Reconciled final number changes (transactions get deleted) when Quicken attempt to sync with Cloud

frozenbase

A new problem I have:

My checking account, has say $3000.00 as the last balance that was reconciled and matches my last bank's statement.

If Quicken attempts to talk to their cloud, such as with the sync to the cloud, it changes this final number. I assume buried somewhere in my years of data it is adding or subtracting lines, or else summing them all incorrectly. While I'm not able to pinpoint what is actually changing, all I know is, after this sync, the reconciled balance then shows $3269.18. If I restore from a backup, and attempt to disable the sync function before proceeding, the act of disabling sync causes Quicken to talk to the cloud, and thus makes the change again. The change is ALWAYS the same 269.18 in the one account. In another, it goes down like $700 and change, and again, always the same amount. I find no work arounds. I cannot disable the sync without causing the change.

Now, what happens if I try to sync? I get this error: https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7916831/new-7-27-22-http-500-or-http-400-during-cloud-sync#latest

(Users are receiving an HTTP-400 error or an HTTP-500 error, while performing a Cloud Sync (Sync to Mobile/Web).)

So frustrating.

UPDATE: after careful comparisons, I see the sync is altogether removing several random transactions from my history of 2021. I cannot see a pattern amongst the ones being deleted, but they are the same ones each time I try to resolve this, thus giving the same new wrong reconciled balance by the end of the transactions list.

frozenbase

Here are the [Removed - Disruptive] options provided to me from chatting with support:

>It seems to be that there is an issue with the file. The option at this moment would be to restore a backup prior to that, then turn off the sync cloud from there and download the missing transactions or recreate them again to get the balance right.

>The other option would be to make a copy of that file and leave just a few years of transactions.

>Alright, you can consider making a copy of the file and check if that works. On the copy it won't keep any online services for any of the accounts, you would need to reactivate them again.

>The other option would be to start a new file and keep the main file for your records.

Next approach: trying to install a previous version from here:
https://www.quicken.com/support/reinstalling-and-patching-your-quicken-subscription-version-after-your-membership-has

frozenbase

More troubleshooting I've done: I've reverted to version 27.1.39.23 (a March 2022 build) and opened early 2022 backups. The problem is persistent even with the older Quicken Windows program. Therefore, as this was not a problem then, and as the backups where fine back then, this is surely somehow being impacted by the sync function.

lostinmichigan

I am suddenly having similar problems. My main file became corrupted and i was forced to restore from backup. Any backup file that i tried to bring in (and i tried over 20) immediately cloud synced and the numbers became, well, insane. I tried turning off cloud sync, and when i would call in a backup file it turned sync back on and went insane again. Finally, by telling it that it was not going to be my working copy and i was only calling up a back up to review, it did not cloud sync, and i was able to save a new back up copy of this file, with cloud sync turned off in it, and when i called up this back up file it did not automatically sync. However, when i attempted to turn cloud sync back on all of my numbers immediately became insane again. Also, when i ran a "validation" on my restored file, quicken immediately crashed, and i repeated this to make sure it was a recurring problem.

lostinmichigan

I should add that, consistent with what Frozenbase noted, each time that the file synced it was the same crazy numbers. One account changed by 58 dollars each time, while another account changed by about 120000 each time. Several other accounts changed by numbers in between those 2, but each time the changes were identical.

frozenbase

LostinMichigan! I'm sorry for your frustration but grateful for your reply! Now I have confirmation that it's not just me.

You wrote:

Finally, by telling it that it was not going to be my working copy and i was only calling up a back up to review, it did not cloud sync, and i was able to save a new back up copy of this file, with cloud sync turned off in it, and when i called up this back up file it did not automatically sync.


I tried multiple subtly different approaches to do this as well, but have never gotten to a file that had sync off and the data still correct. Any chance you can document the exact steps you took to get an unaltered data file with sync off?

I'm content to leave sync off forever, and this problem convinces me I should keep it off. I don't use the web or app features. I just left it on just in case.

I spent an hour today on the phone with Quicken support. I demonstrated the problem but of course they claimed my data file was corrupt. Sure, it is POSSIBLE that it is my file. But the coincidence is too perfect that the linked known problem above when syncing came at precisely the same time I am getting corrupted data whenever the app attempts to sync. Coincidence? Possibly. More likely? This is a flaw related to the known bug.

lostinmichigan

Thanks! I am seriously feeling your pain as well. Unfortunately, somehow, sync seems to have turned itself back on, so I watched as one after another accounts in this data file went insane again. Recalling from backup, yet again.

I am not 100% certain of the exact steps I took, as I have repeated variations of this process quite a few times since midday yesterday. But I believe, this was the process that at least temporarily worked:

Before anything else I went to "mobile and web" and turned off sync. I then pulled in a copy of the backup file, however it tried to sync anyway, since, I assume, sync had been turned on when I made the backup copy. However, I believe that on the semi successful attempt I had temporarily disabled my internet so it could not sync. I then turned off sync (again) and made a backup copy of this file, knowing sync was off when I made it. When I then restored that new back up copy it did not try to sync, at least at that time.

Either that or the old adage about doing something a bunch of times and expecting different results may have actually blundered into different results for a change.

That is what i am repeating now to try to get a clean copy again.

frozenbase

I think I'm going to take the path of least resistance. I've made a new primary file that no longer has sync enabled. I've taken screenshots of my old file's totals on the left side bar and compared to the new corrupted file. It appears only 6 accounts have deleted transactions. I did a file validation and there were many errors repaired on this corrupted new file (but no errors on the original file before the sync corrupted it). My next step will be to print to PDF all transactions from 2021 onward from the old file and then manually reenter them into my new working file that has sync disabled. I think the total missing transactions in my case is around a dozen per account, times 6 accounts. It will be laborious, but I predict this will involve less time than I've already given it.

