anjare
11-15-2006, 03:51 PM
Back up your company file, making sure that you do not over write any previous backups, before making any changes.
The QBWIN.LOG file is produced when ever an error, a verify or a rebuild has occurred, this can be a very useful tool to find the errors that may be causing a problem with your file but it can be quite hard to understand.
Finding the QBWIN.LOG
If the data fails to verify, even after a rebuild, you can review the QBWIN.LOG to see the errors which are causing the file be unstable. There are 2 ways to find the QBWIN.LOG.
The first way to try and review the QBWIN.LOG is within QuickBooks while it is open, first hold down the control key (CTRL) on you keyboard, while it is held down, press the number 1 key along the top line of numbers (the one above the Q). This will then show the Product information screen.
Once this screen has appeared, keep the control key (CTRL) held down and then press the number 2 key along the top line of numbers (the one above the Q). This will then open the Tech Help screen, select the ‘open file’ tab, within here there are a number of different files, Choose QBWIN.LOG and select ‘open file’. This will open the file in word pad.
Please note the ‘rename’ function on this page, this will be required later
If you are unable to find the QBWIN.LOG in this way, it can also be found by using the windows find facility. Go to Start > Find/Search (depends on which windows platform you use) > files or folders. There is a ‘Name’ field, type in QBWIN.LOG and make sure it is looking on the Hard drive ( C ), this will the find the file and you then simply double click on the file and it should open the file in word pad, if it asks which application to open the file with, choose word pad.
Reviewing the Log.
Once the file is open it may have a lot of information from prior updates, verifies or rebuilds, as it is the nature of log files to ‘LOG’ everything it can this information can go right back to when you first started to use QuickBooks so the file may be quite large, one of the golden rules of using the QBWIN.LOG is to always go to the bottom of the document, this will have been the last entry into the log, this may be a verify containing any errors as this is usually the last thing that has been done within the file.
There are several different styles of error, most errors will contain enough information to find the problem transaction within the file.
This is what a clean Verify should look like:-
==============================* BEGIN VERIFY LOG *======================
Verifying data, file name: C:\DATARE~2\NEW\WO1418\HLHH.QBW
Thu Sep 20 15:54:10 2001
==============================* END VERIFY LOG *========================
This has no errors to show so the verify should have stated within QuickBooks there was no problems with the file.
A log with 3 transactions out of balance
============================* BEGIN VERIFY LOG *=====================
Verifying data, file name: C:\Program Files\Intuit\QuickBooks Pro2002 Bld10\sample.qbw
Wed Oct 31 03:57:59 2001
Error: Verify Target: Transaction out of balance. Account = Accounts Receivable. Date = 3/16/2001
Type: invoice txn#: 00069 date: 16/03/2001 doc#: 43
Distrib accnt: Uncategorised Expenses $: -1,799.49
Error: Verify Target: Transaction out of balance. Account = Accounts Payable. Date = 11/30/2000
Type: bill txn#: 00102 date: 30/11/2000
Distrib accnt: Uncategorised Expenses $: 0.00
Error: Verify Target: Transaction out of balance. Account = Natwest Current Account. Date = 1/1/2000
Type: cheque txn#: 00112 date: 01/01/2000 doc#: 1001
Distrib accnt: Uncategorised Expenses $: 0.00
==============================* END VERIFY LOG *========================
This file has Transactions that are not in balance, this can be caused by minimal data corruption within the file, as each transaction is linked to another part of the transaction, EG. All these transactions are also linked to the items or account s associated within the transaction, so when of these links is lost it doesn’t understand which item or account should be affected leaving the transaction out of balance.
From the information we can tell the date of the transaction, each message can have 2 dates, the first in U.S. format and the second in U.K. format , we can also tell what type of transaction it is and in some cases the invoice or the cheque number which is classified under the (doc#)
The first error is stating that an invoice created on the 16/03/2001 with the invoice number of 43, is out of balance. In order to fix this transaction we find it within QuickBooks using either the find facility located under the Edit pull down menu or by producing a transaction report and customizing it for correct date, the benefits of using a transaction report is that if the transaction in the log file does not have a document number, it always has a transaction number (TXN#). The transaction report can be modified to show the TXN# so it would then be easy to find.
Once this problem transaction has been found we can either delete the transaction (edit > delete) and re-enter it or try to edit the problem transaction to re-save the data, by perhaps altering the amount, saving it then changing it back to the original amount, re-creating the desired links. Do this for each of the problem transactions.
Once this has completed, a verify will need to be performed but first, to make things easier to understand if there are anymore errors, we will rename the log file so QuickBooks will create a brand new log containing only the most up to date information.
