Attachment Storage Full

Understanding Storage Limits

QuickBooks stores attached documents in a dedicated folder on your hard drive or network share. Over time, as you attach receipts, invoices, contracts, and other files, this storage can grow to consume significant disk space—sometimes tens of gigabytes.

Checking Attachment Storage Usage

1. 1
   Locate attachment folder

   Copy

   1. Edit → Preferences → Integrated Applications
   2. Company Preferences tab
   3. Click "Attachments" button
   4. Note the path shown (e.g., C:\Users\Public\QuickBooks\Attachments)

2. 2
   Check folder size

   In Windows Explorer:

   • Navigate to the attachment folder
   • Right-click folder → Properties
   • View "Size" and "Size on disk"
   • Compare to available free space on drive
3. 3
   Identify large files

   In attachment folder, sort by Size (descending) to identify largest files. These are prime candidates for compression or archival.

Cleaning Up Unnecessary Attachments

Remove outdated or duplicate documents to free up space:

1. 1
   Review old documents

   Company → Documents → Doc Center. Filter by date to find attachments older than your retention policy (e.g., 7 years for tax documents).

2. 2
   Delete safely

   Before deleting:

   • Backup attachment folder first
   • Verify documents are not needed for audits or legal requirements
   • In Doc Center, select documents and click Delete
   • This removes from QuickBooks and deletes file from storage folder

File Compression Strategies

Reduce file sizes without deleting documents:

Process: Extract files from QuickBooks attachment folder, compress them, then replace originals. QuickBooks will continue to link to the compressed versions.

Archiving Old Documents

Move old attachments to external archive while maintaining access if needed:

1. 1
   Create archive folder

   Create folder structure: Archive\QuickBooks_Attachments\[Year]

2. 2
   Identify archive candidates

   Documents older than 2-3 years that are rarely accessed but must be retained.

3. 3
   Move files

   Two approaches:

   Keep in QuickBooks

   Move files but maintain QB links

   ✓ Files still accessible in QB

   ✗ Must update attachment storage path

   Recommended for:

   Frequently referenced old documents

   Remove from QuickBooks

   Archive externally, remove QB links

   ✓ Frees most space

   ✗ No longer accessible in QB

   Recommended for:

   Rarely accessed historical documents

Moving Attachments to Larger Storage

If cleanup is not sufficient, relocate attachment storage to a drive with more space:

1. 1
   Backup current attachments

   Copy entire attachment folder to backup location before moving.

2. 2
   Choose new location

   Select drive with sufficient free space. For multi-user, ensure network accessibility.

3. 3
   Move attachment folder

   Copy (do not move yet) attachment folder to new location. Verify all files copied successfully.

4. 4
   Update QuickBooks path

   Copy

   1. Close QuickBooks on all computers
   2. Edit → Preferences → Integrated Applications → Attachments
   3. Browse to new location
   4. OK to save
   5. Test: open transaction, verify attachment still accessible

5. 5
   Delete old folder

   After confirming new location works, delete old attachment folder to reclaim space.

Preventing Storage Issues