Cannot add security in Quicken 2017 Premier

Unknown

I am unable to add a new security.  Let's say I want to add Waste Management to my Watch List.   From the Watch List, I select "add".  Type in WM.  Select Waste Management, then Done.  The box disappears and you would assume it was added.  The new security WM is not in the Watch List; list is sorted by Symbol below.   My Version is R16.2.  I've had this issue for many moons.

UKR

Please validate
your Quicken data file. It may have become damaged over time or if you ever had
crashes, hang-ups or loops while running Quicken. Repeated crashes may
eventually render a data file "broken beyond repair".

 Please run this procedure, skipping no steps:

- Make a copy of
your data file: Click File / File Operations / Copy.  Do not change any Copy Option settings. Save
file under a new name in same folder as current Quicken data file.  (The Copy process appears to be performing a
record-by-record copy of the data file and not just a simple binary image copy.
This has been reported as recovering some otherwise not repairable files)

- Open the copied
file in Quicken.

- Click File / File
Operations / Validate and Repair. Click "Validate File" and
"Rebuild investing lots", check to make sure the copied file is being
validated. If you suspect that a damaged Quotes Price History causes your
problems,  also select "Delete
investing price history".  Click OK.
Let it run.

- Fix any errors
logged as not repaired by Quicken.

- Click File / File
Operations. Press and hold SHIFT+CTRL as you click Validate and Repair. The
next popup should show "Supervalidate" somewhere in header or text.
Click "Supervalidate File", check to make sure the copied file is
being validated, click OK. Let it run. It might run for a while.

- Again fix any errors logged as not repaired by Quicken.

- Now close and
restart Quicken using this new file and try your failing action again. If it
works, keep using the new file and abandon the old one.

If that doesn't
resolve the issue, you may have no recourse but to restore your Quicken data
file from a Manual or Automatic Backup taken prior to the problem first
occurring, if necessary going back to older backups until you find a file that
does not exhibit these symptoms.

https://www.quicken.com/support/how-backup-or-restore-your-quicken-data

Unknown

Thanks for the info.  I was not aware of the "Validate and Repair" menu.  Many items needed fixing.  I'm still unable to add to the Watch List.  Going back to a previous backup before the problem arose is not an option because my backups only go back 3 months and I've had this problem for over a year.

q_lurker

I can't explain what is going on in your case.  

You might try adding the security manually with no ticker, then editing the security to have the WM ticker.  

Unknown

I tried many different ways of manually adding a security, that is, leaving different fields blank.  The security was never added.  I can delete securities, but I can't add.  Is there some kind of logging to view to let me know what is wrong?

q_lurker

Mike said:

I tried many different ways of manually adding a security, that is, leaving different fields blank.  The security was never added.  I can delete securities, but I can't add.  Is there some kind of logging to view to let me know what is wrong?

Clarify please. You cannot add ANY new security,or there are only specific new securities you cannot add?

mshiggins

Mike said:

I tried many different ways of manually adding a security, that is, leaving different fields blank.  The security was never added.  I can delete securities, but I can't add.  Is there some kind of logging to view to let me know what is wrong?

From C. D. Bales:


I don't understand some of your claim, and can not reproduce anything like it.


First: when you say, "From the Watch List, I select 'add' ....", it's confusing.


There is no separate "Watch List" in Quicken. Any security in the Quicken Security List that has a check mark in the "Watch List" column is part of the "Watch List". The Watch List is a subset of the Security List.


Further: every security you Add to your Security List is automatically added to the "Watch List". If you don't want a new security to be in your Watch List, you have to open the Security List and uncheck the Watch List box ... after Quicken has added the new security.


[And when you say, "I select 'add'", I assume you mean you click the "Add Security" button.]


I have Q2017 R16.2, and I have no problem adding Waste Management (or any other security) to my Security List, where it is automatically included in the Watch List.


