Quicken Windows Install - File Unable to Open - Version: R36.26 Build: 27.1.35.36

DennisWSpurgeon

I got a Quicken Install this morning, and now my files are NOT accessible. I restarted Windows as directed, tried the Validation and Repair to no avail. Getting the message about qw.exe not protected for antivirus software.

splasher

Do you mean 36.26 or 35.36?

Chris_QPW

I suggest that you install the Mondo patch from this announcement:
https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20198829/#Comment_20198829

If that doesn't work try going back to the fully released version by installing the Mondo patch from here:
https://www.quicken.com/support/update-and-patch-20182019-release-quicken-windows-subscription-product

mark.granoff

Both of these patches fail for me. The error from the patch utility reads: "Could not parse the URL "Granoff\AppData\Local\Temp\IXP000.TMP\current/wyserver.wys" - it's either malformed or is an unknown protocol." The full path to this temp directory includes my full name "Mark Granoff", so my guess here is that your code is not dealing with paths containing spaces! Not a problem until this release. I've installed plenty of your updates until now without an issue. Something broke and no one tested it.

splasher

@mark.granoff

Currently neither of the two patches listed in the title exist, there is a R35.26, but there is no 36.26 or 35.36.  The OP has never responded to clarify their typo, so not sure which version is causing you a problem.

mark.granoff

@splasher Suffice to say that trying the automatic update via the app itself, or downloading and running the mondo patch, I get the error I mentioned above. I don't think it is necessarily specific to any one patch. The problem would seem to be in the patch program itself, trying to locate it's files, and it cannot deal with file paths containing spaces. That's just an educated guess on my part. What is more concerning is that a bug like this would even make it out of Engineering. Very disappointing, to say the least.

Chris_QPW

@mark.granoff @DennisWSpurgeon

Here are the possible things I can come up with that might be causing this.

1. Anti-virus software blocking Quicken when it shouldn't.
2. Some files in your Windows temporary directory that are causing problems (clean out and reboot).
3. Quicken configuration/program files that are messing this up.  Try using "If the above steps do not resolve the issue" section of this article Using QcleanUI to resolve issues installing or uninstalling Quicken for Windows | Quicken to get a clean uninstall, and then reinstall Quicken.

mark.granoff

@Chris_QPW These are good suggestions.

I have a pretty stock Windows 10 setup. Nothing extra beyond what Windows provides, and the only thing installed is Quicken. This runs in a virtual machine on my Mac. This is not a new setup for me. I've been running Quicken this way for a decade. This all to suggest that anti-virus software is not the culprit, especially since this problem is new, while the setup is not.

I did clean out the temp directory and reboot. No change in behavior.

I am reluctant to remove the app completely using QCleanUI, but I will look into the details of that as time permits. Thanks! I am open to any other less invasive ideas too.

UKR

mark.granoff said:

Both of these patches fail for me. The error from the patch utility reads: "Could not parse the URL "Granoff\AppData\Local\Temp\IXP000.TMP\current/wyserver.wys" - it's either malformed or is an unknown protocol." The full path to this temp directory includes my full name "Mark Granoff", so my guess here is that your code is not dealing with paths containing spaces! Not a problem until this release. I've installed plenty of your updates until now without an issue. Something broke and no one tested it.

Totally different issue ... to work around it ...

In case of Patch installation error "Server file failed to load … Index and length …"

please follow instructions here:
https://www.quicken.com/support/patch-error-unable-check-updates-server-file-failed-load
If the error message is about a file named "wyserver.wys", the problem is the Windows User Account name. If your Windows User files are located in a folder named, for example,
"C:\Users\John Doe\..." (with a blank space between John and Doe)
you need to create a new Windows User Account with Admin privileges and a name that does not contain a blank space, e.g., "John". Use the new account to install or update Quicken. Afterwards return to using your regular Windows User Account for running Quicken and doing all other work, as usual.

If the user name is not the cause, try to enable and use the hidden Administrator account.
See https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/enable-the-hidden-administrator-account-on-windows-vista/ how to do that. Supposed to work in all Windows versions.

mark.granoff

@UKR Thank you for this! At least there is a way to get around this. I will dig into these instructions.

The real question I have is why is this now an issue, where until now it has not been? Dealing with long path names, even those with spaces, is hardly a new problem for software developers to deal with. (I am a software developer. This is not a hard problem to solve!) So I am really surprised this is a problem at all! Come on Quicken: Do better!

mark.granoff

So, I created an admin account, name "Admin" (clever, eh?), and was able to install the mondo update that way. Seems like a less than user-friendly way to have to do this. But, ok. Now I know! Thanks all. I hope Quicken fixed this in future updates.