Change default data file location

ihgilson

My default data file is automatically stored in Dropbox. How can I change it to designate saving on my hard drive instead? Also, my backup function is blocked.

Quicken Francisco

Hello @ihgilson

Thank you for reaching out on the community and telling us about your issue. There's a couple of ways to move your file from copy/pasting it or drag and dropping it into the correct area. I'll link a 3rd party article on how to do so below for windows.

https://www.howtogeek.com/667029/how-to-copy-or-move-files-and-folders-in-windows-10/

As for where you want to move it, if you want to put it in the default quicken area that should be under C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Quicken You'll want to move the file in there. Once you do move it as well make sure you double click on the file to open it as quicken will try opening the file from an invalid location.

Last thing here are you getting an error when backing up? If so what's the error reading? Using a cloud storage sometimes can pop up errors while trying to create one so there's a chance once we move it it could resolve itself.

Once you get a chance let us know an update!

Thanks,

Quicken Francisco

ihgilson

Ian Gilson <email removed>
11:14 AM (2 minutes ago)
to Quicken

Thanks, but I can manually copy a file and put it anywhere. What is baffling me is why it automatically saves (when I exit Quicken after updating the register) in this location:
C:Users/user/dropbox

when I would like it to be saved in this location:
C:Users/user/desktop/Quicken 19 data files

and the backup in:
C:Users/user/desktop/Quicken 19 data files/Backup

I would like the file that opens after putting in the password to be from that location. How do I do that?

Also - when I try to back up I get a message:
"Unable to open source file"

miklk

If you move the datafile and open it, it will save changes to the same datafile and location. So move datafile 1st, create shortcut to it, and open it that way. 

The backup being locked is because of Dropbox trying to access file same time as quicken. That will be fixed also by moving file out of Dropbox 

jrich75

Quicken remembers the location the last data file opened from and uses that location to save it during a normal exit.  If you copy the data file to your desktop and double click it to open, that should become the location it is saved to when you exit.  After that, as long as you don't open the dropbox data file again, the desktop location should be retained.  If not already there, Quicken will create a Backup folder on your desktop for future automatic backups.  Manual backups can be put anywhere by setting the preference accordingly.
Edit Note: using a shortcut to the .exe file to start Quicken should always open the data file from the last location it was opened from and saved to.

jrich75

miklk said:

So move datafile 1st, create shortcut to it, and open it that way. 

Just to clarify, using a shortcut set to a QDF in a specific location will reset the default QDF to that location.  So you should delete/modify any shortcuts linked to a QDF file when you are trying to permanently change the data file location.