QuickBooks Desktop Backup Technology Conflict

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Have you been experiencing situations in which the QuickBooks Transaction Log does not truncate (reset) even when you perform a fully verified manual local backup of QuickBooks? 

It seems that if a QuickBooks Desktop Company (.QBW) file is setup to sync with Data Protect, then the QBW.TLG (transaction log) may not get reset (truncate) when making an internal local backup with full verification.

While I'm a firm believer in the "back-up, back-up, back-up" approach, there are some not-so-known complications and potential complications with attempting to use both QuickBooks manual backups and Intuit Data Protect for your QuickBooks Company files.

Let’s briefly review both of these QuickBooks desktop functionalities:

Intuit Data Protect

Starting with the 2011 versions of QuickBooks Desktop products, Intuit Data Protect became a subscription service offering designed to help protect your data from loss or damage. QuickBooks Enterprise customers received this subscription free as part of their full service plan.

Intuit Data Protect automatically backs up your files online over the internet once a day, every day, to an offsite location. Subscribers choose a plan that either allows them to back up just QuickBooks files or any other data on their computer.

It was intended that Intuit Data Protect would replace the older QuickBooks Online Backup service that required additional software and was more complicated to set up, administer and restore data.

One of the nice features of Intuit Data Protect was that it ran in Windows as a background service and that it didn’t interfere with normal QuickBooks file operations in most circumstances. This means users could make use of QuickBooks and not even realize that Intuit Data Protect was performing a backup of the file data.

Restoring data from Intuit Data Protect was pretty easy, you just opened Intuit Data Protect, select Restore from Backup, select the backup you wanted and the files you needed, as well as the restore location, and click Restore.   

So, as long as you have an active subscription with the related "Realm ID" resident in your QuickBooks file, live internet service and the computer is turned on, Intuit Data Protect will do its thing.

QuickBooks Local Backup

From the very beginning, QuickBooks users have been encouraged to safeguard their company file data by creating local backups. Ideally, you should backup company at the end of each session, but in a multi-user environment, that meant waiting until the end of the day to do back up.

QuickBooks incorporates a local backup option that allows you to select when and where you backup to, as well as the extent to which "data verification" occurs during the backup process.

The local backup is the QuickBooks method that offers the "best" reproduction of your file.  Reminder options will prompt you to backup when you close your company file, or even automatically backup when you close the company file. 

You also can schedule local backups to take place at a specific time on specific days.

As I mentioned, local backups can be configured with three different levels of data file verification as part of the backup process. You can choose, although I certainly don't recommend it, the option for "No verification" of your data.

You can choose an option for "Quicker verification," or you can select an option for "Complete verification," which is the recommended level.

When you choose to have your data completely verified as part of the process, you're insuring that the backup contains a true and complete copy of the company file without corruptions. It's actually possible to back up some forms of corruption, along with your data, using the other two verification options.

As part of the "Complete verification" process, QuickBooks is supposed to reset the QBW.tlg (transaction log) file if the backup finishes normally. But there are several reasons why this truncation of the transaction log does not take place, and I have written about many of those.

The QuickBooks transaction log file tracks changes to your data. In cases where the QuickBooks application loses connection to the company file abruptly, the transaction log file is supposed to automatically correct the Company file as much as possible.

In addition, when Company file data is accidentally lost, the transaction log file may sometimes be used by data repair services in conjunction with a recent backup to recover data up to recently saved transactions.

QuickBooks transaction log files can grow very large if they are not reset via a completely verified backup. In addition, they will continue to increase in size until they're either truncated (the normal best practice) or deleted (not a best practice).

Whenever you perform a completely verified local back up, QuickBooks confirms that the data in your Company file matches the data recorded within the transaction log file. When the two files match, and the data in the Company file is written completely to the backup file, QuickBooks should reset the transaction log back to a starting point.

Technology Conflict

Over the years, many QuickBooks users have reported that the QBW.tlg transaction log file never truncates. We thought that many of them were performing backups and had their manual local backup operations set to either Quicker or No Verification, especially since many reported using other backup methods as well. 

Another thought was that they were relying on only Intuit Data Protect for their backup operations, a process that does not reset the transaction log file. Still, another possibility existed, they were performing a scheduled rather than manual backup of QuickBooks, or they were having backups performed in multi-user mode that didn’t engage complete verification.  

As I said earlier, a wide variety of other causes may have resulted in the failure to truncate the transaction log resulting in ever growing QBW.tlg files. But who would have thought that actually a technology conflict exists within QuickBooks arising out of the attempted use of both of these "files safety precautions." In fact, the error is even reflected in the QBWin.log file (shown below).

Indeed, it appears that the use of Intuit Data Protect actually precludes the reset of the QBW.tlg (transaction log) file, even when performing a manual completely verified local backup. 

Specifically, if a QuickBooks QBW (Company) file is setup for data sync then the QBW.tlg transaction log does not get reset when making a local backup with complete validation.

Note: This seems to be the common pattern. Other factors may exist, but in multiple files tested, especially large files, this seemed to be the issue precluding truncation during fully verified backup.

If you're wondering if there's a way to get past this limitation, the answer is yes. Unfortunately, it is painful. If you clear your Sync Settings, the QuickBooks Local Backup will be able to reset the QBW.tlg transaction log, assuming the backup is set to complete verification and it completes normally.

To clear Sync Settings (Only):

  1. From the QuickBooks Help menu, click Manage Data Sync
  2. Select the option Clear Sync Settings
  3. On the Clear Sync Settings prompt, type YES to confirm the action
  4. Click OK

Note: Don't select the option to Clear Login and Sync Settings

Of course, if you use Intuit Data Protect or other Intuit services associated with the Realm ID and sync settings, you'll need to re-establish your Company realm ID.

To create a Realm:

  1. Open your QuickBooks Desktop Company file and log in
  2. Go to Company>My Company and update company information as needed
  3. Click on Sign In (top right hand corner of screen)
  4. You will be prompted for to enter information for Multi Factor Authentication (MFA)

Once you've performed the above, click on the link in your sign-up email again. Once prompted, select the newly created Realm.

Should you Clear Your Realm ID and Sync Settings?

I'm not suggesting you necessarily take these steps, but if you choose to do so remember that removing the Sync Settings and abolishing the Realm ID in your file disconnects your Company file from Intuit supported services, not just Data Protect.

I'm saying this clearly appears to be another one of the reasons, as documented in Intuit’s own support articles, as to why QBW.tlg files are not being truncated when performing a successful, local manual, fully verified backup of your QuickBooks (Desktop) Company file. 

If you choose to take this path, do so only with a full backup in place – and at your own risk.