Schedule backups

Schedule backups daily or on specific days and times

Follow these instructions to have QuickBooks back up your company file daily or on specific days and times. file handling, . You can schedule a backup to a network drive, USB flash drive, or Zip disk.

If you prefer, you can have QuickBooks back up when you close your company file.

Important: For a scheduled backup to take place, the computer you use to run QuickBooks must be on, but the company file you want to back up cannot be in use. file handling, . Be sure to schedule your backups accordingly.

Note: If you're using QuickBooks Online Backup, you'll need to schedule your backups using that service.

To do this task

If not already displayed, open the Schedule Backup window.
1. Go to the File menu and click Save Copy or Backup to open the backup wizard.
2. Click Backup Copy, click Next, and then click Local Backup.
3. If you haven't already done so, click Options to set your backup defaults (such as where you want to save your local backup) and then click Next.
  Note: The backup defaults you set when you click Options are for manual and automatic backups only. file handling, . You will set your options for scheduled backups in the steps that follow.
4. Click Only schedule future backups (to create a schedule without running a backup) and then click Next.
5. In the Backup on a schedule section of the window click New.
Enter a Description for your scheduled backup. file handling, . This name appears in your list of scheduled backups so you can easily find it later.
Click Browse to select the folder where you want to store your backup copies. file handling, . This can be on a network drive or on portable storage media such as a USB flash drive or Zip disk.
Note: You cannot schedule a backup to a CD-ROM. file handling, . Why?
Backing up to a CD-ROM requires additional steps to write the file to the CD. file handling, . If you want to back up to a CD, you must do this manually. file handling, . Follow the instructions to backup to a CD using Windows XP, or a CD using Windows Vista, or a CD using Windows 2000.
Optionally, click the checkbox to limit the Number of backups to keep and enter a number in the field provided. file handling, . What does this do?
Click Store Password to open the Store Windows Password window and enter the requested Windows login information. file handling, . Be sure the login you enter has Windows permission for the location you've selected for the backup. file handling, . Why does QuickBooks need my Windows password?
Select the time, weekly frequency, and day(s) for the backup to take place. file handling, . For example, if you want to run your backups daily, select every day of the week and run the task every "1" week.
Click OK to return to the previous window. file handling, . The backup appears in the list in the Backup on a schedule section of the window.
Click Finish to close the wizard.

Note: Scheduled backups will automatically include the date and time the backup was created in the file name. file handling, . The date and time stamps are necessary for QuickBooks to manage the number of scheduled backups to retain on the system.