No Budgetable accounts?

CowboyNav1

Is there a fix for, "This Quicken file contains no budgetable accounts or categories. The Budget feature cannot be used at this time."
Doesn't matter if I use the Menu Planning or Home Menu Planning, I'm getting the Quicken error message

Quicken Anja

Hello @CowboyNav1,

Thank you for reaching out to the Community and telling us about your issue, though I apologize that you are experiencing this and for not having received a follow-up response yet.

To start with, I suggest that you please try validating and/or super validating your data file. However, I do recommend that you first save a backup file prior to performing these steps.

Validate: 

1. File
2. Validate and Repair File...
   
3. Validate File
   
4. Click OK
5. Close the Data Log
   
6. Close Quicken (leave it closed for at least 5 secs)
7. Reopen Quicken and see if the issue persists.

If the issue persists, proceed to Super Validate. If the issue is resolved after performing validation, then please disregard the instructions to Super Validate.

Super Validate:

1. File
2. Hold CTRL + Shift and click Validate and Repair File...
   
3. Super Validate File
4. Click OK
5. Close the Data Log
   
6. Close Quicken (leave it closed for at least 5 secs)
7. Reopen Quicken and see if the issue persists.

I hope this helps!

CowboyNav1

Anja...
Thanks for recommendation.
After Validating, the Planning budget feature came up.
Will add this as part of every problem I might encounter in the future.
Rick

Quicken Janean

Hi @CowboyNavi, I am sorry that you are receiving this error and thank you for reaching out to Community for assistance.

Can you clarify when this error started to occur and what you are doing exactly when this error appears? Thanks! 

Quicken Janean

CowboyNav1

Thanks for responding.
Despite being a Quicken user for over 20 years, I have never used the Budget feature. Probably around Septmenber 2021, I looked into the Budget feature but got the this same error. Did not pursue Budgeting any further. However, I now want to use it.
On the Dashboard I click on PLANNING...the no budgetable accounts error comes up immediately. Trying from the Dashboard, in the 2nd level menu under the HOME tab, I click on Planning. The "3 Budget Your Spending" window appears with a "Get Started" button. Clicking the "Get Started" button immediately brings up the no budgetable account error. If I click on "Budget" in the HOME tab's 2nd level menu, it brings up a window with In/Out/What's left Graph. I tried using the settings icon on it to get to a Budget planner, but no such options are available.
FYI, this no budgetable accounts error came up last year, but I also worked with a Quicken Support agent AFTER that to fix another problem I had in which we went through some type of File repair action. So just be aware that my data file should be good.
Thanks for any help.

Quicken Anja

Hello @CowboyNav1,

Thank you for reaching out to the Community and telling us about your issue, though I apologize that you are experiencing this and for not having received a follow-up response yet.

To start with, I suggest that you please try validating and/or super validating your data file. However, I do recommend that you first save a backup file prior to performing these steps.

Validate: 

1. File
2. Validate and Repair File...
   
3. Validate File
   
4. Click OK
5. Close the Data Log
   
6. Close Quicken (leave it closed for at least 5 secs)
7. Reopen Quicken and see if the issue persists.

If the issue persists, proceed to Super Validate. If the issue is resolved after performing validation, then please disregard the instructions to Super Validate.

Super Validate:

1. File
2. Hold CTRL + Shift and click Validate and Repair File...
   
3. Super Validate File
4. Click OK
5. Close the Data Log
   
6. Close Quicken (leave it closed for at least 5 secs)
7. Reopen Quicken and see if the issue persists.

I hope this helps!

CowboyNav1

Anja...
Thanks for recommendation.
After Validating, the Planning budget feature came up.
Will add this as part of every problem I might encounter in the future.
Rick

CowboyNav1

Well, it did not last long....
I create a Budget, then the next time I open up Quicken...I get the old error message, "This Quicken file contains no budgetable accounts or categories. The Budget feature cannot be used at this time." when I click on the PLANNING menu. If I go through HOME --> Planning, then I get the open to "Get Started".
I've tried both Manual and Automatic Budget setup. Did that two or three times.
I've (re) Validated the Data file. I've Super Validated the Data file. Still won't keep the budget.
Today, I get the error message on any "Planning" menu option.

Thought you should know.
Thanks,
Rick

Quicken Jared

CowboyNav1 said:

Well, it did not last long....
I create a Budget, then the next time I open up Quicken...I get the old error message, "This Quicken file contains no budgetable accounts or categories. The Budget feature cannot be used at this time." when I click on the PLANNING menu. If I go through HOME --> Planning, then I get the open to "Get Started".
I've tried both Manual and Automatic Budget setup. Did that two or three times.
I've (re) Validated the Data file. I've Super Validated the Data file. Still won't keep the budget.
Today, I get the error message on any "Planning" menu option.

