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Quickbooks is the world’s most popular business accounting software, and for good reason; it’s versatile, packed with features, offers an easy-to-use interface, and it can handle accounting tasks of all sizes. However, some users may experience certain error messages when using Quickbooks. In the rare event that you notice an error message on your screen, you should run the ‘rebuild data tool’ to resolve the issue. In this post, we’re going to walk you through the steps to using this tool.

When To Use The Rebuild Data Tool

It’s important to note that the rebuild data tool isn’t designed for all types of errors and problems. Beginners oftentimes use it as a ‘catch-all’ fix for their Quickbooks-related problems, but this typically doesn’t work. See below for a list of instances when using the rebuild data tool would prove useful:

• Error message displayed on screen advising you to run the rebuild date tool.
• Damaged data error message displayed on screen.
• Troubleshooting your problem through the built-in knowledge base suggests you run the rebuild data tool.
• Quickbooks customer support agent advises you to run the rebuild data tool.
• Forms containing errors or coding problems.
• Reports containing errors or coding problems.

Before Running The Rebuild Data Tool…

It’s imperative that you back up all of your Quickbooks data before running the rebuild data tool. Nine out of ten times the tool will run perfectly fine without  any issues arising; however, some users may experience data loss from using the tool. And if your data isn’t backed up beforehand, you could find yourself starting back at square one. It only takes a few minutes to back up your Quickbooks data to either a disk or the cloud, so make sure you do this before running the rebuild data tool.

Running The Rebuild Data Tool

It’s recommended that you run the rebuild data tool on your local workstation and not over your network. You can view Intuit’s step-by-step walkthrough located here, but the process is pretty self-explanatory. With the tool installed, run it on your computer and it will automatically search and fix various errors. Depending on the size of your account along with the speed of your machine, the rebuild data tool may take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours to complete (sometimes even longer). Under no circumstances, however, should you exit the program early, as this may cause corrupt data.