How to Condense Quickbooks Data
The QuickBooks accounting program includes a "Condense Data" tool that reduces the amount of space data takes up on a computer system by removing any completed, reconciled or cleared transactions and substituting them with a single journal entry for the entire month. While this reduces file size, it also removes details and audit information, leaving only a general summary of the transaction to be edited.
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Instructions
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Ensure that all data has been reviewed and reconciled. If a bill was short-paid or overpaid by a few cents, reconcile the account to zero, or any invoice affected by the small error will fail to condense with the other transactions.
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Go to the "File" menu, select "Utilities" and choose "Clean Up Company Data." Older versions of QuickBooks may have the option listed under the "File" menu as "Archive & Condense Data."
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Click "OK" on the warning message about budgeting data. This will allow you to continue to the "Clean Up Company Data" wizard.
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Enter the starting date that you would like QuickBooks to use to begin condensing data. Click "Next."
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Select the data that you want to include in the condensing process by either adding or removing specific sets of data from the condense list. Simply click on an item in the list and click "Remove" to delete it from the list of items to be condensed. Click "Next" once you have made your selections.
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Double-check your condensing selections on the summary page. If everything is correct, click "Begin Cleanup Now" or "Begin Condense" to start condensing the data. Click "OK" when the message to create a backup file appears.
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Browse to the folder where you want the condensed files to save. QuickBooks will automatically default to the same folder as the original data file and will select a default name. If this name and location are acceptable, simply click "Save." Progress will be monitored on the screen, and a message will pop up to remind you of the name and location of the file when the process is complete.
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Tips & Warnings
QuickBooks 2002 and later versions automatically create an archive copy of data. This archive can be opened even after the data is condensed and used to print reports and find information, but it should not be edited.
Back up data if you are using a very old version of QuickBooks. While any version after QuickBooks 2002 will automatically create an archive copy, versions prior to 2002 will create no archive, which makes it impossible to retrieve detailed information after condensing.
