Restoring your files is essential to continue working on your books, Janey. I'm here to ensure you can open your company in data QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

When you accidentally routed to QuickBooks Online after updating the program, which creates a new company, please note that your desktop files won't be transferred to the online version. Instead, an account will be made without any data.

We can still open your company files by opening the QuickBooks Desktop for Mac and restore your books from there. To do so, I recommend checking following the steps below.

First, let's locate your backup copy:

1. From the QuickBooks menu, select Settings.
2. Click Backup.
3. Choose Reveal Backup Folder, then double-click the folder where you save your backup files.
4. Modify the date to sort by period and see your latest backup.

Once found the copy, here's how to restore it:

1. Double-click the backup file. It opens a new window that shows a copy of your company file.
2. Drag the copy of your company file to the folder where you keep your QuickBooks company. If you see Attachments Library, drag the folder to the location.
3. After that, open your QuickBooks for Mac.
4. Hit Browse, then go to the folder where you saved the copy of the company file. Select the company file, then Open.
5. A prompt will show that you're opening a backup file. Click Continue.
6. Enter a name for the file, then Save.
7. Select OK.

For more details, please see this article: Restore your backup company file for QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

Alternatively, you can use the File Finder tool to search the data. I'll show you how:

1. Go to the File menu.
2. Click on File Finder Window.
3. Click on Documents on the All My Files page.
4. Look for the file on the Documents page or search for the company name in the search field.

Additionally, you can read the topics from our QBDT for Mac user's guide to help you while working with books to ensure the record is accurate.

The Community is always open if you have other questions when opening and working on your company file. Please don't hesitate to leave a reply. My team and I are here to help you out.