Do you use one or more memorized reports in QuickBooks? If so, please read this post completely. It could literally save you hours and hours of time.
You KNOW you're having a bad day when you reach for your memorized reports in QuickBooks...
and then find out they aren't there.
And...
you're not just missing one memorized report, but all 29 that you had in the list! What choice word(s) would you have to describe that?
IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED!
This twisted tale of woe is a true story that happened recently with a client of mine. We've been trying to get to the bottom of the problem with the QuickBooks support group (more on that a bit later), but here is what we know:
- My client was experiencing periodic crashes and disconnects in their QuickBooks file.
- As part of the standard QuickBooks troubleshooting process, the client first performed a data verification. That did not work, so they did a data rebuild. That process indicated that 4 payroll checks from nearly four years ago had developed some type of problem and had become corrupt and needed fixed.
- When they went to access a memorized report a day after taking the steps above, they came to the grim realization that their memorized report list was completely empty. None could be found.
THE WORKING THEORY RIGHT NOW...
Based on what I have seen and discussed with the support group, it appears that the payroll checks that "went rogue" in turn corrupted one of the memorized reports. Then, when the data rebuild was performed, it not only knocked out that report, but ALL the others in the list as well. There weren't a lot of clues at this crime scene to help reconstruct what actually happened, but it definitely occurred after a rebuild of the data file.
Intuit is still taking a look at the behind the scenes issues involved in this problem at press time, so we'll see what they discover, if anything.
IS THIS A KNOWN ISSUE?
In talking with the support group, my sense is that the problem of memorized reports getting corrupted and/or disappearing is a "known issue" at Intuit. This means that they have had businesses report similar circumstances to them in the past. They would not confirm or deny that this is a "known issue", but my take is that is sure is.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF BEFORE THIS HAPPENS TO YOU
Unfortunately, I can't offer you a fool-proof way to ensure you never lose a memorized report. Here is what you can do to help minimize your pain:
- Backup your QuickBooks data file frequently, and keep several of these copies around for safekeeping in case you have to restore it to...
- Export the memorized report template from the backup copy into your "live" data file. If you click Reports > Memorized Reports List and then the "Memorized Report" button in the lower left hand corner of the screen, you'll see an "Export Template" option. You will be able to export some (likely not all) of your templates one by one to a safe place (i.e. My Documents, etc.). NOTE: You can export your templates at any time from your live file - you don't have to do it from a backup copy.
EVEN IF YOU DO ALL THAT...
You may find that not all of your templates will export. If you use custom fields in your reports, they will simply not export. You could run into this message:
My suggestion is that you keep a hard copy of the memorized report handy AND create an Excel or Word file that documents the settings you have chosen to build the report. If you're like me, you won't remember these settings for long once the report is created!
MORE DETAILS TO COME FROM INTUIT?
Intuit has promised to look into the issue where some reports won't export. If I pick up any more insight from them about this, I will be sure to update this post. I may not hear anything for several months on this issue though, as I believe the root cause of the problem has to do with the inner programming of QuickBooks.
This particular story happened with the Enterprise version of QuickBooks, but I have no reason to think it couldn't happpen in the Pro or Premier versions of QuickBooks either. Intuit would not confirm that theory either.
My hope is that you never experience a situation like this with your QuickBooks. But, if you take the proactive steps above, it will definitely be far less of a pain-in-the-you-know-where if it does!
HAS THIS HAPPENED TO YOUR COMPANY FILE?
Please feel free to post a comment below about your experience with memorized reports becoming corrupted or completely vanishing so we can compare notes!
RELATED POST: Creating a Memorized Report in QuickBooks
______________________________________________________________________________________________
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |








