It isn't the experience we want you to have when using QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT), @pmrsapple.

Please be aware that one-time purchase products are no longer available, and users will need to subscribe or at least have an active subscription to get a hold of their data when using QBDT. In this situation, it's best to get in touch with our Customer Care Team so they can provide other ways to access your company data for the QBDT 2021 version. You can refer to this article to know more about the support availability and the contact information: Contact QuickBooks Desktop support.

Moreover, we recommend checking this page to learn more about the discontinuation of QBDT 2021: QuickBooks Desktop service discontinuation policy.

In case you have any follow-up questions about accessing backup files or any additional queries about QuickBooks. Feel free to post here in the Community or comment below. We'll get back to you right away. Keep safe.