Why does Quicken 2020 Window become unresponsive when entering Stock Sale in Linked Investment Acct

B Chomowitz

I am using Quicken 2020, Version 25.18, Build 27.1.25.18 in Windows 10 Pro 1909. In Quicken, I have a Brokerage Account that is setup to show cash in a checking account. Normally what I do is execute a One Step Update (which updates transactions in all of my Banking and Investing Accounts) and then process (accept) each transaction individually in the respective accounts.

In the case of my Brokerage Account that is Linked to a Checking Account, for stock sales, I edit the downloaded sale transaction to select the lots sold and then enter the sale. When I do this, there is a pause and then the Quicken window goes BLACK and Quicken is Unresponsive (confirmed by watching in Windows Task Manager) for about 5 seconds and then Quicken comes back and the transaction has been accepted okay.

Prior to the most recent updates, this BLACK window and Unresponsive action did not happen when I entered stock sales in this linked Brokerage Account. Also, in earlier Quicken for Windows I have owned (2017 and earlier), this phenomena did not occur. Something unique to this Quicken 2020 version is resulting in this phenomena.

I should also mention that I have another Traditional IRA Brokerage Account (same Brokerage Firm as Account discussed above) for a 401 K Rollover that is not linked to a checking account and this phenomena does not occur when I process downloaded stock sales in that account.

Please help me understand why this is happening and provide any guidance to take corrective action.

Jim_Harman

I don't think this behavior is necessarily related to the linked checking account. I have seen this too on the most recent release and I do not have any linked accounts.

B Chomowitz

Thanks for feedback. Do you know if Quicken is working on resolving the issue?

UKR

If you haven't rebooted Windows since you installed the latest software update, please do so now and then try Quicken again.

Still not working?

Let's try some "Troubleshooting 101" to ensure the Quicken software is installed and updated properly and that your data file is in good working order.
Please perform all the steps in this document:
Troubleshooting 101 - Fixing Software Installation and Data File Problems

B Chomowitz

Okay ... I following the instructions step by step as suggested (Troubleshooting 101 ...) and then closed the Copied and Super Validated File. I then reopened it and then repeated the One Step Update as discussed in my initial posting (note that I had gone back to the Quicken file before my last One Step Update and did the Copy and Validations on it). Unfortunately the same BLACK SCREEN/Not Responding phenomena occurred for every Stock Sale Transaction. The Trouble Shooting 101 steps did not change anything.

By the way, there were no errors found during the File Copy, Validate or Super Validate steps. My Quicken File seemed to have been in good condition.

What suggestions might I consider next?

Jim_Harman

To be clear, this does not cause Quicken to crash, but you get a black screen in one of your accounts when you have a downloaded partial sale and specify the lots to sell. The screen stays black for about 5 seconds then eventually everything is OK, right?

Is it the whole screen, or just Quicken's window?

UKR

I think what you see is Quicken requiring a few seconds of time to digest the new transaction, a few seconds more than Windows allows before flagging the task as "not responding" and flickering the screen. This may probably be explained by giving us an answer to these two questions:

In all accounts in your Quicken data file, how many different securities have you ever had?

How many transactions are in this account register?
(Transaction count is available from the Account List as an optional column. If this column doesn't exist, add it using the Options button.

Total Securities in file: This count is available by clicking Help in the Menu bar, then CTRL+click About Quicken.)

B Chomowitz

In answer to Jim_Harman question ... It is just the Quicken Window that goes black.

B Chomowitz

In answer to UKR Questions ... My Brokerage Account has 9117 Transactions and My Total Securities count is 2070.

UKR

B Chomowitz said:

In answer to UKR Questions ... My Brokerage Account has 9117 Transactions and My Total Securities count is 2070.

Thank you.

For about a year now, a new function has been available in Quicken, Archive Transactions. It will split your investment account register into two parts, leaving only those securities transactions where you currently hold >0 shares in the active register. The rest is moved to a new Archive register within the current data file.
Having less transactions in your active register might improve performance.
Please read and follow instructions here: https://www.quicken.com/support/how-archive-investment-transactions

B Chomowitz

To UKR ... Re: Archive Investment Transactions - As I understand it, When you execute the archive, there is no option to set the start date.I routinely go back and review historic transactions in recent history (at least the last 12 months). It seems that the Archive Investment Transactions will not allow me this freedom.

Also ... After doing an Archive Investment Transactions can you access the transactions in the new Investment Archive file? Will the info (gain/loss, commissions, entry price/date, exit price/date) still be there? If I do an investment Report that includes transactions in the Investment Transaction Archive be in the report? If I go to INVESTING> PERFORMANCE, will the graphs/statistics include the historic performances (1 year/3 year/10 year)? Will the HOME>First Page>Graphs and Charts include data from the Archived Transactions?

I tried to find this info, but could not.

UKR

You found about everything that I could find about this new function.

After creating an Archive, you can still pull historical reviews. You just need to make sure that the new Archive register is included in the report or Portfolio View. Nothing is deleted from your data file. You just end up with a reduced in size current transaction register which should perform faster.

How about you work with a copy of your active data file, create the Archive and then see how that works for you. If you're satisfied, make the copied file your active data file. If not, fall back to your unchanged data file.