Cannot re-import investment transactions; how can I?

Teresa S

How do I re-import investment transactions? I made mistakes deleting transactions that I should not have, so I want to start all over.

I don't "auto" download the transactions; I go to my investment brokerage site, download the history as qfx and then drag this downloaded file into the investment account within Quicken.

I've tried to set up a new investment account in Quicken (WITHOUT DELETING THE ORIGINAL), and then tried to import the transactions.  It does nothing.

I've tried to edit the qfx file using TextEdit on my Macbook and added a letter at the end of the numerical string (I also had to delete a number (zero) since the investment bank uses the max 32 characters). I dragged this newly edited qfx file into the newly created investment account in Quicken. It does nothing.

I don't want to delete my original investment account and all its transactions since there's 700+ transactions.  And, if I'm not able to re-import all of those I'd be really mad.

Help!  Quicken needs to allow the end user to allow duplicate downloads.  It's much easier to DELETE some duplicate transactions rather than RE-CREATING EVERYTHING! Why doesn't Quicken just prompt the user that the transactions have already been downloaded and we may observe duplicates.  It's OUR choice!

smayer97

There is no easy way but one work-around is if you have a back-up file is to create a duplicate file with the deleted transactions, delete everything else BUT the transactions you want to keep, export that using QXF data file format, then import that into QMac. Tedious but it should work.

NOTE: Watch out for transfer transactions...

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Teresa S

So you're saying to EDIT the QFX file and remove duplicates and only keep the transactions I want to import within it?

NotACPA

Teresa S said:

So you're saying to EDIT the QFX file and remove duplicates and only keep the transactions I want to import within it?

Yep, because there's no way to RESTORE from only part of a backup.
Your choices are 1) as smayer97 described, or 2) a lot of manual, keyboard, input.

Unknown

Teresa S said:

So you're saying to EDIT the QFX file and remove duplicates and only keep the transactions I want to import within it?

Just to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Notice the difference between QXF and QFX.
QXF is exporting your data file in a format that can be then imported back into another data file.  And it has no options to export only part of the data file.  That is why you have to delete everything you don't want.  It was originally only intended to convert Quicken Windows data files to Mac data files, but if does now allow "merging" of files.

And of course QFX is just the transaction as they come from the financial institution.

smayer97

Teresa S said:

So you're saying to EDIT the QFX file and remove duplicates and only keep the transactions I want to import within it?

So to clarify, I am proposing that you edit a copy of the data file first, not the exported data QXF file (note... I do mean QXF not QFX, the latter only used to import data from the FI/banks). Once you edit the data file, then you export using QXF and import and merge that data into your current data file.

I would suggest that you make a backup of your current data file before proceeding. I would also suggest you to a trial run with only a few edits before you commit a lot of time fulling culling for the data you want to isolate, just so you see what works and what does not.

YMMV

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Teresa S

Teresa S said:

So you're saying to EDIT the QFX file and remove duplicates and only keep the transactions I want to import within it?

Sorry I keep asking, but being somewhat computer savvy I'm really TRYING TO MAKE THIS EASIER since I was an idiot prior deleting transactions I should not have. So...

Why can't I EDIT the QFX file that contains ALL transactions I need and use TextEdit and the wonderful functionality of Find/Replace?  There has to be something/somewhere else within the QFX that needs to be edited for Quicken to re-import ALL of the transactions [in another investment account i set up, without deleting the original investment account (in case of problems)], no? As I've said, i easily used Find/Replace to add a letter RIGHT BEFORE </FITID> and then, since my investment bank uses all 32 characters, I used Find/Replace and removed ONE of the zeros within the 9 string of zeros and made it 8 zeros since I used a character spot add my letter at the end of this numeric string.  I MADE SURE TextEdit highlighted all 9 zeros and the count was exactly the same count as the </FITID> and had it remove one zero.

I'm just unclear WHY doing above won't work? Do I need to delete my ORIGINAL investment account set up in Quicken to have the ability to re-import this newly, edited QFX file? I really don't want to do this seeing how Quicken doesn't allow much.

Finally, WHERE DO I GO TO SUGGEST this dumb feature be removed from Quicken.  This really needs to be changed.  Again, leave it up to the end-user to allow or disallow multiple re-imports! Deleting dups is easier than re-creating everything. Simple programming fix!

smayer97

Teresa S said:

So you're saying to EDIT the QFX file and remove duplicates and only keep the transactions I want to import within it?

If you have the missing data in QFX files then you are right that you should be able to manipulate the FITID to get the data loaded. BUT if you are having trouble, there may be some other criteria being used by Quicken to identify data already loaded. I am not familiar enough to help you there.

As for changing Quicken, I just think there should be an export/import tool. Consider adding your VOTE to Add Ability to Select Content of QXF File for Export.

First, click on the underlined link above to go there, then click VOTE at the top of THAT page, so your will vote count for THIS feature and increase its visibility to the developers.

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Unknown

Teresa S said:

So you're saying to EDIT the QFX file and remove duplicates and only keep the transactions I want to import within it?

Finally, WHERE DO I GO TO SUGGEST this dumb feature be removed from Quicken.

The way you suggest a feature is just select NEW POST above and post it, but mark it as in Idea.

Teresa S

Teresa S said:

So you're saying to EDIT the QFX file and remove duplicates and only keep the transactions I want to import within it?

Thank you for your suggestions. I guess i'm looking for an actual Quicken for Mac programmer to step in here and let me know what I'm doing wrong with editing the downloaded QFX file so that I can re-import it into Quicken.  Do I really need to delete the original investment account in Quicken? Why won't this work importing the edited QFX into a new investment account in Quicken?  Help Quicken programmer!

NotACPA

Teresa S said:

So you're saying to EDIT the QFX file and remove duplicates and only keep the transactions I want to import within it?

The development team members, Mac or Win, almost NEVER post here. (So close to never that it might as well be never).
Instead, you get the Customer service people, who run this forum.

Teresa S

Teresa S said:

So you're saying to EDIT the QFX file and remove duplicates and only keep the transactions I want to import within it?

So, i daringly deleted my original investment account in Quicken (where I wrongly deleted transactions I needed) and tried to re-import the edited QFX file (where I added a letter at the end of the FITID numerical transaction string and also deleted an extra 0 since the investment/brokerage set up the file to use all 32 characters).  

It downloaded!  Yeah!  BUT, I want to be sure I've captured what I needed.  In the QFX file, I found 612 FITID transaction lines...is that the correct count that should have been imported in Quicken?  It imported the 612 plus 3 placeholders (for the 3 investments), so 615 in total.  Seem okay/logical?

RickO

Teresa S said:

So you're saying to EDIT the QFX file and remove duplicates and only keep the transactions I want to import within it?

The placeholders are put there to make the holdings agree with what is being reported by the brokerage. Likely due to activity in the account before the period being downloaded. I think you're good.