Customer just vanished

Don't know except to try a rebuild. I just had this happen in 2005 with a vendor. He's not in any of the lists and Find doesn't work on him but I can create transactions for him by typing the name, first & last, then watching as QB replaces my entry with the correct one of last name & first. He's there, has a solid history, but I can't find him anymore.

Sounds maybe like it's data damage.

1. Run a resort on all lists in QB that can be resorted
2. Pretend to write a check, hit the drop down in the Pay to the Order of field, when it drops the name menu, hit CTRL - L, resort that list as well
3. Run a verify on the data file - Is it damaged?
4. If it's damaged - Run a rebuild (it may take awhile - let it keep going)
5. After it completes - Re-verify the file - Still damaged?
6. If it's still damaged you'll need to take a look at the QBWIN.LOG file. In QB do a CTRL-1 key combo, then a CTRL-2 key combo, on the open window tab - take a look for the QBWIN.LOG file in the list.

You might want to try resorting your customer list. The list structure might be damaged or the list might just be seriously out of sort.

I suspect you marked him inactive.

If not resort the list and rebuild

Or even accidently changed the customer name to a } or a ] or something like that, so sort the list and look at the top or the bottom. Also go back through the invoices until you find the customer invoice and see what it is called now.

Greg

Not inactive and I've done the resort & rebuild. His name comes up intact as well so no characters were added as someone else suggested.

I'm sure he'll show back up eventually. I think this happened around the time that I got my first payroll error. Every once in a while QB gives an error that only one person can access employee payroll at a time and then it shuts me out of the Create Paychecks window. Since I'm the sole user of the software/computer/company file it doesn't make sense.

Seems like two of us have different problems.

My problem is the customer disapeared, I don't write them checks, I send them invoices. I can't find any traces of this customer at all.

The customer is not 'inactive', I checked on this right away. I also do not hide my inactive customers.

How does one 'rebuild' the customer files?

Thanks

Rich

You more than likely havent deleted it. If you can remember what you sold him do a sales report for those dates drill down until you find the invoice and see what the name is

Did all possible searchs and it does not show up, I even did zip codes and phone numbers.

I have had problems in the past like this and I just can't afford this happening. I guess I better look into a different company for my accounting.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated, I don't know what else I can do. The customer was kind enough to give me past invoice numbers and I did a check on those as well. We have been so busy (service company and I work in the field) that I havent remembered to do a backup, first mistake is mine. Second mistake is QB allowing this too happen.

Rich

Just a stupid question. Do you have the audit trail turned on? If so have you searched it? Also is you bank acount still reconciled?

There are no stupid questions when it comes to QB :-)

I'm not sure about either of them, I never used them before.

However, The other posters were correct and I must thank them now.

I tried to invoice another customer today and I found the name I typed in brought up the missing customer. How did the name of the 'Customer Job' in invoicing change? I never changed it and I'm the only one in the office this week.

Now I wonder how to get name of the customer to be correct again.

Rich

I found out how to change back the name.

Thanks to everyone here who persisted in telling me that the customer just didn't disapear. This caused me to keep working on it and by accident I came across all the missing invoices and payments. Some how the name changed to another customer, how that happened I have NO idea, maybe it was me that did it,

Anyway, thanks to all who provided valuable information

Rich

That's possible. If you thought you were just looking up a customer, find mode, but are really in the edit customer mode ........

I've almost hit okay on that one myself.

Much as I may slam QB here, most of the problems brought up here are OE or RTFM problems. OE = Operator Error, RTFM = Read the F'n Manual. Of course a lot are pure accounting questions no program at all.

Oh, brought up the Audit trail because it would have shown the bills being deleted, what they were, who did it, and when. Brought up the Bank account because if somehow the bills were gone you don't want to find the payments gone and suddenly you think you have $$$$$ in the bank that you don't. If it showed the correct balance then the payments must be there so the bills could be found from the check history.

There is always more than one way to find a given transaction in QB. History and drill down are such useful functions.