Attachments Missing After PC Move (Doc Center "File not found")

5-minute fixVerified for QB 2021–2025Easy difficulty

Quick Answer

If Doc Center says "File not found" after moving to a new PC/server, QuickBooks is still looking at the old Attach path. Fix: Put your real Attach folder in a stable location (e.g., D:\QBData\Attach) and create a junction so the old path now points to the new location:

Open Command Prompt (Admin) →

mklink /J "C:\Users\Public\Documents\Intuit\QuickBooks\Company Files\Attach" "D:\QBData\Attach"

Reopen Doc Center—the links should work immediately.

What is this issue?

Doc Center stores only pointers to files in an Attach folder (not the files inside your .QBW). When you change computers or folder structures, the pointers still reference the previous path. A junction ("shortcut at the file system level") makes the old path resolve to the new storage.

Problem statement:

QuickBooks cannot reach the original Attach folder path recorded in Doc Center; map the expected path to your real storage using a junction.

Error Doc Center: Attachments missing after PC move

QuickBooks Doc Center can't find attachment files because paths changed after PC/server migration.

Symptoms:

•Doc Center shows attachments but throws "File not found"
•Works on old machine, fails on new one
•Your copied Attach folder exists, but QuickBooks doesn't follow it

Resolution Steps:

1.
Locate the real Attach folder you copied from the old PC
2.
Identify the path QuickBooks expects on the new PC
3.
Create a junction from the expected path → real storage
4.
Reopen QuickBooks and test Doc Center
5.
(Optional) Standardize to a clean, stable path going forward

Quick Fix (≈5 Minutes)

Fastest, least-disruptive approach

Step 1: Close QuickBooks everywhere

Ensure QuickBooks is closed on all workstations.

Step 2: Pick a stable storage path for attachments

Example: D:\QBData\Attach

If your copied folder is somewhere else, you can keep it there—just note the current, real path.

Step 3: Find the expected path on the new machine

Common defaults:

C:\Users\Public\Documents\Intuit\QuickBooks\Company Files\Attach (most common)
Sometimes lives adjacent to the company file folder.

Step 4: Create the junction (Admin Command Prompt)

If the left (expected) folder already exists and is not empty, rename or delete it first.

Run:

mklink /J "C:\Users\Public\Documents\Intuit\QuickBooks\Company Files\Attach" "D:\QBData\Attach"

Step 5: Test

Open QuickBooks → Doc Center and open several attachments to verify.

If still failing, follow the detailed steps below.

Detailed Solution Steps

Confirm what QuickBooks expects

Use any (or all) of these quick checks:

Doc Center path clue: Try opening a missing attachment; some dialogs show the path.
QBWIN.LOG check:
Press F2 (or Ctrl+1) → F3 → Open File tab → open QBWIN.LOG.
Search for "Attach" / "file not found" lines to reveal attempted paths.
Common default on new installs:
C:\Users\Public\Documents\Intuit\QuickBooks\Company Files\Attach

Tip: If paths show AppData or a user-specific location, prefer moving to a stable, shared path (e.g., D:\QBData\Attach).

Put your real Attach tree in one place

Example recommended: D:\QBData\Attach

Inside you'll see subfolders (GUID-like names) that match each company file.

Create the junction (two safe methods)

Method A — Command Prompt (Admin):

Ensure the expected folder does not exist (delete/rename if necessary).
Run:

mklink /J "C:\Users\Public\Documents\Intuit\QuickBooks\Company Files\Attach" "D:\QBData\Attach"

Method B — PowerShell (Admin):

$newPath = "D:\QBData\Attach"   # real storage
$oldPath = "C:\Users\Public\Documents\Intuit\QuickBooks\Company Files\Attach"  # expected
if (Test-Path $oldPath) { Rename-Item $oldPath "$oldPath.old" }
New-Item -ItemType Junction -Path $oldPath -Target $newPath

Note: You need Administrator rights to create junctions in system locations.

Test cleanly

Open QuickBooks → Company (Admin, single-user if possible)
Doc Center → open a few older attachments
If they open, you're done. If not, double-check the exact path you linked.

Multi-company considerations

Each company has its own GUID subfolder under Attach.
As long as the top Attach path matches what QuickBooks expects (via junction), all companies resolve correctly.

(Optional) Standardize the future layout

Keep company files in D:\QBData\ and attachments in D:\QBData\Attach.
Always restore/migrate using the same standardized path, or re-create the junction post-move.

Why does this happen?

Common causes

New PC uses a different drive letter or folder layout
You moved only the .QBW but not the Attach tree to the expected path
The Attach folder exists but at a different location, so Doc Center pointers are broken

How to Prevent It

Best Practices

Document and standardize your data layout (D:\QBData + D:\QBData\Attach).
After migrations, immediately recreate the junction if the path changed.
Avoid storing Attach under user profiles (C:\Users\...) that vary per machine.
Include Attach in your backup plan (it is separate from .QBW).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I lose data by creating a junction?

No. A junction is just a filesystem pointer. Your files stay where they are.

Do I need to modify my company file (.QBW)?

No. You never edit .QBW for this. You only map paths at the folder level.

Can a non-admin create the junction?

Typically no for system/public paths. Use an Administrator Command Prompt/PowerShell.

My Attach folder was beside the company file on the old PC. What now?

Copy that Attach folder to your new storage and create a junction from the expected path to the new location.

Doc Center still shows missing files after the junction.

Re-check the exact path QuickBooks is attempting (QBWIN.LOG), confirm the left-hand path in mklink matches that path exactly, and that the right-hand target truly contains the files.

Need Professional Help?

If you're still experiencing attachment issues after following these steps, our QuickBooks migration experts are here to help.

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