Missing data

gvkohl

I am on a subscription version of Quicken. I did not renew. I have been using for 3-4 months with no real issues. Suddenly today while entering transactions data started "disappearing". My account names are all "N/A" and the Payee's are about 90% N/A. I scan receipts and attach to each transaction. It shows an attachment is there, but I cannot access it. Also everything in the memo field is N/A. To be clear the transaction is still there with the correct amount and the expense catagory is still there and correct.

NotACPA

Those N/A values indicate corruption, possible severe, in your Q data file.

SO,

• Take a backup, just in case
• Do FILE, File Operation, Copy ... leaving all of the default settings alone
• USING THE COPY, do FILE, File Operations, Validate and Repair ... being SURE to check "Validate File" and "Rebuild Investing Lots" before you click OK.

If that remedies the situation, abandon the prior file an continue with the validated copy (you can delete that old file and rename the copy if you wish.

If that DIDN'T remedy the situation, repeat the Validation step ... but this time holding down the CTRL and Shift keys beginning from when you click  "Validate and Repair".  This should produce a "SuperValidation" that might fix things.

IF that didn't remedy the situation, your only remaining option is to be restoring your backup Q data files, starting with the most recent and proceeding backward until you no longer see the N/A values.

THEN, perform the original File Validation process.

gvkohl

Thanks for the quick reply. Sadly none of that helped. And, sadly...the last backup I have is from April.

What is weird to me is that if I try to rename my "NA" accounts to the correct name it will not let me. It tells me that name is already in use.

NotACPA

If neither Validate nor SuperValidate helped ... your ONLY options are to use that April backup file ... or start over from scratch.

gvkohl

Any idea what would have caused this. Can the file get too big>

When I started today everything was fine. I noticed a couple NA's and thought it odd and within 15 minute it was toast.

UKR

How to properly set up Quicken Backup
How to make Quicken create a backup for you automatically every time you close Quicken
What Quicken backups are available where?

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 [9] (or more, your choice) backup copies.
The file name for Automatic Backup files contains a date and time stamp as part of the file name, e.g. QDATA-2020-03-22.PM03.45.QDF-backup

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-2019-04-01.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!