Is it possible to delete transactions using QIF file?

VicM

I have several transactions in an account that I need to delete. Is there a way to set that up using a QIF file? I've looked thru the codes that are used in a QIF file, but haven't come across any that would perform a delete of a record.
I can create a QIF file containing just those records. If there was a 'delete' code, I could substitute that for the entry code.
Any thoughts?
Vic

Chris_QPW

@VicM What that archive function does is just move the "old" transactions to a new account.  You should be able to get a similar result by moving all your active securities to a new account and then work from there.

Try the "Shares Transferred Between Accounts" action.
And then of course you will also need to transfer any cash.

Boatnmaniac

Hi @VicM - Can you provide more details of why you need to delete the transactions and is there some commonality about them?  For instance, are they duplicate transactions of what was previously entered and do they have a different cleared status from the original entries?  I ask because for certain circumstances there are simple ways to do mass deletes within Quicken but I need to know what your circumstance is in order to know if such a mass delete would be an applicable process for you.

splasher

You can delete transactions by selecting them in a report.  Just select them as a range using SHIFT+mouse or a bunch of individuals using CTRL+mouse just like selecting files in Windows Explorer.

Once selected, right click and choose "Delete".

q_lurker

You cannot delete using a QIF file. (Just to answer the actual question.)  Don’t know why you would think you could. Never seen anyone ask before. 

Chris_QPW

To even allow for deleting there would have to be something in each transaction that uniquely identifies each transaction.  The QIF format doesn't have such a field.

Chris_QPW

P.S. Even though the QFX format does have such a field (FITID), and the OFX standard does allow for deleting/correcting a transaction based this field, Quicken doesn't support it.

VicM

Folks,
The reason for this question goes back to another post I made. https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7876525/
I'm trying to re-consolidate a couple of accounts that I had split out many moons ago. That was a bad decision on my part. But I was young and stupid. Now I'm just old and stupid.
I had split out a money market fund, having its own named security, which subsequently purchased securities in the main account. So those transactions were XOuts of the money market. When the main account had income, I would XOut of the main account into the money market and then buy its named security in the money market acct.
What makes this worse is that over time the money market account was replaced a couple of times with a different money market. So at the end of the 'old' money market acct's life there was a total sale of its security and subsequent purchase of a new security in the 'new' money market acct (again, a separate acct).
In order to combine the money market with the main acct, the XOut of the money mkt has to change to a sale of its security; and the Xin to the main acct needs to be removed so that the cash from the money mkt can be directly used to purchase a security in the main acct.
Not to beat a dead horse, but then the XOuts in the main acct need to be deleted and replaced with a purchase of the money mkt security.
In a previous life I worked with Access and SQL DBs. I knew how to handle this kind of situation in those DBs. But since I don't have direct access to the Quicken QDF DB, I have to look for workarounds. This situation has been in play for 34 yrs. So manually entering, changing and deleting various transactions is not efficient and probably take me longer than the rest of my life. LOL
Admittedly, this may be futile. But since I'm retired, I do have the time to keep my brain engaged.
Thanks,
Vic

UKR

Might this new feature help with cleanup of your investment account?

Archive Investment Transactions

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

VicM

Thx UKR. But that function is only available in the subscription version of Quicken. I don't currently have that. I'm using 2015 Deluxe.

Chris_QPW

@VicM What that archive function does is just move the "old" transactions to a new account.  You should be able to get a similar result by moving all your active securities to a new account and then work from there.

Try the "Shares Transferred Between Accounts" action.
And then of course you will also need to transfer any cash.

VicM

Chris_QPW,
Thanks for your suggestion. I'll look into it.
Vic