Payroll Split Corruption

derringer

I have the payroll split corruption bug discovered in, I believe, 38.30 . I have followed all steps found on this forum to fix and the problem comes back. I am not well over 10 hours of work on this and will need to either find a solution soon or a new product.

Steps I followed:
1. Updated Quicken version to current
2. Reverted to a 38.30 backup file from 3/11/22
3. Re entered all transactions (hours of work.)
4. Saved many backups and corruption does not exist until a 'Cloud Sync' occurs.
5. I turn off all cloud syncing and do steps 1-3 again with a new recovery following all steps.
6. I try to 'add a new account', which apparently forces a 'Cloud Sync' which then immediately corrupts several of the paycheck wizard splits again.
7. I do all steps again and this time I have all cloud syncing for the datafile off and there is no 'cloud sync dialog' when Adding a New Account. Corruption occurs again as soon as i "add a new account' to Quicken.

Where I am at now is everything works fine until either a cloud sync or a 'Add Account' is done in Quicken.

There needs to be a tool made to fix this. I do not understand how you can have a commercial product that doesn't look historical transactions or if you are going to mess with them a tool to go back and undo the damage.

What should I try next given what I've already done other than leaving Quicken? I really have no other choices to my knowledge. Thanks for any help.

Tom Young

Another thing to try here.  First, once you've got a good up to date copy back it up so that you can simply restore it if things go sideways.

Open your good file, click Edit > Preferences > Quicken ID & Cloud Accounts > Sign in as a different user.  All the cloud data associated with the file will be removed.

Then sign back in again using your user ID and password.

[Deleted User]

@derringer - You have probably been using the Paycheck Wizard for years, so you probably won't want to hear this, but you don't need to use it to set up your paycheck for Quicken.  A simple split transaction will do would do the same thing and it is a lot easier to use.  Years ago, I stopped using the Paycheck Wizard after I became frustrated with how touchy it was and the multiple times I had to go back and correct months, if not years, of paycheck transactions.

Here is an example of one (with fictionalized amounts):


The last two transactions are actually transfers into my 401(k) plan, and stock purchase plan.  The category would be a transfer (account name in brackets).

I converted all of my paychecks to simple splits by exporting them to a QIF file and then reimport them into Quicken.  The QIF Export/Import function automatically changed them into split transactions.  You can also convert them manually.

You can also start using the simple split transactions now and not convert the older ones until they break again and then convert them to split transactions.

TTSguy

@Damian Great example, can show what the actual transaction looks like in the register?

[Deleted User]

@TTSguy - my example is the actual transaction with numbers altered.  In the transaction memo I put "Paycheck".

derringer

How do you export only certain transactions though? I can stop using the paycheck wizard format and switch to the Splits easily enough, but I have a Quicken file that starts these errors in 2003. Can I export only certain transactions to QIF and then reimport them? If not, I'm not sure what the point is of an export/import in terms of saving any time.

[Deleted User]

@derringer - It can be a time consuming task if you are not used to working with QIF files.  There are tools that can help you with the QIF conversion process created by a very experienced Quicken user in this community forum -  @chris_qpw.  His website is on his signature line but, here is it also - http://www.quicknperlwiz.com/. 

Otherwise, your only option then is to convert your paychecks manually.  I would first identify all of the paychecks that need correcting by a tag or memo.  This is just for keeping track of them and running reports.

Before you make any major changes to your data file always make a backup first.  Also, with any conversion process, some cleanup is always needed.  

TTSguy

Where then do you see a total for your "Total Net Pay". there are times when my wife wants to see just our total net for both of us for last 6 months.

[Deleted User]

@ttsguy - how do you pull this information currently?

TTSguy

Because I don't use Quicken for taxes, (I have enough problems as it is) I enter My net pay with a category, then a split for Medicare expense, then a "Total Deductions" line to balance with. I can just do an income report and there it is. But doing a split with SSA Gross as is shown above, there is no Category  for my deposited SSA paycheck. 

[Deleted User]

I see what you mean now.  The "Net Pay" is simply everything in the category "Salary".  For your spouse, there would be a twin category "Salary Spouse" and a roll up of that category would be "Net Pay".