QuickBooks Desktop 2020 Company File Types and What to Back Up
QuickBooks Desktop 2020 is sunset, but you can keep using it. Learn which 2020 file types (.QBW, .QBB, .ND, .TLG) to protect for long-term offline use.
QuickBooks Desktop 2020 officially reached the end of Intuit's live support services on May 31, 2023. While security updates and add-on services like banking feeds have been cut off, the software itself remains fully capable of running offline. To keep your 2020 accounting data safe for the long haul, you need to understand the various files the program generates and exactly which ones matter most for your survival strategy.
The Core Data Files
QuickBooks Desktop 2020 generates a handful of primary files to store, back up, and manage your accounting data. Most of these file types behave identically across all Desktop versions (Pro, Premier, and Enterprise), so the rules for protecting them remain the same.
- .QBW (QuickBooks Company File): This is your live, working database. Every transaction, customer profile, and report lives here. It is the most important file on your system.
- .QBB (QuickBooks Backup): A compressed archive of your company file. Because Desktop 2020 is now disconnected from Intuit's cloud backup services, creating manual .QBB files on a regular schedule is your primary defense against data loss.
- .QBM (QuickBooks Portable File): A highly compressed version of the .QBW file used specifically for transferring your data from one computer to another. It is smaller than a .QBB file but does not include all supporting documents (like attached receipts).
The Support and Configuration Files
When you open your company file, QuickBooks 2020 also reads several auxiliary files. You do not need to back these up for long-term archival purposes, but you need to know what they are if your software stops functioning correctly.
- .ND (Network Data File): A configuration file that allows multiple users to access the company file over a local network. If this file gets corrupted or goes missing, QuickBooks will throw an error (often a -6000 series error) and refuse to open the database.
- .TLG (Transaction Log File): This file tracks every change made to your database since your last backup. It acts as a bridge between your last .QBB save and your current .QBW state, allowing data recovery services to restore a file if the main database crashes.
Which Files to Protect for the Long Haul
If you are staying on QuickBooks Desktop 2020 indefinitely, your archival strategy should focus strictly on your .QBW and .QBB files.
You should save current, uncompressed copies of your .QBW file to at least two separate offline drives. Because Intuit's automatic backup features are sunset, you must initiate these backups manually through the software's File menu.
You can safely ignore the .ND and .TLG files for your long-term archives. If you ever need to restore your data on a new machine years down the road, QuickBooks will automatically generate fresh .ND and .TLG files when you open your saved .QBW or restore your .QBB file.
Handling File Errors on a Sunset Version
Running a discontinued version means you cannot rely on live technical support to bail you out of a corrupted file scenario. If your 2020 .QBW file begins throwing Verify/Rebuild errors, or if the software refuses to open the database due to structural damage, you can still use the built-in Verify and Rebuild Data utilities located in the File > Utilities menu. This process is identical across all QuickBooks Desktop versions.
If the built-in tools fail to repair the database, the underlying data structure (like damaged target chaining or list corruption) can often be recovered and rebuilt by extracting the data from your existing .QBB or .QBW file.
To guarantee your accounting history survives the end of life of your software, make a habit of generating a fresh .QBB backup at the close of every business week and storing it on an external drive disconnected from your main network.