Lost transactions

fschmid

Yesterday I made several transaction changes and none of them were saved. How come? This is very, very frustrating.
I was converting paycheck deposits into paycheck transactions. I first created the paycheck and saved it. Then I deleted the corresponding deposit. Everything looked fine when I shut down for the night.
I did the update this morning.

Also, is there a way to designate where the data file is saved? I only find where you can save backups in Preferences.

volvogirl

Where is your data file now?  It should be in your Documents in a Quicken folder.  You should keep it on your local hard drive and not in a cloud or external location.  Your data file ends in .QDF.  You can move it using Windows explorer.  But the next time you open Quicken you will probably have to  browse to where you moved it to.  

Bob_L

You can go to File>show me file on this computer to see where your file is stored now.

fschmid

The file is in a Quicken folder on my local hard drive.
Is the file you open with, the file that Quicken saves any updates?
It seems to me I saved it to one location and the next time I opened Quicken it opened a file from a different location.

[Deleted User]

@fschmid - I think what may have happened is that you saved your transactions in one file, but the file you opened this morning was a different file?  Quicken defaults to open the last file you accessed not necessarily the last one you saved.

Bob_L

That can really screw things up, but Quicken saves to whatever file is open.  I always recommend creating a windows shortcut to your working file on the desktop and using that shortcut to open quicken with that file.

fschmid

I found my lost transactions. They were in a different account.
How come one cannot specify where the data file will be saved in the "Preferences..." under the Preference Types? There's not even a File.. Save or Save As button in the menu.

Bob_L

Creating a shortcut as I mentioned will prevent problems in the future.  If you need help doing that please post back.

volvogirl

There should be a File-Save and Save As.  Go up to menu item File.  It saves the data in the same place you opened it from.  Actually every entry you make is saved in the live file right then.  You don't have to do a save for current entries.  Just to make a backup or another copy.  

Bob_L

@volvogirl. I know you run an earlier version, but that is no longer the case in the current versions. 

fschmid

Is there a reason Quicken does not have the File Save and Save As feature? Most programs that I use have this feature even if they have an Automatic Backup.

volvogirl

Sorry I was thinking of Turbo Tax.  My Quicken 2013 only has FILE-New Quicken File, FILE-Open Quicken FIle and FILE-Save a copy as...   

As I said when you open a Quicken file you are working in the actual Live file.  Each entry or change is automatically saved.   You don't need to save the file.  When you hit enter it is saved.  So it's not a good idea to leave your file open all the time.  

q_lurker

fschmid said:

... 
How come one cannot specify where the data file will be saved in the "Preferences..." under the Preference Types? There's not even a File.. Save or Save As button in the menu.

'Where the file is saved' is first established when you create the file.  Lacking other changes, that is where that file is read from and written to as you enter (or change or delete) information.  As otherwise identified in this discussion, when you exit the program (or change to a different file), a final save of file you were working on is written and the file closed.  

If you choose to relocate the file to a different folder on your hard drive (preferably via Windows), you can open that file from that new location.  Subsequent edits and changes will be written to that same file in that location.  

Because the file is being 'continuously' written to and saved, there is no need for a separate File Save selection.

Effectively, the Save As option is currently available through the File Copy process