QuickBooks File Size Considerations | CLEARIFY

QuickBooks File Size is Not Unlimited

QuickBooks uses the SAP SQL Anywhere database, which is robust, mature, secure - and can handle huge data sets.  There is no QuickBooks file on the planet that even comes close to its limits.

But.... raw data storage is not the whole issue, especially since Intuit does not allow direct access to the QuickBooks database.

What You Need to Know

The problem with carrying data year after year:

• The database is open and closed every day - and not always normally, e.g. ctrl+alt+del, power outage, etc.  Multiply if you have network users.  Corruption probability increases.
• Multiple deletions and list merges contribute to the possibility of corruption.
• Inactive classes, accounts, names that must remain, but add to the bulk.
• The larger the file, the longer it takes to extract the data.
  • A 100 meg file can take less than 15 minutes.
  • A 1 gig file can take up to 6 hours
  • A 2 gig file can take up to 20 hours
• Intuit changes to data, field structure, and functionality from year to year.  If you have a file from 1995 or 1996, the chance of corruption are 99%

The Quickbooks condense feature can remove 35% of the file size - IF it works at all (just ask the Pro Advisors in the Intuit Community).

Intuit added a new feature in 2019 that allows you remove audit trail data - and while it helped, it wasn't enough to tilt the results totally in your favor.

Lastly, we extract more detail data than any 3rd party application, and as a result, we might see data corruption where other applications wouldn't.

The Intuit Desktop SDK is the Authority on Data Corruption

IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THIS ONE CONCEPT ABOUT QUICKBOOKS

What happens above the hood is not always what happens underneath the hood.

The Intuit Software Development Kit (SDK) is antiquated, slow, and kludgy, but there is one thing it does that beyond reproach: it finds data corruption - and it never lies.

You may run a verify or rebuild using the data utilities inside of QuickBooks, and not find any errors - yet the SDK may find some during the process of extraction.

Intuit Has Opinions on Operational File Size - We Disagree

During the past two decades in which we have been involved in data extraction for QuickBooks desktop, we have arrived at some "rules of thumb" with regard to file size.

• QuickBooks Pro files approaching 250 Meg
• QuickBooks Premier files larger approaching 350 Meg
• QuickBooks Enterprise file approaching 1.25 Gig

We also find that most people do not need to have more than a few years of accounting data at their fingertip, and that they query older information on an as needed basis.

Intuit product managers have a different concept about what a "large file size" is, because they see Enterprise files of up to even 5 or 6 Gig.  However, in our experience, we have never seen a file size over 2 Gig that didn't have some form of corruption.

Corruption can occur even in file sizes much smaller, depending upon the number of merges, changes, and the number of times a file has been open and closed abnormally.

The most common transactions we see corruption are (in the following order):

• Receive Payments
• Time Tracking
• Invoices and Sales Orders with many lines - especially inventory lines
• Accounts that the SDK as deleted - but are not

How to Deal with Large File Sizes

If your file is in the 50% to 80% of the recommended file size range, you should rebuild the file before loading into QQube, and then check the synch logs for any potential errors.  Your probability of success if very high in these instances.

However if your file size is greater than our recommendations there are three options:

1. Version 10 allows you to retrieve just the last few years. Date Setup - Extraction Range | CLEARIFY
2. Rebuild the QB file, and load into QQube.  No errors, enjoy the reprieve.  You beat the odds this time. 
3. Start with a brand new file (usually at the beginning of a new quarter, or year)
4. Split the file into two files - old and new

With regard to option number four we highly recommend someone like Matt Clark at www.qbornotqb.com   to split your file into two files:  (1) with old data, that you can open - or store in QQube, and (2) a current file for every day use.  DISCLAIMER: We do not receive kickbacks from this company - we recommend him because he has successfully taken care of hundreds of customers over the last decade.