Is there a way to unreconcile a reconciled quicken 2004 account?

joefr1

I live in the UK and Quicken 2004 is the latest version available here. I've just realized an account I thought I'd reconciled has major mistakes in it! (Don't ask me how this happened!) Is there any way I can unreconcile this bank account so that I can do it right?

Many thanks,

Joe

Howard Roark

Assuming this is a banking type account; you can try this:

• Backup
• File > Export > QIF File
• Give the output QIF file a name (suffix it to the path presented by Quicken)
• Open the QIF file just created above, in Notepad
• Select all the data in the file
• Use Edit > Replace to replace all "CX" with "C"
• Save the QIF file
• Create a new Quicken account of the same type as the one you exported above
• Delete the opening balance transaction in the newly created Quicken account
• File > Import > QIF File (select the QIF file you exported and modified). Import to the new Quicken account created above.

None of the imported transactions should be reconciled.

Verify that your account balances are correct.- transfers may cause problems. Take into consideration that temporarily you will have two accounts containing the same transactions.

When you're satisfied with the results, delete the old account (the one you exported from).

Greg_the_Geek

I would suggest restoring a backup from before the major mistakes in reconciling occurred.

joefr1

This seemed promising Greg but the mistakes seem to start at the beginning of this financial year, at least two months before the last back up.

UKR

I don't know if that also works in old Q 2004, but in my new Q 2019 you can select all transactions in an account register (like you would select files in Windows File Explorer: Click the first transaction, scroll to the last transaction, SHIFT-click it). Once all transactions (except do not select the Opening Balance transaction) have been highlighted, right-click one of them. The popup window should allow you to select something like Reconcile status, then select "cleared" or "not reconciled".

How to properly set up Quicken Backup
How to make Quicken create a backup for you automatically every time you close Quicken

For the sake of this discussion it is assumed that your Quicken data file is located in the Default (and recommended) place: C:\Users\username\Documents\Quicken

Review the backup settings available in Quicken (under Edit / Preferences / Backup).

In there you will find two types of backup: Automatic and Manual Backup.

Automatic Backup should be enabled and always goes to a \Backup folder that's part of the folder which contains your current Quicken data file, e.g. \Documents\Quicken\Backup. Set it to create a backup after running Quicken [1] times and to keep [5] (or more, your choice) backup copies.

To create a Manual Backup copy of your Quicken data file on an external device (USB-hard drive or USB memory stick recommended), put a checkmark at "Manual Backup Reminder" to enable the function and set "Remind me after running Quicken [xx] times" to [1].

Click OK to save the changes.

From now on, when you close Quicken using the red X button, you will get a popup window.

When you get this window for the first time, on some versions click the radio button for "Backup on my computer".
Change the Backup File name's drive letter and path to point to your external device so that it looks something like this: E:\Quicken Backup\QDATA-2017-04-01.QDF-backup
or use the Change button and work your way through the dialog.

Do not change the filename portion! Just overtype the drive letter and choose a backup folder name. If the folder does not exist, it will be created.

Also choose the option to "Add date to backup file name".

Every day when you run Backup or close Quicken, an additional backup file is created. Without the Add Date option you only have 1 backup copy which is overwritten every day ... and that may prove bad in a problem recovery situation.

Allow this backup to run to save the changes made on the screen.

Of course, once in a while you will have to go in and delete some of the oldest backup files, at your discretion, to avoid filling up your USB device.

One can never have enough backups of your Quicken data file. BTDTGTS!

joefr1

Sadly, in the 2004 edition you can't select all the files. Re backups, I do have automatic backups but it only saves 5 of them, which is why they don't go back to the start of the financial year.

Howard Roark

Assuming this is a banking type account; you can try this:

• Backup
• File > Export > QIF File
• Give the output QIF file a name (suffix it to the path presented by Quicken)
• Open the QIF file just created above, in Notepad
• Select all the data in the file
• Use Edit > Replace to replace all "CX" with "C"
• Save the QIF file
• Create a new Quicken account of the same type as the one you exported above
• Delete the opening balance transaction in the newly created Quicken account
• File > Import > QIF File (select the QIF file you exported and modified). Import to the new Quicken account created above.

None of the imported transactions should be reconciled.

Verify that your account balances are correct.- transfers may cause problems. Take into consideration that temporarily you will have two accounts containing the same transactions.

When you're satisfied with the results, delete the old account (the one you exported from).

joefr1

This sounds like it will work. Many thanks.