Accounting Professionals : QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery – How to Recover Deleted or Lost QuickBooks Files

QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery – Recover Deleted or Lost Company File Data

Description:

Use QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery (ADR) to restore lost or deleted QuickBooks data files. Learn step-by-step how to recover with .QBW.adr and .TLG.adr files. Available for QuickBooks Pro, Premier & Enterprise.

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What Is QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery?

QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery (ADR) is a built-in feature in QuickBooks Desktop (Pro, Premier, and Enterprise versions) that helps you recover data in case your company file gets deleted, corrupted or lost. Rather than relying solely on manual backups, ADR maintains its own recovery files so you can restore almost all of your transactions or company data — even after significant file corruption.

According to Intuit: ADR can restore lost transactions using a combination of the current Transaction Log (.TLG) file and a backup copy of your company file (.QBW.adr). In some cases, you can also use both .QBW.adr and .TLG.adr files to recover nearly everything, excluding only the most recent few hours.

Why Do You Lose QuickBooks Data?

There are several common reasons why your QuickBooks company file data might go missing, prompting the need for ADR:

Accidental deletion of QuickBooks files
Power outages or system shutdowns during critical operations
Virus or malware attacks corrupting QuickBooks data
Hardware or system failure
File corruption due to unexpected QuickBooks crash

Understanding these causes is important before attempting recovery, because ADR is meant to be used when other troubleshooting steps have failed.

How to Use Auto Data Recovery to Recover Deleted QuickBooks Data Files

Here’s a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to use ADR to restore your data.

Method 1: Recover Using the Original .TLG File + .QBW.adr File

Create a Folder for Recovery
- On your Desktop, make a new folder named QBTest. (This is where you'll put restored files for testing.)
Locate Your Transaction Log File
- Go to the folder where your company file (.QBW) is stored.
- Find the .TLG file that has the same name as your company file.
- If file extension
Copy the .TLG File
- Copy the .TLG file and paste it into your QBTest folder.
Copy the ADR Company File
- Navigate to the QuickBooksAutoDataRecovery folder in the same location where your company file resides.
- Copy the .QBW.adr file from that folder and paste it into QBTest.
Rename the ADR File
- In the QBTest folder, right-click the .QBW.adr file → Rename.
- Remove .adr from the end of the filename (so it becomes .QBW).
Open QuickBooks & Test the Recovered File
- Open QuickBooks Desktop → Open the company file from the QBTest folder.
- Use your account register to check if the lost transactions are restored.
Verify the Data
- In QuickBooks: File → Utilities → Verify Data. This will check whether the recovered file is structurally sound.
Replace the Original File (Optional)
- If the recovered file works without issues, you can move the original (corrupted) company file to a safe folder, then copy the recovered .QBW from QBTest back to the original location.

Method 2: Use `.QBW.adr` + `.TLG.adr` to Recover Nearly All Data (Except Last ~12 Hours)

Create the QBTest Folder
- As before, make a QBTest folder on your desktop.
Find ADR Versions
- Open the QuickBooksAutoDataRecovery folder in the same folder as your company file.
- Locate both .QBW.adr and .TLG.adr files (same name as your company).
- Enable file extensions if hidden.
Copy ADR Files to QBTest
- Copy both .QBW.adr and .TLG.adr into QBTest.
Rename the Files
- In the QBTest folder: right-click each file → Remove .adr from the end. This gives you a .QBW and .TLG file.
Open the Recovered Company File
- Open QuickBooks Desktop → Open the .QBW from the QBTest folder.
- Use your account register to verify that transactions are present.
Verify Data Integrity
- Go to File → Utilities → Verify Data to ensure the recovered file is consistent and error-free.
Replace Original File (If Good)
- If recovery is successful, move your damaged original file out of the working directory.
- Copy the recovered files from QBTest back into your original file location.

Important Things to Know Before Using ADR

ADR is only available in QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Enterprise editions for Windows. QuickBooks
The maximum size for ADR-generated files is 1.5 GB. If your company file is larger, QuickBooks may not generate ADR files. (QuickBooks)
Make sure your QuickBooks Desktop is fully updated before using ADR. (QDM)
ADR should be used only after other troubleshooting steps (like verify/rebuild, File Doctor) have failed — because it’s a more technical, last-resort recovery method.

When You Can’t Recover Data Using ADR

Sometimes ADR might not work, for example:

Your .adr files are missing or were never created.
The company file exceeded the 1.5 GB ADR limit.
File corruption is too extensive or involves hardware-level damage.
QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery files are themselves corrupted.

In such cases, you may need to consider professional data recovery services. Specialist data recovery companies can often access deeper backups or repair damaged QuickBooks files.

Tips to Prevent Future Data Loss

Make regular backups of your QuickBooks company file (.QBW).
Use ADR as a supplement, not a replacement, for your regular backup strategy.
Keep QuickBooks updated to the latest version.
Avoid working on very large company files — smaller size reduces ADR risk.
Store backup files (including ADR) on a reliable and secure drive.
If you’re not confident doing ADR yourself, get help from a specialist.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q1: What exactly is .QBW.adr?
A: It’s the Auto Data Recovery (ADR) version of your company file — a backup maintained by QuickBooks that you can use to recover transactions.

Q2: What is .TLG.adr?
A: It’s the ADR version of your transaction log. QuickBooks uses this along with .QBW.adr to recreate lost data.

Q3: Will ADR recover all my data?
A: Not always. Using .QBW.adr + .TLG.adr can recover nearly everything, but very recent transactions (last ~12 hours) may not be restored.

Q4: Can I use ADR if I run QuickBooks Accountant Edition?
A: No — ADR is only supported in Pro, Premier, and Enterprise versions.

Q5: Is using ADR risky?
A: Not particularly, but you should always verify restored data (File → Utilities → Verify Data) before replacing your original company file to avoid data loss.

Where to Get Help

If you’re not comfortable performing the recovery process yourself — or if ADR doesn’t work — you should contact QuickBooks-certified data recovery experts who understand ADR and QuickBooks internals.

📞 Call for help: +1-888-381-4670

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