Cause #1: Bad Media
In our estimates 98-99% of backups failing to restore are caused by bad media.
What is "Bad Media"?
We classify bad media to be media, which contains defects or damage preventing a computer from being able to read or access all or part of the information that is on it.
Though any type of media may become damaged. This issue primarily revolves around the use of the standard 3.5" disk, better known as the "floppy disk". This media, among the most popular media for day-to-day use is still very vulnerable to elements such as heat, cold, and magnetic fields.
 

Determining if you have damaged or bad media

The only real test in determining if you have damaged or bad media is very easy. It is a matter of seeing if you can copy your backup from its original media to your computers hard drive.

If the backup file will copy than the media is good. *
If the backup file will NOT copy, than the media is bad.

* If you run file or disc utilities such as scandisk, Norton Utilities, or other recovery software over your media, and have it repair any issues found, you may be able to then copy your backup file. After these utilities are run, you may even find that your restore attempts now get through 99 % before failing. Unfortunately these programs will not actually repair any backup that may have been located on a bad spot of the disk, they simply make some remarks so that your computer does not try and read from these bad spots. If you have already run any utilities over the backup media and had it find problems, your media should be considered to be bad media.

 
So How Bad Is It?

The severity of this type of QuickBooks® backup damage can vary greatly. Even if you pursue Backup Damage Recovery services, you must be aware that there will be missing information in the final recovered file. Essentially any information that was residing on a bad portion of the media will be lost.

Bottom line: If you find yourself up against a case of your backup being on bad media, your options are:

  1. Restore any other backups you may have and re-enter anything needed to bring it up to date.
  2. Start a brand new Company Data File, basically start over from scratch.
  3. Proceed with Backup Damage Recovery services. Click the Service Request link at the top of the page to get details on our backup damage services including, pricing, turnaround times and an online submission form to get your service started as soon as possible

Need some assistance in determining if you have damaged or bad media?

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to try and copy your QuickBooks® backup.
Again you are basically testing to see if your computer can read your backup, not if QuickBooks® can.

 

1. First close QuickBooks® and any other programs you may be running.
2. Insert your backup media (floppy, zip, etc) into its drive.
3.

From the main Windows Desktop, double click on the "My Computer" icon.
 

  This should give you a list of drives. Similar to the image shown below.
4.

Double click on the drive containing your QuickBooks® backup.

 

(If your backup is on a floppy disk you will most likely need to double click the "3 ½ Floppy (A:)" drive.)This should give a listing of the contents on the media; your backup should be listed among any other files here.
Click 1 time on your QuickBooks® backup, just so that it becomes highlighted.
5.

Now from the top left of the screen, click Edit on the menu bar and click the Copy option.
 

(You will not visibly see anything happen at this point.)
6.

From here you want to be able to see part of your main Windows Desktop.

 

If the window you have opened showing the contents of your backup media is taking up the whole screen you will want to minimize it. DO NOT CLOSE IT.

Position the mouse cursor over any blank part of the Windows Desktop.
7. Click 1 time with the Right mouse button.
 

This should bring up a small gray selection window.
8. Click 1 time on the Paste option listed.
 

This should start the copying process and may bring up the following image.
9. If the media is not damaged or bad the copying should be successful.
 

You will see an icon for the file appear after copying, if successful.
10. If the media is damaged or bad the copying will be unsuccessful.
 

An unsuccessful copy attempt due to bad media will produce an error message similar to the following.

Again if this error message appears during your attempt to copy your backup file, your backup resides on bad media, and you will want to evaluate your options at this point.

  1. Restore any other backups you may have and re-enter anything needed to bring it up to date.
  2. Start a brand new Company Data File, basically start over from scratch.
  3. Proceed with Backup Damage Recovery services. Click the Service Request link at the top of the page to get details on our backup damage services including, pricing, turnaround times and a printable form to get your service started as soon as possible.