How many securities do you have in your file? [Go to Help, then hold down CTRL while left-clicking "About Quicken".]


Like UKR, I tend to think you have corruption in your file. If your problem is caused by corruption, and if Validate (and super-Validate) doesn't fix it, and if you have no backup that does not have the corruption; I believe you have two choices: use QIF file export/import to populate a new Quicken file, or manually enter your data in a New Quicken file.


[In any event, I suggest you adopt a new backup policy and coordinate that with a new strategy for addressing problems. For backups: keep more, keep them for longer, and keep them in multiple places (including some not on your pc). For addressing problems: do not wait to address a problem until all your backups exhibit the problem.]

Unknown

Mike said:

I tried many different ways of manually adding a security, that is, leaving different fields blank.  The security was never added.  I can delete securities, but I can't add.  Is there some kind of logging to view to let me know what is wrong?

There is an add link right next to the Watch List heading.


I have 40 securities overall, many could be obsolete due to mergers and/or bankruptcies.  I have 25 backups for the past two months.  I backup every time I use Quicken.  Do you enter a new security every week?  No, probably not.  I remember having an issue a year ago, but I dismissed it because it wasn't critical to add one.  Now I need to add a security.  It is frustrating there is no information or logs telling me what is wrong.  I will try using QIF, otherwise I guess I could manually enter 23 years worth of data.

We can put this to bed now.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

q_lurker

Mike said:

I tried many different ways of manually adding a security, that is, leaving different fields blank.  The security was never added.  I can delete securities, but I can't add.  Is there some kind of logging to view to let me know what is wrong?

@Mike:  Just to clarify semantics, what you snipped and posted is usually termed a portfolio view.  In this particular case, the Value view of your portfolio that you have customized in some particular fashion.  Your customization made it show the Watch List as a chosen "account".  It is an oddity (in my view at least), that the Watch List there includes the Add and Edit links.  No other "account" includes those options.  The more common way to add a new security would be through the security list (Ctrl-Y).  

Those semantics do not really change anything.  I am in agreement with others that your file is likely corrupted.  I don't recall any other users posting this specific problem with this scope (no add-security ability at all).  

Good Luck.  

Unknown

Mike said:

I tried many different ways of manually adding a security, that is, leaving different fields blank.  The security was never added.  I can delete securities, but I can't add.  Is there some kind of logging to view to let me know what is wrong?

I have the same issue, but the issue only occurs in my 401k investment account. Other accounts well save the security. My 401k account doesn't save them, it also can't see the securities in the other accounts. It is a pain, because I have to manually update them when downloaded from Fidelity as the download doesn't include the stock symbol.

mshiggins

Mike said:

I tried many different ways of manually adding a security, that is, leaving different fields blank.  The security was never added.  I can delete securities, but I can't add.  Is there some kind of logging to view to let me know what is wrong?

From C. D. Bales:


"I have the same issue, but the issue only occurs in my 401k investment account".


Your problem does not sound like the same problem as that described by the original poster.


Typically, mutual funds held in 401k accounts may have the same name as mutual funds held in non-401k accounts, but are not the same security: the 401k mutual funds are not publicly traded and their prices are not the same as their non-401k counter-parts.


Quicken has a long standing bug. If you try to Add a security with a unique name, but the same non-blank ticker symbol as another security in your Quicken file, Quicken will act as if it has created the new security ... but it has not (*).


In your case, you likely don't want your 401k securities to have the same ticker symbol as their non-401k counter parts because then Quicken price downloads will mis-price the 401k securities.


I think you should create your new 401k mutual funds without any ticker symbol, which should allow you to both Add them as separate securities and prevent the mis-pricing problem. The only way to get the correct prices for those 401k-only mutual funds is in the download from the financial institution where your 401k is held.


[ (*) If the original poster's snip had not indicated that NO security already existed with the intended new security's ticker-symbol (WM), I would have attributed the op's problem to the aforementioned long-standing bug.]

Unknown