Quicken file in finder

jcdbel
jcdbel Quicken Mac 2017 Member
hi,
very strange situation: i cannot find my quicken file in my mac. when i click "preferences/show file in finder", it appears and looks like it is located in "documents". But when i want to find it again directly via the finder under "documents" or even using the "search" function, it doesnt show up.
I must be issing something! Tks for any tips you can share.
cheers

Answers

  • Sherlock
    Sherlock Quicken Windows Subscription Member ✭✭✭✭
    edited November 2021
    I have flagged your post to request a moderator move your query to an appropriate Quicken for Mac category.
  • John_in_NC
    John_in_NC Quicken Mac Subscription SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    edited November 2021
    It is in a Documents folder-just not the one you think it is. It is hidden away in the user Library folder on purpose. If you are using Time Machine, your file is indeed getting backed up.

    When you click on the Show in Finder, you can Command click on the Documents name at the top of the resulting Finder window that appears. That will show you the path. It likely is similar to this:



    You really shouldn't have need to be messing with the file in that location. But, if you need to, when in the Finder, click on the Go menu in the menubar. Hold down the option key while doing this, and the hidden Library will temporarily be accessible. Select it, and you can navigate to the location. I suggest you leave your file there.
  • Quicken Paloma
    Quicken Paloma Quicken Windows Subscription Alumni ✭✭✭✭
    Hello @jcdbel

    Thank you for reaching out to Quicken Community. We apologize you are having difficulties finding your file(s). To clarify when you select "Show this file in Finder" you can also hold down the Options Key on your keyboard, click on Documents and it will display the pathway. A visual example is below. 



    You can also open Finder >Hold Option Key >Library >Application Support >Quicken >Documents. In a way, they are kind of hidden. Pardon the confusion. Let us know if you have further questions or concerns. 

    -Quicken Paloma
  • jcdbel
    jcdbel Quicken Mac 2017 Member
    Many thanks. I need to restore my mac but dont want to fully reload via time machine. Will try it later today. Just out of home now.
  • jcdbel
    jcdbel Quicken Mac 2017 Member
    Paloma,
    let me thank you 1st for your reply. i have spent quite some time now and situation is really weird. I did pressed OPTION key on the file from the quicken menu "show in finder", a path appears exactly like yours USERS/MYNAME/LIBRARY/APP SUPPORT/QUICKEN/DOC/QUICKEN FILE NAME. When i go to the finder, trying to follow that same path, i do not have a LIBRARY folder after USERS/MYNAME. he library folder is located at the same level in the hierarchy and doesnt contain the same sub-folders as the one i can see when i did step 1. How can i make this LIBRARY folder visible under my USER NAME? when i did OPTION KEY, it did not appear. Sorry, seems like basic Mac questions!
  • Jon
    Jon Quicken Mac Subscription SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    edited November 2021
    MacOS hides the Library folder in your home directory by default. To see it, select your home directory in the Finder sidebar, then from the View menu select "Show View Options". At the bottom of the dialog box there's a checkbox labeled "Show Library folder". Check that. (This might require MacOS 11 - I can't remember exactly when they added that Finder preference. Enabling display of the Library folder used to require setting a hidden preference via the command line.)
  • jacobs
    jacobs Quicken Mac Subscription SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    In macOS, there are two Library folders. One is at the top level of your hard drive -- and ask you discovered, this is not the one you want. The other is a Library folder inside your User (home) holder. This is the one which Apple, in their infinite wisdom (?), hides from users under normal circumstances. 

    To access your User Library folder, in the FINDER, hold the Option key while you pull down the Go menu. Now you will see Library there (keep holding the Option key until you select Library). Then open Application Support, and within that, you'll find the Quicken folder.
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • garysmith87
    garysmith87 Quicken Mac Subscription Member ✭✭✭✭
    I might get flack for this, but I gave up searching for the Quicken Mac data file all the time...so I moved it to my Documents folder.

    I also do NOT have the Documents folder set to automatically sync to iCloud.

    Much easier to find without jumping through all the myriads of hoops.

    Alternatively, you can create any folder you'd like and just move the data file there, outside of the Documents folder.

    Once you move the data file, double click on it and Quicken Mac will open.  From then on, when you open Quicken Mac, your file will open within Quicken.  
  • jcdbel
    jcdbel Quicken Mac 2017 Member
    Got it! Great. and tks to all. Now next question: i want to selectively restore this quicken file backed up from TIME MACHINE but not the rest of TIME machine. How can i apply the same principle when under my backed up disk time machine folders to make this hidden library appear.
  • jacobs
    jacobs Quicken Mac Subscription SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    I might get flack for this, but I gave up searching for the Quicken Mac data file all the time...so I moved it to my Documents folder. I also do NOT have the Documents folder set to automatically sync to iCloud.
    No reason for there to be flack for having your data file in your Documents folder -- it's perfectly fine as long as you don't have your Mac storing your Documents and Desktop in iCloud, as you noted. 

    For anyone who does let their Mac store Desktop & Documents in iCloud, a good alternate place for storing Quicken data files is to create a folder at the top level of your User home folder (e.g. at the same level as Desktop, Documents, Music, Pictures, etc.). It's easily accessible and safe. 

    That said, I don't need to touch my data file too often, so I'm fine with leaving it in Quicken's default location.

    One more thing to note: since version 6.x, clicking the red Q logo in the upper right of Quicken takes you to the location of your data file with just one click. So there's no need to navigate through the hierarchy of folders if you leave it in the default location.
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • jacobs
    jacobs Quicken Mac Subscription SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    jcdbel said:
    Got it! Great. and tks to all. Now next question: i want to selectively restore this quicken file backed up from TIME MACHINE but not the rest of TIME machine. How can i apply the same principle when under my backed up disk time machine folders to make this hidden library appear.
    I'm away from my home Mac with Time Machine, but if I recall correctly, the key is to navigate to the User>Library>Application Support folder on your Mac. Then open Time Machine, and it will open to the same location. You can restore the entire Quicken folder, or dig down further into the Quicken > Documents folder if you just want to restore a specific data file.
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • jcdbel
    jcdbel Quicken Mac 2017 Member
    Thank you Jacobs. Just tried it. Opened the hidden library and then enter Time Machine but TM didnt show the hidden library. just the regular folders. Any other hint?
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