What is file corruption?
If AccountEdge is crashing, showing errors, or behaving unexpectedly, your company file may have become corrupted. File corruption means that some of the data inside your company file has been damaged — it can range from a few records being affected to the entire file becoming unusable.
Here are some common signs:
Reports show missing or incorrect information
Unexpected characters appear in records or text fields
The company file won't open or fails verification
AccountEdge crashes frequently or shows termination codes
What causes company file corruption?
Most corruption happens when something interrupts AccountEdge while it's reading from or writing to your company file. Here are the most common causes:
Cause | Examples |
Power interruptions | Power outages, power surges, or forced shutdowns while the file is open |
Network interruptions | Wireless interference, network disconnects, unstable routers |
Storage or hardware problems | Failing hard drives, disk errors, faulty storage devices |
Software issues | Program crashes, operating system failures, conflicting third-party software (antivirus, backup tools, CADCAM programs) |
User or configuration issues | Incorrect folder permissions, improper multi-user setup, shutting down the computer while the file is open |
Viruses or malware | Malicious software damaging company files |
Natural disasters | Floods, hurricanes, or other events causing unexpected power loss or hardware damage |
What situations increase the risk?
These are the most common ways corruption happens in practice:
A computer crashes while the company file is open
A network connection drops while users are working in the file
The company file is accessed over an unstable wireless network
Users don't have the correct permissions to the AccountEdge company file or shared folder
Screen savers, sleep mode, or power-saving settings shut down the computer while the company file is still open
Remote access software or certain third-party applications interfere with AccountEdge
A note about wireless networks: Wi-Fi connections are much more susceptible to interruptions than wired ones. If possible, avoid using wireless networks to host or access your AccountEdge company file — a wired connection is always the safer choice.
What's the difference between detected and undetected corruption?
Silent (undetected) corruption
This is the more dangerous kind. Silent corruption happens without any visible warning — usually caused by errors while data is being written to disk. Your file may appear to work normally even though some data has already been damaged. This is one reason regular verification is so important.
Detected corruption
Detected corruption is usually caused by hardware or disk problems. You'll typically notice it right away — errors when opening the company file, backup failures, verification errors, or unexpected behavior in AccountEdge.
How do I prevent file corruption?
The good news is that a few simple habits can significantly reduce your risk.
Optimize and verify your company file regularly
How often should you do this? Think about how much data you'd be willing to re-enter if something went wrong. If losing one day's work would be a problem, run these daily. If a week's worth of data is manageable, weekly is fine.
After any interruption while using your company file, run:
File > Optimize Company File
File > Verify Company File
The Optimization Assistant can repair some minor issues, while Verify Company File checks the overall health of your database.
Important: Always optimize on the computer where the file is stored — never across the network.
Back up your company file regularly
The same rule of thumb applies here — how much data can you afford to lose? Use that to set your backup schedule, whether that's daily, multiple times a day, or weekly. Whenever possible, store backups somewhere separate from your original file.
Purge data you no longer need
Larger company files are harder to manage and more vulnerable to corruption. If you have older historical records you no longer need, purging old data can help keep your file lean and healthy.
What should I do if I think my file is corrupted?
Don't worry — there are steps you can take. See How to Fix File Corruption in AccountEdge for your recovery options, including using the Optimization Assistant, restoring a backup, and submitting your file to our team for professional repair.