Many of my backups (but not all) appear on my desktop instead of on the appropriate Backup folder.

Happy Macomb

Many of my backups (but not all) appear on my desktop instead of on the appropriate Backup folder. I can't figure out where there is an option to correct this. My Backup file location is set to the Backup folder subordinate to the Quicken file folder.

Greg_the_Geek

The automatic backups go into the BACKUP subfolder of the folder that contains the Quicken data file. Manual backup locations can be anywhere. You should really backup to some type of an external device (USB Flash Drive, external hard drive...) or to a cloud drive (OneDrive, Dropbox...) in case your internal hard drive fails.

Greg_the_Geek

The automatic backups go into the BACKUP subfolder of the folder that contains the Quicken data file. Manual backup locations can be anywhere. You should really backup to some type of an external device (USB Flash Drive, external hard drive...) or to a cloud drive (OneDrive, Dropbox...) in case your internal hard drive fails.

Happy Macomb

I realize that. But my automatic backups are sometimes going onto the Desktop. I can't figure out why.

Greg_the_Geek

Automatic backups always go into a folder called BACKUP that's a subfolder. What is the path to the folder that contains your Quicken data file? Are you sure they're automatic backups and not manual ones?

Happy Macomb

I'm pretty sure; I haven't done a manual backup in a while. But I'll confirm.

Ps56k2

If you look at the location in Windows --> 
your user name will be different than "Owner"

C:\Users\Owner\Documents\Quicken\

splasher

Automatic backups will always have the time AND date in the file's name.

Manual backups may or may not have just the date in the file's name.

What is the name of the backup file being put on the Desktop?

Ps56k2

Just for comparison - Here's what my backup folders look like -
I then take a full backup of \Documents\ to an external USB disk

to get all my important docs, files, etc

Happy Macomb

Got it.

I finally figured out the problem I was having, and I think it is a shortcoming in Quicken.

My backup location has always been correctly set to the "backup" folder.
But apparently, at one point I changed the backup location to the desktop, NOT in the "settings" for backups but in the folder location prompted in the automatic backup window. (I think this may have happened when I was on the phone with a Quicken rep with an unrelated problem, and he wanted to save the backup file somewhere obvious.) Thereafter, even though the "settings" for backups indicated that the backups should go into the "backup" folder (which is what I wanted), Quicken ignored that and defaulted to the backup location that I had most recently designated (i.e., the desktop). And I didn't notice, so I kept accepting that location for the automatic backups. So I've now fixed that by changing the backup location in the automatic backup window -- I did this as the program was preparing to backup, and as it prompted me to confirm the backup location. I am optimistic that the automatic backups will now default to the correct location.

And yes, I understand the importance of regular backups to a location outside of my computer. But for me it is also important to also save incremental backups in case I make a massive mistake (which I have done before) and want to revert to an earlier version.

Thanks for all your help.

splasher

Believe what you want, but there are no "the "settings" for backups"" for manual or automatic backups in Preferences that deal with folder location.



As is shown in the above screenshot, it is only how many and how often that can be set, NOT the location.
Quicken remembers and uses the last location for manual backups.  You changed that when you made a manual backup and failed to change it back the next time. So, how was Quicken supposed to know that you only wanted to put it there that one time only?
Also, backups in Quicken are NOT incremental, they are a complete, stand alone copy of the Quicken data file.

UKR

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 a Quicken data file. BTDTGTS!

Happy Macomb

Thanks. To Splasher -- sorry I misused the word "incremental." I should have said "periodic." Regarding the backup directory, Quicken certainly implies that it allows the user to add a backup directory -- see the link labeled "open backup directory" in your screen shot. That link allows changing the backup directory.

splasher

What you are changing is Quicken's memory of the last location used, it is not setting a default value.  You change it again in the future, it is not going to revert to the location you selected in the past.

Ps56k2

splasher said:

What you are changing is Quicken's memory of the last location used...

Didn't quite understand the rest of your comments...

BUT - since there is no other setting to indicate "where" to save the extra backups, and that is probably what you meant, that Quicken uses the last time you modified the "location" and uses that, along with the file name + date stamp if checkmarked.

I never have to edit or modify this screen - my Quicken "extra" or manual backups keep going to this file folder.