Data Corruption - ALL Account Names changed to "N/A"

tonyyy

Something has gone wrong with my data file. When I opened it up today I found that ALL of the name of my accounts had been changed to N/A. Has anyone else recently experienced this error?

Sherlock

If you haven't already, you may want to review: https://help.quicken.com/display/WIN/Troubleshoot+a+damaged+Quicken+data+file

tonyyy

Yes I already tried all of those troubleshooting fixes. The problem with not with bad transaction data. One or two of the data tables appear to have been corrupted somehow. The links below show what I now see in my program.
All my banking and credit cards now show "N/A" instead of the account name.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51575737220_9bb8c2d1db_o.png
PLUS...in each account the Payee Name is also showing as "N/A" and well as any "memo" data.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51574011847_684cc263c7_o.png
The Category data is fine.
This is not just affecting recent transactions. This is affecting every transaction in every account going back to the beginning of each account.
In 25 years of using Quicken I have never seem something this weird with Quicken.

Sherlock

tony@advisornet.ca said:

Yes I already tried all of those troubleshooting fixes. The problem with not with bad transaction data. One or two of the data tables appear to have been corrupted somehow. The links below show what I now see in my program.
All my banking and credit cards now show "N/A" instead of the account name.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51575737220_9bb8c2d1db_o.png
PLUS...in each account the Payee Name is also showing as "N/A" and well as any "memo" data.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51574011847_684cc263c7_o.png
The Category data is fine.
This is not just affecting recent transactions. This is affecting every transaction in every account going back to the beginning of each account.
In 25 years of using Quicken I have never seem something this weird with Quicken.

Before restoring the Quicken file backup (or opening an earlier version of the Quicken file), I suggest deleting the Quicken Cloud dataset (aka cloud account) associated with the Quicken file.  Note: You need to open another Quicken file to delete the appropriate cloud account.  You may want to review: https://www.quicken.com/support/how-edit-or-delete-your-cloud-datasets-quicken-windows

The other Quicken file needs to have a distinct file identifier so you may delete the cloud account associated with the original Quicken file.  For example, you may create a new Quicken file (select File > New Quicken File...) without any accounts, enable sync in preferences so you may view and delete the cloud account associated with the original Quicken file. 

tonyyy

Thanks for the additional tips.
I opened up a brand new Quicken file as suggested and when I navigate to the Preferences >> Quicken ID and Cloud Accounts area there isn't anything listed about a Cloud Account. ( See link below) https://www.screencast.com/t/2BvIUdlOQWRm
From what I can recall I have never created a cloud account because I am not comfortable with have my complete financial data all stored in one place online. Too much risk.
Any further suggestions?

NotACPA

Quicken requires that the cloud account exist.  Q itself stores program info there.

YOU, however, don't have to use it for anything pertaining to your data.

tonyyy

Hmmm. OK I understand what you are saying. I know that I do have a Quicken account for activating my Quicken software.
When I looked at Quicken Help files I found an example of where to access Quicken Cloud data:
https://www.quicken.com/sites/default/files/Edit%20Dataset%202020.jpg
However, when I followed Sherlocks instructions and opened a NEW Quicken file and go to the "Preferences >> Quicken ID and Cloud Accounts area" I don't see ANY Quicken Cloud data:
https://www.screencast.com/t/2BvIUdlOQWRm
I must be missing something.

tonyyy

OK I realized that I missed a step from Sherlock's instructions. I forgot to enable "Sync" in preferences. Once I did that I was able to view the Cloud Data while logged into the FRESH Quicken File. I then deleted all the old Quicken Cloud datasets showing in the system because I wasn't quite sure which one was connected to the malfunctioning Quicken file. After I did this I re-opened the corrupted data file and found that the problem has not been fixed. I went back to "Preferences" and saw that my Quicken data file was no longer connected to my Quicken User Profile. So I reset my user profile connection as instructed by Quicken and that re-established the connection between my Quicken data file and my online profile. However, this has not solved my problem. All the Account Names and Payee Names in my Quicken file are still showing as "N/A" as per my previously uploaded screen shots.

tonyyy

Last note:
I have now disconnected the problem data file from any Quicken Cloud Profile to see if this cloud connection was the source of the data corruption problem. ( Screenshot below)
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51577024387_0a81c6ae29_o.png
However, all of the Account Name and Payee data is still showing N/A.
So I don't think this problem is connected to the Quicken Cloud Profile since this data file is no longer connected to an online profile.
Any other ideas that I could try?

