Account management

@SophiaAnnL

I have succeeded in restoring my company file (qbw) on a local drive by first generating a portable company file (qbm) from within quickbooks. I have verified that a backup (qbb) generated from the company file  (qbw) and stored on OneDrive can indeed be recovered, so I am no longer blocked. I can recover the backup version manually so I will proceed from here.

I have recorded the steps that led to the current situation. I do not want to waste anymore time on this. I suggest you pass this on to Intuit's development team.

All software is running in a Windows 10 VM running inside VirtualBox on Ubuntu 18.04. All local files are "local" to the VM (i.e are not located in the host linux filesystem).  TT=turbotax. QB = quickbooks.

1. Begin company return in TT business 2018.
2. Attempt to import QB data (as I have done every year since 2012).
3. Receive notification that TT 2018 is only compatible with QB files generated by versions 2013 onwards.
4. Install QB 2019 Pro (forced upgrade by Intuit but not unreasonable given 7 years of use from QB 2012 Pro).
5. Run QB 2019.
6. Forced enrollment in data protection not required in QB 2012. I suspect this is the ultimate source of the problem.
7. Convert QB 2012 company file to QB 2019 selecting OneDrive folder as destination for the converted file.
8. Setup backup schedule to separate folder on OneDrive.
9. Verify backup schedule is generating backups, but do not verify that any of the backups actually work (first mistake - believing intuit).
10. In several sessions work on finalizing 2018 accounts in QB 2019 using company file stored on OneDrive.
11. Make mental note that QB 2019 is opening each time from a qbb file on OneDrive, not from a qbw file. Briefly look for qbw file on OneDrive and in local (VM) filesystem but unable to locate. Assume that QB 2019 works differently and qbw file is now no longer stored in an obvious location (second mistake - believing intuit again).
12. Realize several months of transactions had been associated with the wrong account, and attempt to open one of the backups from the OneDrive using the "restore from backup" functionality within QB 2019.
13. Restore from backup fails with error code -6000 -83.
14. Try all relevant fixes listed for error code -6000 -83. None work.
15. Specifically, none of the following worked: run QB as admin. Attempt to restore to a local (VM) drive. Copy remote (OneDrive) backup qbb file to local drive and restore from there. Reinstall QB 2019 on a non-VM (bare metal) windows machine, copy remote qbb backup file to non-VM windows, restore from there. Attempt restore on non-VM machine from OneDrive. Repeat all of the above with the original qbb file (not the backups - recall that there never was an original qbw file).
16. Attempt to generate a workable backup by backing up to a local drive. All permutations (VM, non-VM) generate backups that themselves fail to restore.
17. Realize my QB 2019 has always been in a state in which it is impossible to generate any workable backup, and that it is impossible to get a working local copy of my company file. Therefore I can no longer continue entering data.
18. Vent on QB forums.
19. Receive wrong explanation and lectures from @qbteachmt
20. Had an idea (based on the suspicion alluded to in 6. above that the new rights management is somehow breaking things): perhaps creating a portable company file (qbm) copy will work.
21. Create qbm copy. Restore from qbm copy to local drive. Eureka!

I will swallow the time recoding the incorrect transactions  rather than attempting (likely in vain) to enlist Intuit's support in restoring backups. I am not going to waste any more time on this. The fact that the qbb -> qbm path works whereas restoring from qbb (or generating a local backup) does not indicates that it is very likely a rights issue associated with programming errors on Intuit's side, not data corruption. It is appalling that Intuit treats its customers' data and time in such a cavalier manner.