Thought you should know.
Thanks,
Rick

Hello @CowboyNav1,         

I am sorry that you are once again experiencing this issue. 

The next step in this scenario would be to copy the data file. Please note that doing this will disconnect all online services in the copied file and you will need to sign back in with your Quicken ID and reconnect up all of your online accounts, online billers, Quicken Bill Manager services, etc if you plan to use that copied file going forward as the new copy also creates a new and separate dataset ID.

If you are still interested in proceeding, save a backup, then proceed through the instructions below:

1. Navigate to File
2. Select Copy or Backup File...
3. Select Create a copy or template
4. Click Next
5. Select Save Copy
6. Select New Copy
7. Click Ok

I hope this is helpful, and I look forward to any updates you may be able to provide. 

Thank you,

Quicken Jared 

CowboyNav1

Copied the file.
Clicking on "PLANNING" or the Home --> Planning brings up the same error.
Validated the new copy --> no errors noted.
FYI: The HOME --> Budget "In/Out/What's Left" window comes up.

Me thinks building a Budget is not in my cards.

My data goes back to 1990. I've made suggestions to add an End-of-Year option to Archive/delete data beyond a User-selected time period, say 5 or 10 years for me, as I like to be able to search my history for certain things, like "when did I buy that?". In the Copy process, it does give you that option to select a date range. If I do only copy data from 10 years ago till today, will that mess up any Investment/Bank accounts that I have had for more than 10 years (unlike the current End-Year Archive option)? I do understand it will still require re-setup of online accounts.

Rick

robertmills03255

same issue - validate and super validate did not return any of the 5-8 budgets that have been present for years. I suspect the last R39 did something to make them vanish, unable to update to R40 as it thinks it is already up to the correct version (which it is not per "Help About")

Update: did a restore from prior to the R39 update and budgets were present. It also appears that some accounts downloaded transactions going back over 60 days that had already been downloaded and accepted. Disabled the online sync to cloud as a precaution,

tdreed1265

I lost the budget twice again today. Restore from a backup, update and reconcile my accounts. Then disappears. This is getting old very fast.

mike5119

The same with me, every other day my budget is gone and Quicken wants me to create a new budget. I have lost budgets from the last 10 years and now I can not keep a created budget for more than 2 days and then it is gone. What's up?

tdreed1265

Yep, same here. Lost the budget again today. I backup my file every time before and after I make any updates to Quicken. Besides the fact that I've disabled Mobile sync which seemed to have helped for awhile at least, though lately I lose the budget at least every other session.

tdreed1265

Lost the budget again today. Luckily I restore each and every session now, but this is horrible.

UKR

Where exactly is your active Quicken data file stored? The recommended (and default) place for Quicken data files is in C:\Users\_your_username_\Documents\Quicken. External USB drives or networked storage locations are not supported.
Is any cloud backup software (Dropbox, MS OneDrive, etc.) actively accessing your Quicken data file while Quicken is running? If you are using any of these cloud backup products you need to configure them so as NOT to backup your active Quicken data file. Make it use either the Automatic Backup file or the Manual Backup file created as you close Quicken.

daviduhrich

I have the same issue - budget keeps disappearing. Lost all my previous budgets. Created a new budget for 2022 a week ago and lost it today in a session where I was viewing a budget report! I do not use cloud backup software nor do I use Quicken mobile. I have the latest version of Quicken for Windows. This is very frustrating - I will not be using the budget feature until this gets resolved.
Quicken Support please fix this bug.

tdreed1265

Lost my budget again today. Restored from the most recent backup which I take very single session now and discovered that 1/2 of my online accounts needed to be reset to download transactions. Such a waste of time let along the loss of mobile functionality which I have turned off to try and isolate the issues.

randyh1

Here is another take on budget process issue.

Had budget for 2022 and previous years. Went to budget planner and only shows income for any budget year selected. Cannot get expenses to display, even though categories are checked. However when I run the budget report expense categories are included and accurate.

Validate and S-Validate no errors. Deleted and Created new budget and still only income side showed in planning.

Did the income side to test further with offset amounts in budget vs actual for prior months in 2022 in different categories. Did not use option for quicken to budget categories. Returned to budget and manual entered income budget amounts by month defaulted to what the actual was for that month. Still no expense side.