Please make sure to close the log file if it is still open, go through the process of opening the QBWIN.LOG mentioned earlier in this document. But before you open the file, you will see there is a ‘rename QBWIN.LOG’ function, renaming the QBWIN.LOG to QBWIN.OLD will keep the file on your system, but any operations we now do will be written to a new log file, this will then only contain the latest information.
If the file is opened using the windows find facility, the file can be renamed in this location be first highlighting the file, right hand mouse click on it and a menu will appear, in this menu there is a rename function, this will allow the file to be renamed, change the name to QBWIN.OLD, as before this will stay on the system for reference but QuickBooks will create a new log file which will then contain all the latest information.
After the log file has been renamed we can then perform the verify. If after the verify it states there are no problems with your data we then know that we have corrected these errors and the data in the file should now be correct. No further work is needed but do check the data thoroughly
If the verify states that the file still contains errors, perform a rebuild and verify, again states the file still contains errors, open the new log file and this should contain only the errors which are effecting it at that time. Go through the same procedure to try and correct these errors and rename the log file again and perform the verify.
If the verify still states that the file contains error’s call technical support.
Other Types of Errors.
Duplicate list elements.
==============================* BEGIN VERIFY LOG *======================
Error: Verify Name list. Duplicate name encountered. Name: Susan Cawley Records 218 (580) and 219 (581).
To fix, edit this element in the list and change its name.
==============================* END VERIFY LOG *========================
First find the name in the list data, this may be a customer, a vendor/supplier or an account in the account list. If there are no transactions involved for one of these names then you can simply delete the unused name, if there are transactions involved then you can rename one of them to contain either a number or a letter at the end of there name to define a difference between them. If there are no outstanding or open transactions you could also make them inactive. Verify the data, if it verifies correctly then this issue is fixed.
Link Error Codes.
==============================* BEGIN VERIFY LOG *======================
!Link Error Code: 00800(HEX), BILL-CHK, linkRecNum = 79378, sibling = 79379, key (m1) = 79375, tOne = 79377, mTwo = 79285, tTwo = 79287
==============================* END VERIFY LOG *========================
Unfortunately these error messages are very hard to correct as very little data can be used to try and locate the transaction. This can mean that this transaction has lost a the majority of its links so that it cannot produce any history to any other transaction. Under most circumstances this is a job for a Data Recovery expert - try Shannon!
Note.
While working with these data problems, always take a backup before making any changes and Never overwrite your original backup incase you are not happy with the changes that have been made.
The QBWIN.LOG file is produced when ever an error, a verify or a rebuild has occurred, this can be a very useful tool to find the errors that may be causing a problem with your file but it can be quite hard to understand.
Finding the QBWIN.LOG
If the data fails to verify, even after a rebuild, you can review the QBWIN.LOG to see the errors which are causing the file be unstable. There are 2 ways to find the QBWIN.LOG.
The first way to try and review the QBWIN.LOG is within QuickBooks while it is open, first hold down the control key (CTRL) on you keyboard, while it is held down, press the number 1 key along the top line of numbers (the one above the Q). This will then show the Product information screen.
Once this screen has appeared, keep the control key (CTRL) held down and then press the number 2 key along the top line of numbers (the one above the Q). This will then open the Tech Help screen, select the ‘open file’ tab, within here there are a number of different files, Choose QBWIN.LOG and select ‘open file’. This will open the file in word pad.
Please note the ‘rename’ function on this page, this will be required later
If you are unable to find the QBWIN.LOG in this way, it can also be found by using the windows find facility. Go to Start > Find/Search (depends on which windows platform you use) > files or folders. There is a ‘Name’ field, type in QBWIN.LOG and make sure it is looking on the Hard drive ( C ), this will the find the file and you then simply double click on the file and it should open the file in word pad, if it asks which application to open the file with, choose word pad.
Reviewing the Log.
Once the file is open it may have a lot of information from prior updates, verifies or rebuilds, as it is the nature of log files to ‘LOG’ everything it can this information can go right back to when you first started to use QuickBooks so the file may be quite large, one of the golden rules of using the QBWIN.LOG is to always go to the bottom of the document, this will have been the last entry into the log, this may be a verify containing any errors as this is usually the last thing that has been done within the file.
There are several different styles of error, most errors will contain enough information to find the problem transaction within the file.
This is what a clean Verify should look like:-
==============================* BEGIN VERIFY LOG *======================
Verifying data, file name: C:\DATARE~2\NEW\WO1418\HLHH.QBW
Thu Sep 20 15:54:10 2001
==============================* END VERIFY LOG *========================
This has no errors to show so the verify should have stated within QuickBooks there was no problems with the file.
