuickBooks Desktop and want to create a portable company file to send to your accountant, you can start by logging into QuickBooks as an admin. Click File > Create Copy > Portable Company File > Next. Name the file uniquely, and save it in a secure location. Then, send the portable file online or via USB. In case, you’re using QB Online, you’ll have to ask your accountant to create a free QBO account to access your files. You’ll have to follow a series of steps to allow the accountant to review/ access your company data in QuickBooks Online.
Can I use a QuickBooks portable file on a different computer?
Yes, a QuickBooks portable company file is specifically designed to help you move the company data from one system to another. You can create this compact version and send it online via email. Otherwise, you can put the file on a USB and use it for access. You just need to know that a QB portable file doesn’t have logos, templates, letters, and a .tlg file.
QuickBooks portable file too large to email- What to do?
You may receive the message “QuickBooks portable file too large to email” when emailing it to another user. It shows that the file exceeds the file attachment size limitations of the email service you are using. In such cases, you either need to compress the file using the zip program or use a dedicated file-sharing service like Dropbox or Google Drive. You can also condense the portable file if necessary.
What are the limitations of QuickBooks Portable Files?
QuickBooks portable company files or .QBM files are not full backups. They do not include all the company data and are just smaller versions of your company files. You only get financial data and not logos, letters, and templates.
What’s the difference between a QuickBooks Portable File and a QuickBooks Accountant’s Copy (.qba)?
A QuickBooks portable company file is primarily used to move data. It is a compact version of just the financial part, not the logos, letters, templates, and transaction log file. However, an Accountant’s copy contains complete information. This copy is mainly for accountants to review and make changes while you continue to work. So, it includes the changes made by your accountant.
What is the file size limit for a QuickBooks Portable File?
There are no limitations to the QuickBooks portable company file size. However, the company file itself has limitations of 250 MB for Pro/ Premier and 1.5 GB for Enterprise. Yet, there are no strict file size regulations– it depends on your network’s capacity. Larger file sizes may cause performance issues. Portable company files in QuickBooks are smaller in size, so you need not worry about any limits.
What do I do if my QuickBooks Portable File won’t open/restore?
When the QuickBooks portable file faces issues in opening or restoring, try verifying the file location. Make sure you are using the most recent QuickBooks Desktop version. If there’s a backup, you can attempt restoring from there. You can create a new portable company file if the existing one is not opening. Or, you can search for it manually on the system. You can also run QuickBooks File Doctor to troubleshoot issues working with the portable file.