Report now shows accurate budget and actual expenses (from deleted budget) and on the income side shows the quicken generated numbers from the newly created budget.

Also no prior year budgets are available when choosing the year option, however in reports if I use custom dates, data is there, but again defaulted income budget amounts to actual received.

Issue first appeared with the latest release R.40.21

PamC102

I am having the same problem with my budgets disappearing. I am using version R40.21 and have been a Quicken user for almost 30 years. I validated and super validated my file and it did not fix the issue. My data is stored locally and not on the cloud. Please notify me when the budgeting issue is fixed;

pwlong777

I have been reporting this issue for about 5 years now. If you can create a budget, it is guaranteed to disappear within a week or so, and QW will not let you create a new one until "something" changes that - could be the validate route, or sometimes it just takes a while.  However, I did discover that even if desktop Quicken thinks it has no budget, the mobile or online is able to display it. I suspect that the budget info is in the QDF database, but something in the program makes it inaccessible to the desktop (but still accessible in the synced version). I really hope that someone in development will look at this.

pwlong777

Update on my June 2 post. It is now June 3 and the budget I created yesterday is no longer available to desktop Quicken, but is in available in the synced version through the web or mobile app.  The budget I created must still be buried in the bowels of the QDF file, but Quicken desktop can't access it.  I will now wait patiently until "something" happens, and the desktop version of Quicken allows me to try to create a budget yet again.

tdreed1265

Went about a week with no problems and then after the latest update had to go back several backup copies to get one that recognized my budget. Lot's of entries to recreate. I've resorted to taking a full backup after almost every entry now. This is absolutely horrible.

TD3

Same problems, kind of defeats the purpose of creating a budget, if it only last for two sessions.
I have had zero help from customer service.

TD3

Has anyone heard anything from customer support on this issue?

mtn_living

Just lost three days of budgeting work to this. Validate did nothing. Super validate did nothing. I either get an error message that no budgetable stuff exists or I get the start from scratch budgeting screen. I don't want to go to a back up and recreate all the work that went into my budget just to lose it again. Nor do I want to start from scratch and have it happen again. I basically don't trust Quicken. I'm a long long time user and advocate for Quicken and enormously frustrated. Has anyone found anything that solves or prevents this? I really really need reliable budgeting and have complex budget needs that take a lot of work to input into Quicken. Quicken Premier Windows R41.10 Build: 27.1.41.10 running on Windows 10 enterprise edition all local on an SSD, no cloud files.

tdreed1265

Just lost mine again today too. Happens about every 3-4 days. I take frequent full backups so that at least there is less to recreate when this happens.

rbunge

I get the same error message. I have been using Quicken since 1993 and had to move to the subscription model which is current. Need help please

dzf22k

I had been using Quicken Premier R41.10 on my Windows10Pro Ver 21H2 laptop in local mode with no synch to the cloud and encountered problems retaining my recreated Budget for 2022 (after losing the historically created one to a Quicken version update). I have since rolled back to R40.21 using the historical MondoPatches available at https://www.quicknperlwiz.com/ . I then restored my latest known local backup of the QDF file that contained my last working Budget. I then performed some account updates under R40.21 using imported QFX files from some financial institutions as well as a One Step Update. This version seems to retain my created 2022 Budget while using the typical functions I am used to in Quicken. I can’t say that holds true with R41.9 or R41.10 which I previously used. I'll stick with this version until a known fix becomes available.

hjfcfonew

I am also having this issue. Uninstalled and Reinstalled Quicken. Validated, no errors. Rebooted. Super validated, no errors. Sometime Budget feature can be accessed and then eventually, it cannot be accessed. Now it can't be accessed.

SolteroRider357

:s I just discovered that I cannot access budgets under planning. Quicken user since 1995, many budgets that I "thought" were still part of the software. Now, I cannot create anything called a budget, Validate and super validate product no errors; I am very pissed. I pay for the subscription to "Quicken Home, Business, and Rental Property" software and I am not doing without budget creation. Who is to fix this????????

SolteroRider357

I have accounts, I have categories, how the hell can it tell me that I have no "budgetable" accounts or categories. This is entirely unacceptable. Anyone know how to contact someone to fix this or give me a refund and I'll switch to Moneydance. I've put up with literally hundreds of problems over the years with Quicken, primarily when it was an Intuit product, but budgets disappearing and warnings that I cannot create a budget is the last straw! Steven A. Gilbert, Quicken User Since 1995 DOS Version!

mtn_living

Folks posting here may want to follow this discussion: Budget Disappeared. - Page 3 — Quicken