What's the best way to handle using Dropbox to move from office to home and back, very consusing

mpelstein

Move working file from dropbox to desktop and back. Working file vs backup file. What's the best way to handle this and be sure to have the correct file at all times?

thecreator

Hi @mpelstein ,

Just make sure when Backing up to Drop Box folder, you use Add Date Function to your Manual Backups. Then when restoring, pay attention to File Explorer's Date modified Column in Details View. Date modified includes time as well as Date,

Sherlock

Adding to @thecreator's suggestion, do not open or restore the data file in the Dropbox folder.  Always access the data file in a folder on an internal drive that is not potentially being accessed by another process at the same time.

thecreator

mpelstein said:

Thanks for these great suggestions. I'll save my working file to my desktop as well as backup to the Dropbox backup folder. When done working in Quicken, after closing it, I'll copy the working file from the desktop to Dropbox. At my other computer I'll copy the working file to the desktop and work from there. That should work.
Thanks again,
Mark

Hi Mark,

Why move the Working file from the Desktop? Restore the Manual Backup file.from Dropbox to your Desktop on the
Work Computer and to your normal location on your Home Computer. No need to copy the Working File, because you have Manual Backup that you restore.

thecreator

Hi @mpelstein ,

Just make sure when Backing up to Drop Box folder, you use Add Date Function to your Manual Backups. Then when restoring, pay attention to File Explorer's Date modified Column in Details View. Date modified includes time as well as Date,

Sherlock

Adding to @thecreator's suggestion, do not open or restore the data file in the Dropbox folder.  Always access the data file in a folder on an internal drive that is not potentially being accessed by another process at the same time.

mpelstein

Thanks for these great suggestions. I'll save my working file to my desktop as well as backup to the Dropbox backup folder. When done working in Quicken, after closing it, I'll copy the working file from the desktop to Dropbox. At my other computer I'll copy the working file to the desktop and work from there. That should work.
Thanks again,
Mark

Greg_the_Geek

How do I move my Quicken data file from one computer to another?

NotACPA

When I was traveling all the time for work, I used a simple USB drive to move between my home computer and my work computer.

Backup on one, Restore to the other.  That way, the computer where you are is ALWAYS the one with the current date ... unless you break the process.

Sherlock

NotACPA said:

When I was traveling all the time for work, I used a simple USB drive to move between my home computer and my work computer.

Backup on one, Restore to the other.  That way, the computer where you are is ALWAYS the one with the current date ... unless you break the process.

I find using a remote desktop client is better than relying on Dropbox or a USB drive especially since I'm not the only one updating Quicken.

NotACPA

I was/am the only one updating Q ... and when I was traveling all the time my client's almost NEVER allowed such external connectivity over their networks.  

And I sure as H... wasn't going to pay the hotels for such usage. 

Also remember, that all of this was well before WiFi connectivity ... if the boondocks where I was assigned even had such.

thecreator

mpelstein said:

Thanks for these great suggestions. I'll save my working file to my desktop as well as backup to the Dropbox backup folder. When done working in Quicken, after closing it, I'll copy the working file from the desktop to Dropbox. At my other computer I'll copy the working file to the desktop and work from there. That should work.
Thanks again,
Mark

Hi Mark,

Why move the Working file from the Desktop? Restore the Manual Backup file.from Dropbox to your Desktop on the
Work Computer and to your normal location on your Home Computer. No need to copy the Working File, because you have Manual Backup that you restore.

branzburg

I understand it is not recommended to open Quicken directly from one's Dropbox folder. But would pausing Dropbox syncing make it a safe thing to do? That way no accidental updates would be saved on Dropbox until you were ready to do so. Or am I missing something? Thanks.

Sherlock

branzburg said:

I understand it is not recommended to open Quicken directly from one's Dropbox folder. But would pausing Dropbox syncing make it a safe thing to do? That way no accidental updates would be saved on Dropbox until you were ready to do so. Or am I missing something? Thanks.

Technically, yes, assuming you paused Dropbox before you open the data file with Quicken, you subsequently resume Dropbox after you exit Quicken, allow Dropbox to complete the sync, and you never access the data file concurrently on both machines.

pwb

> @branzburg said:
> I understand it is not recommended to open Quicken directly from one's Dropbox folder. But would pausing Dropbox syncing make it a safe thing to do? That way no accidental updates would be saved on Dropbox until you were ready to do so. Or am I missing something? Thanks.

This is what I do and have been doing for years without an issue. I just make sure that syncing is complete and then paused before opening the file on each end. Also make sure to re-enable syncing when I am done, and that it actually sync's before I get up from the computer. Taking those few seconds to make sure syncing is correct, has kept me from having any issues.

All that said, if you don't take the time to make sure those things are done right then don't do it. Also since Quicken doesn't support it, I know I am on my own if I have issues. What why I have auto-backup turned on to a different non-Dropbox folder. Worst case I go back to one of those but I have not needed to do that.

jfclague

I have been using Dropbox to use on my home and work computer for years. I just make sure to pause Dropbox while opening Quicken and unpausing. I have never had any issues even though people state that it isn't recommended.

Never had any issues.