Sherlock

tonyyy said:

OK I realized that I missed a step from Sherlock's instructions. I forgot to enable "Sync" in preferences. Once I did that I was able to view the Cloud Data while logged into the FRESH Quicken File. I then deleted all the old Quicken Cloud datasets showing in the system because I wasn't quite sure which one was connected to the malfunctioning Quicken file. After I did this I re-opened the corrupted data file and found that the problem has not been fixed. I went back to "Preferences" and saw that my Quicken data file was no longer connected to my Quicken User Profile. So I reset my user profile connection as instructed by Quicken and that re-established the connection between my Quicken data file and my online profile. However, this has not solved my problem. All the Account Names and Payee Names in my Quicken file are still showing as "N/A" as per my previously uploaded screen shots.

You may have missed a step (again).  You were asked to open or restore a backup saved prior to the corruption appearing.  When you open the corrupt Quicken file, you corrupt the cloud account again.

tonyyy

How am I corrupting the Cloud Account? I am not syncing any data to the cloud?

Sherlock

tonyyy said:

How am I corrupting the Cloud Account? I am not syncing any data to the cloud?

Quicken syncs some data with the cloud account even if we have never enabled Sync or selected accounts.

If we open a corrupt Quicken file, we may corrupt a cloud account.  If we have a corrupt cloud account, we may corrupt a Quicken file when we open it.

I suggested you delete the cloud account before opening a Quicken file that is not corrupt.

tonyyy

OK I opened a copy of the data file from a few months ago. All the Account names and Payee names are normal in this file. I then connected this older data file to my cloud account expecting that this OLD data file would somehow connect with my Quicken cloud account and solve the data error.
Once this was done I re-opened the corrupt data file and reconnected it to my cloud account and the Account names and Payee names are still all appearing as N/A.

Sherlock

tonyyy said:

OK I opened a copy of the data file from a few months ago. All the Account names and Payee names are normal in this file. I then connected this older data file to my cloud account expecting that this OLD data file would somehow connect with my Quicken cloud account and solve the data error.
Once this was done I re-opened the corrupt data file and reconnected it to my cloud account and the Account names and Payee names are still all appearing as N/A.

Quicken will automatically sync the Quicken file with the cloud account when Quicken opens the Quicken file.

You successfully restored a good Quicken file and the cloud account was automatically recreated.  Then, you opened a corrupt Quicken file and the cloud account was corrupted.

Again, I suggest you delete the cloud account before opening a Quicken file that is not corrupt.

tonyyy

OK. I Reset the Cloud Data by going to this screen:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51578664553_c6b431bed1_o.png
And then Quicken resynced the good data from my good Quicken file from 30 months ago.
And then Quicken said that my Cloud Data was all good ago.
Now what do I do?

Sherlock

tonyyy said:

OK. I Reset the Cloud Data by going to this screen:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51578664553_c6b431bed1_o.png
And then Quicken resynced the good data from my good Quicken file from 30 months ago.
And then Quicken said that my Cloud Data was all good ago.
Now what do I do?

If the most recent good backup you saved is 30 months old, you start maintaining your data from there.  In the future, save more frequent backups so you don't have to rollback 30 months when an issue occurs.

tonyyy

Thanks for your assistance. Thankfully the last good backup is only 3 months old. So from what I understand now the data in my most current data file is essentially not fixable so I will now just have to piece things back together from over the post 90 days. I thought my Quicken data file was getting backup up every day but as it turns out that assumption was wrong. I have now fixed my daily back to include by Quicken data file so this won't happen again.