What ticks me off is Quicken support starts with thr assumption that the user screwed up. They say things like, you should start a fresh file every few years to prevent a corrupted file. No! You Quicken should build a program that is more robust! There are plenty of databases out there with 100,000s of entries. My Quicken file at 125mb with its maybe 15,000 transactions is a simple thing in this age. If the "solution" is that I must have a smaller, shorter file, I say bull. Quicken must have a better program. As a subscription, we are owed better.

lostinmichigan

Very well said. I am beyond frustrated with Quicken at this point. While i have not been impressed with competing products in the past (the few other products that exist) I spent the weekend looking at alternatives. It is an extra "kick in the teeth" that i had this meltdown quite literally days after my subscription renewed.

With regard to the suggestion to start a new file every few years, you make very good points. I would just add that in practical terms, i find it useful to have records going back multiple years, especially with regard to investments as the IRS expects me to have cost basis information, among other details. While my brokerage tracks that data, there have been instances in the past where there were "discrepancies" and it was useful to have my own records for verification. If the program does not do what it is intended to do, that is beyond frustrating. I used to laugh at my dad for the paper ledgers he kept, but I have to admit that at least paper didn't crash.

frozenbase

I've fixed two accounts. One big one is next... many many transactions (my primary credit card). I found that in the checking accounts I fixed, any deleted item was deleted after June 2021. Each only have about 5 or 6 items deleted. In another account, nothing was deleted, it was the category that linked it as a transfer from the checking account. So I went back to the checking accounts and filtered by uncategorized, and found a few more that needed categories added back in. Tedious, but the file, having no sync enabled now, seems stable.

BEEdwards66

I have also had similar problems, but they didn't seem to show up until the late June or early July releases. I am also very frustrated and considering cancelling my subscription. Corruption of old records is not acceptable for investment accounts as the historical capability is what I value in the program. I have disabled cloud sync, but the corruption still happens, so I believe it is solely related to the new revisions and updating of transactions from the web. Even though I have cloud sync disabled, it still seems to contact Quicken (for what purpose I don't know).

BEEdwards66

One final comment. They do have a file validate function which I often use to make sure things haven't gone south. I don't understand if my "file is corrupted" that they couldn't detect it and report it for me so that I can fix the transactions that are "corrupted". Creating a new file is just BS as having long-term records is why I also use the program.

frozenbase

Thank you for sharing your plight. Welcome into the trenches with us.

I'm convinced, with your add'l info, that this is absolutely related to cloud sync. And the timing is too perfect with this cloud issue, so I'm sure the two issues are related:

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7916831/new-7-27-22-http-500-or-http-400-during-cloud-sync#latest

If possible, please help me to get Quicken to acknowledge this problem. Currently, they do not, and therefore there will be no programmers looking at it.

I have solved my problem fully now it seems: I went to a good previous backup, dated before Jun 1, 2022. I opened the back up as "just looking" versus the option to restore it, which will cause it to sync and reintroduce the error that deletes various random transactions. While looking in this backup, I then printed all transactions since 2021 for each account that was impacted (printed to PDF). Whichever backup you use for this, protect it and be careful. You'll need to go back to it many times to do the workaround I did.

So, with my PDF records, I then needed to create, from this same backup, a new working file. I did this, there was no way I could find to disable the sync process without it syncing one last time and introducing the error. Once the error was reintroduced, I was able to completed disable sync in this new working file. I then went on a hunt to add back in the deleted transactions. Just scroll by month, comparing the new quicken working file against the PDFs that reflect all transactions including the missing ones.

It was tedious, but I only had 7 accounts, each with about 6-7 missing transactions. The hunt and prep for the hunt took longer than retyping in the deleted transactions.

In my case, nearly every transaction deleted was since about May or Jun of 2021. There was one odd exception from like 2018. Bottom line: it seems somewhat random which transactions where deleted, but in all but one instance, they were all transactions from the last 12-ish months, and not that many.

Good luck!

Keep posting info as you all learn it. If you are new to the thread, please add to this thread. And to you all, please work from different angles to get Quicken to acknowledge this problem.

BEEdwards66

I finally resurrected my file, but it took a bit of work. I backed up Quicken to a mid-april release (the one before June releases), and then restored the account to June 1. I then checked that all balances are correct and they were. I then updated, and carefully discarded duplicate transactions from my bank. The transactions for investment accounts seemed to be correct without any other changes. Finally, I verified the final values against all my latest statements and things matched up correctly. I used the older release for a few days, but then did a full backup and wrote out a Net Worth report with account details which gives a value for every security. I then allowed it to update to the latest release. When I started the new release of Quicken, the balances were off in two accounts. I looked into what was wrong and found out that there was an inconsistency in the balance reported for a single security. However, if I did a net worth report changing the option to be selected securities and enabled all securities the balance became correct. If I changed it back to the default, the balance remained correct and the accounts seem to be fixed. Finally I did one more experiment where I repeated the process and selected one transaction of that security (It was reported as having a 0 balance sometimes and sometimes the correct value in the previous experiment). I didn't delete the security but just changed it to a different value in any field temporarily and the security started reporting the proper balance in the net worth report. I changed it back and it fixed it completely. The odd thing is that security was in both mis-reported accounts and changing only one transaction caused all transactions to be reported properly so it was something wrong with the security.

frozenbase

And you turned off cloud sync?

BEEdwards66

I never had it enabled. I don't think that cloud sync was the only problem, since I never had it enabled. Quicken still connected to the server, but I think that was because I still was downloading investment information from Quicken.