Before discussing how to create a customized QuickBooks Company Data file for testing, we
should perhaps discuss why you would want to. After all, QuickBooks comes with several
sample files that can be accessed by clicking the "Open a sample file" button in the
No Company Open window.
These sample files are already customized for different types of businesses and special
needs such as product-based business, service-based business, law firm, retailers who
track individual sales, etc. You can set up special situations or enter transactions
in any of these sample companies to see how your test case will work, and you can do this
without messing up your live company data file.
Problem is, none of the sample companies provided by QuickBooks already contain
your data. If you want to get a real sense of how your test case is going
to affect your live company data, you may have to do a lot of set up work in the test company.
Luckily, there is a way to quickly create a test company in QuickBooks that will let you
know
exactly how your live company data will react to the test situation. It's
also easy to do, if you follow a few simple steps.
Part of the following discussion is specific to Windows users. If you are a Mac user,
translate accordingly.
First, use Windows Explorer to create a folder on your hard drive for the test company. Let's
call it "DUMMY QB Data" (without the quotes). In actual fact, you can create the test files
in the same folder as your live data, but I don't recommend it. You can also locate the DUMMY
folder anywhere on your hard drive you like -- just make sure you can find it later.
Now open your live QuickBooks Company Data file and make a backup (File > Create Backup...).
Be sure to specify the DUMMY folder you just created for the location of the backup file.
When you have finished making the backup, click File > Open or Restore Company... and
restore the file to the DUMMY folder. You can call the company file whatever you like, but
I suggest you keep the name of the real company file and insert or append the word DUMMY.
Just be sure you don't change the file extension (anything after a period should remain as is).
You can now open the file from Windows Explorer or from within QuickBooks (the preferred
method). Once you have opened the QuickBooks Company Data file, go to Company > Company
Information... and make the Company Name exactly the same as you named the file in Windows
Explorer (this means the Company Name will now include the word "DUMMY").
By changing the Company Name to include the word "DUMMY," you also change what is displayed in
the program title bar.
This is important. You are now
working with an identical copy of your real data. The last thing you want to do is get
confused and begin working in the copy as your live data file. By changing the program title bar
to include the word "DUMMY," you give yourself a quick way to ensure you know which file
is active.
Okay, that's it. You can now set up your test situation and enter your test data. You'll
now know
exactly how your live data will respond.
When you're finished with the test, you can close the DUMMY data file and reuse it later, or
you can delete the DUMMY folder and simply create a new DUMMY folder and QuickBooks
Company Data file when the need arises. Frankly, I recommend the latter approach. It keeps
your hard drive cleaner and ensures that you will always test using current data. After all,
creating a DUMMY folder and QuickBooks Company Data file is quick and easy once you know how.