A log with 3 transactions out of balance
============================* BEGIN VERIFY LOG *=====================
Verifying data, file name: C:\Program Files\Intuit\QuickBooks Pro2002 Bld10\sample.qbw
Wed Oct 31 03:57:59 2001
Error: Verify Target: Transaction out of balance. Account = Accounts Receivable. Date = 3/16/2001
Type: invoice txn#: 00069 date: 16/03/2001 doc#: 43
Distrib accnt: Uncategorised Expenses $: -1,799.49
Error: Verify Target: Transaction out of balance. Account = Accounts Payable. Date = 11/30/2000
Type: bill txn#: 00102 date: 30/11/2000
Distrib accnt: Uncategorised Expenses $: 0.00
Error: Verify Target: Transaction out of balance. Account = Natwest Current Account. Date = 1/1/2000
Type: cheque txn#: 00112 date: 01/01/2000 doc#: 1001
Distrib accnt: Uncategorised Expenses $: 0.00
==============================* END VERIFY LOG *========================
This file has Transactions that are not in balance, this can be caused by minimal data corruption within the file, as each transaction is linked to another part of the transaction, EG. All these transactions are also linked to the items or account s associated within the transaction, so when of these links is lost it doesn’t understand which item or account should be affected leaving the transaction out of balance.
From the information we can tell the date of the transaction, each message can have 2 dates, the first in U.S. format and the second in U.K. format , we can also tell what type of transaction it is and in some cases the invoice or the cheque number which is classified under the (doc#)
The first error is stating that an invoice created on the 16/03/2001 with the invoice number of 43, is out of balance. In order to fix this transaction we find it within QuickBooks using either the find facility located under the Edit pull down menu or by producing a transaction report and customizing it for correct date, the benefits of using a transaction report is that if the transaction in the log file does not have a document number, it always has a transaction number (TXN#). The transaction report can be modified to show the TXN# so it would then be easy to find.
Once this problem transaction has been found we can either delete the transaction (edit > delete) and re-enter it or try to edit the problem transaction to re-save the data, by perhaps altering the amount, saving it then changing it back to the original amount, re-creating the desired links. Do this for each of the problem transactions.
Once this has completed, a verify will need to be performed but first, to make things easier to understand if there are anymore errors, we will rename the log file so QuickBooks will create a brand new log containing only the most up to date information.
Please make sure to close the log file if it is still open, go through the process of opening the QBWIN.LOG mentioned earlier in this document. But before you open the file, you will see there is a ‘rename QBWIN.LOG’ function, renaming the QBWIN.LOG to QBWIN.OLD will keep the file on your system, but any operations we now do will be written to a new log file, this will then only contain the latest information.
If the file is opened using the windows find facility, the file can be renamed in this location be first highlighting the file, right hand mouse click on it and a menu will appear, in this menu there is a rename function, this will allow the file to be renamed, change the name to QBWIN.OLD, as before this will stay on the system for reference but QuickBooks will create a new log file which will then contain all the latest information.
After the log file has been renamed we can then perform the verify. If after the verify it states there are no problems with your data we then know that we have corrected these errors and the data in the file should now be correct. No further work is needed but do check the data thoroughly
If the verify states that the file still contains errors, perform a rebuild and verify, again states the file still contains errors, open the new log file and this should contain only the errors which are effecting it at that time. Go through the same procedure to try and correct these errors and rename the log file again and perform the verify.
If the verify still states that the file contains error’s call technical support.
Other Types of Errors.
Duplicate list elements.
==============================* BEGIN VERIFY LOG *======================
Error: Verify Name list. Duplicate name encountered. Name: Susan Cawley Records 218 (580) and 219 (581).
To fix, edit this element in the list and change its name.
==============================* END VERIFY LOG *========================
First find the name in the list data, this may be a customer, a vendor/supplier or an account in the account list. If there are no transactions involved for one of these names then you can simply delete the unused name, if there are transactions involved then you can rename one of them to contain either a number or a letter at the end of there name to define a difference between them. If there are no outstanding or open transactions you could also make them inactive. Verify the data, if it verifies correctly then this issue is fixed.
Link Error Codes.
==============================* BEGIN VERIFY LOG *======================
!Link Error Code: 00800(HEX), BILL-CHK, linkRecNum = 79378, sibling = 79379, key (m1) = 79375, tOne = 79377, mTwo = 79285, tTwo = 79287
==============================* END VERIFY LOG *========================
Unfortunately these error messages are very hard to correct as very little data can be used to try and locate the transaction. This can mean that this transaction has lost a the majority of its links so that it cannot produce any history to any other transaction. Under most circumstances this is a job for a Data Recovery expert - try Shannon!
Note.
While working with these data problems, always take a backup before making any changes and Never overwrite your original backup incase you are not happy with the changes that have been made.