reconcile mistakes/adjustments, can go back

Bruce Leavitt

It happens on occasion, and again today. I am reconciling an account and sometimes the figures are the same in the register. Well after reconciling the account, you make the (somewhat stupid) mistake of deleting an amount previously reconciled it throws you waaaaaaaaaay off. Unless you have just backed it up again, there is no way to fix it simply other than doing and "adjustment." There should be a button to undue something one has done rather than looking at a major adjustment? thanks Bruce

NotACPA

Restoring from a backup is, actually, your best option.  If you're prone to this type of error, I'd suggest backing up Q every time that you exit it using the EDIT, Preferences, Backup menu to set your choices.

Tom Young

In addition to having Quicken make a backup each time you exit the program there's a couple of other things you can to to protect you from your own errors. 

The first thing I'd do is Edit > Preferences... > Notify and make sure all those warnings, especially the one that mentions "reconciled transactions", are checked. 

Another thing you can do to protect you from inadvertently deleting previous transactions is to use the feature File > Set password to modify transactions... and periodically establish a (simple, unchanging) password and updating the date of "protected" transactions.   I'm in the habit of doing that at each month end.  You can still modify or delete a prior period transaction if you want to by providing the password to do so, it just slows you down enough to stop and think "do I really want to do this?"

I'm not exactly sure I understand what you're asking with your last question.  If you delete a prior period transaction in a register, then of course all balances for the Account after the deleted transaction changes.  If that deleted transaction has an "R" in the Clr column, then the "Opening Balance" for any reconciliation after that date will also change.  (The opening balance is calculated each time you go to reconcile an Account.)  If you then go back and restore that deleted transaction then all subsequent balances in the Account also change, including the Opening Balance for a reconciliation if you put an "R" in in the Clr column.

NotACPA

Bruce Leavitt said:

> @NotACPA said:
> Restoring from a backup is, actually, your best option.  If you're prone to this type of error, I'd suggest backing up Q every time that you exit it using the EDIT, Preferences, Backup menu to set your choices.

Thanks, I have to remember just before I am working on each acct. Still I would think their would be an undo button.
I have another curious question if you might now. If I go back just before I reconciled the acct. and delete the information, would it allow me to do the reconcile after entering the information? I have it back up this time, so I could attempt it and be ok. Thanks Bruce

My suggestion, had you followed it, would have led you to the option to have Q take a backup AUTOMATICALLY every time you exit Q.  Thus, you'd have to remember nothing.

re: re-reconciling.  You'd need to set each transaction, involved in that reconciliation to " " or "c" before re-reconciling.  You can do this by turning on, in the "Register Columns" option the "Downloaded Posting Date" column and then selecting everything after the last statement as-of date and mass changing them. OR by individually selecting them and resetting that CLR field value.

NotACPA

Restoring from a backup is, actually, your best option.  If you're prone to this type of error, I'd suggest backing up Q every time that you exit it using the EDIT, Preferences, Backup menu to set your choices.

Bruce Leavitt

> @NotACPA said:
> Restoring from a backup is, actually, your best option.  If you're prone to this type of error, I'd suggest backing up Q every time that you exit it using the EDIT, Preferences, Backup menu to set your choices.

Thanks, I have to remember just before I am working on each acct. Still I would think their would be an undo button.
I have another curious question if you might now. If I go back just before I reconciled the acct. and delete the information, would it allow me to do the reconcile after entering the information? I have it back up this time, so I could attempt it and be ok. Thanks Bruce

Tom Young

In addition to having Quicken make a backup each time you exit the program there's a couple of other things you can to to protect you from your own errors. 

The first thing I'd do is Edit > Preferences... > Notify and make sure all those warnings, especially the one that mentions "reconciled transactions", are checked. 

Another thing you can do to protect you from inadvertently deleting previous transactions is to use the feature File > Set password to modify transactions... and periodically establish a (simple, unchanging) password and updating the date of "protected" transactions.   I'm in the habit of doing that at each month end.  You can still modify or delete a prior period transaction if you want to by providing the password to do so, it just slows you down enough to stop and think "do I really want to do this?"

I'm not exactly sure I understand what you're asking with your last question.  If you delete a prior period transaction in a register, then of course all balances for the Account after the deleted transaction changes.  If that deleted transaction has an "R" in the Clr column, then the "Opening Balance" for any reconciliation after that date will also change.  (The opening balance is calculated each time you go to reconcile an Account.)  If you then go back and restore that deleted transaction then all subsequent balances in the Account also change, including the Opening Balance for a reconciliation if you put an "R" in in the Clr column.

NotACPA

Bruce Leavitt said:

> @NotACPA said:
> Restoring from a backup is, actually, your best option.  If you're prone to this type of error, I'd suggest backing up Q every time that you exit it using the EDIT, Preferences, Backup menu to set your choices.

Thanks, I have to remember just before I am working on each acct. Still I would think their would be an undo button.
I have another curious question if you might now. If I go back just before I reconciled the acct. and delete the information, would it allow me to do the reconcile after entering the information? I have it back up this time, so I could attempt it and be ok. Thanks Bruce

My suggestion, had you followed it, would have led you to the option to have Q take a backup AUTOMATICALLY every time you exit Q.  Thus, you'd have to remember nothing.

re: re-reconciling.  You'd need to set each transaction, involved in that reconciliation to " " or "c" before re-reconciling.  You can do this by turning on, in the "Register Columns" option the "Downloaded Posting Date" column and then selecting everything after the last statement as-of date and mass changing them. OR by individually selecting them and resetting that CLR field value.

Bruce Leavitt

> @NotACPA said:
> My suggestion, had you followed it, would have led you to the option to have Q take a backup AUTOMATICALLY every time you exit Q.  Thus, you'd have to remember nothing.re: re-reconciling.  You'd need to set each transaction, involved in that reconciliation to " " or "c" before re-reconciling.  You can do this by turning on, in the "Register Columns" option the "Downloaded Posting Date" column and then selecting everything after the last statement as-of date and mass changing them. OR by individually selecting them and resetting that CLR field value.

I will have to check my settings it ask me sometimes to back up, though not every I did go back to a back up about 3 or 4 weeks ago. Just had to re-enter the info since and reconcile the accounts again. But all is fine. Thanks. Bruce.