QuickBooks Backup Not Working on Windows 10

Summary: Is your QuickBooks automatic backup not working? This blog explains why this happens and shares workarounds to fix the 'QuickBooks backup not working Windows 10' problem. Failure to create a backup of the QuickBooks® Company file (QBW) can lead to data loss in the event of file corruption. If you've come across such a situation, try using Stellar Repair for QuickBooks® Software to repair the corrupted QBW file and recover all its data.

Intuit recommends letting QuickBooks® schedule the task of backing up a company file automatically when the file is closed, using the ?Automatic backup? feature.

But, when scheduling a backup task in QuickBooks® or upgrading Windows 10 build to 1709 or higher fails, it leads to a severe issue. Most users go on assuming that their company file is getting backed up as scheduled.

What Causes ?QuickBooks Backup not Working Windows 10? Issue?

The most common reason behind the issue is that the Windows 10 version installed on your system is not compatible with QuickBooks® Desktop. This means that QuickBooks® is set to run for different versions of Windows other than Windows 10.

For instance, QB is configured for Windows XP or any other operating system, and you?re using Windows 10. To determine, check if the ?Configure for:? field is set to Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, or Windows 2000 (refer to the image below).

When creating a backup task in task scheduler, QB needs to detect the operating system and modify the ?Configure for:? setting accordingly?. But when it fails to do so, the backups stop working.

Workarounds to Fix the ?QuickBooks Backup not Working Windows 10? Issue

There is no documented solution available to fix the problem. However, there are a few workarounds that may help you resolve it:

Workaround 1 ? Configure Windows OS to Windows 10

The best and most effective fix to the ?Automatic backup not working? error is ensure that you have set the ?Configure For? field to ?Windows 10?. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Open Task Scheduler in Windows 10.
2. In the ?Task Scheduler? dialog box, click on Task Scheduler Library.
3. Scroll down to the QuickBooks® backup task, right-click on it, and select Properties. This will open the task properties.
4. Now, search the Configure for: option under the General section.
5. From the Configure for: drop-down list, select Windows 10.

Note that some users, even after changing the ?Configure for:? setting to ?Windows 10,? experience failing backups. Also, they get the following error QBBackup.log file:

QuickBooks encountered a problem attempting to backup C:\DATABASES\QB_XXXXXXX\XXXXXXX.qbw – Drive specified could not be accessed. Error ID 202: Last System Error: The system cannot find the path specified.

You can fix this error by selecting the “Run only when user is logged in” option under QuickBooks.

Workaround 2 ? Run QuickBooks as an Administrator

Ensure you are running QB as an administrator to avoid any problem with the automatic (or scheduled) backups. For this, perform these steps:

1. Right-click on the QB icon on your desktop, and click on Properties. 
2. In the QB properties dialog box that opens, select the ?Run this program in compatibility mode for? checkbox. And then, select Windows 10 from the drop-down.
3. Next, check the ?Run this program as an administrator? checkbox under the Privilege Level section.
4. Choose Apply and then click OK.

Workaround 3 ? Perform Scheduled Backup to an External Drive

Some users have reported that the scheduled company file backups work fine when saved to an external drive. To back up the QBW file on an external drive, do the following:

1. Open the File menu in your QB application and hover over Save Copy or Backup.
2. Select the Backup copy option in the ‘Save Copy or Backup’ dialog box and click Next.
3. When prompted with the message ?Do you want to save your backup copy locally or online?? choose Local backup and hit Next.
4. In the ‘Backup Options’ dialog box, click Browse to select the location where you want to save the local backup copy. Click Next.
5. When a window with the ?When do you want to save your backup copy?? message opens, click the Save it now option and choose Next.
6. Minimize the QBDT window and navigate to the location where the backup file is saved on the local drive.
7. Right-click on the backup file and then choose Copy.
8. Next, open the Windows Explorer window and look for the drive letter of your external drive. Double-click on it to open the drive.
9. Right-click on File and click the Paste option to paste the company file copied in step 6.

How to Recover QuickBooks Company File Data?

If your company file has become corrupted or is missing and you don?t have any backup to restore the file data, using a QuickBooks recovery tool can prove a handy tool. Stellar Repair for QuickBooks® software is one such tool that helps repair a corrupted QBW file and recover all its data quickly.

The software also provides an option to recover data from QuickBooks backup file (QBB). It can work with QB 2021 and lower versions.

Check out the video to know how the software works:

Conclusion

This blog discussed the reason behind the ‘QuickBooks backup not working Windows 10’ issue. It also explained the most effective workarounds to resolve the issue. These include changing the ‘Configure for:’ setting to Windows 10, running QB as an administrator, and saving backup to an external drive. If the backup failed and the company file has turned corrupt, using Stellar Repair for QuickBooks® software can help restore the data and preserve data integrity.

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