Blacked out register lines

Scott Sams

My Quicken did an update today. Along with it, it now shows my register transactions blacked out (first line) for all accounts. If I click on the transaction, it shows both lines. When changing settings to 1-line transactions, every other line is blacked out. I rolled my Quicken back to an early August date (R42.21) but it still shows incorrectly.

I opened a very old file from about a year ago and register entries are showing fine. I made a new file and register entries are showing fine. So I think somehow my current file has some setting that is redacting some of the information. I've seen some old posts about redacted information or blacked out lines, but no real solutions.

Quicken Jasmine

Hello @Scott Sams,

Thank you for reaching out to the Community and telling us about your issue, though I apologize that you are experiencing this.

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.

Please let me know how this goes!

Scott Sams

Jasmine, thanks for the quick response.
An update:
I'd ended up restoring from a backup to a new Quicken file name from a backup from about a week ago. That worked fine and register was displaying fine again. However, I then did an online update of quotes/bank accounts. I have a couple Chase accounts that need updating to their new verification system, but I chose "Skip Now, I'll do this later" and only updated my other accounts and quotes and also did NOT update the software revision either (keeping at prior stable version R42.21). After this online update of accounts, my register entries are again blacked out.

So the issue is related to online updating, perhaps not updating software revisions as I originally suspected.

After seeing your response:
I did a Validate procedure and closed software. Restarted after a minute.
Issue remains.

Ran Super-Validation using procedure, closed software, restarted after a minute.
Issue remains (i.e. alternating lines blacked out in register entries for all my accounts).

FYI, tried changing color schemes and fonts in the Register appearance, but that didn't help.

So- I think the issue is repeatable and due to performing a "One Step Update" and something possibly corrupting my data file/settings during the update process.

Quicken Jasmine

Hello @Scott Sams,

Thank you for providing more information.

Are you experiencing this register issue with a specific financial institution? If so, which one?

I am looking forward to hearing your response.

ssmithfl@

Same thing started with me today - every other line is black until clicked; doesn't matter whether one line or two line display is clicked - every other line stays black unless clicked - does it on bank, asset, liability, misc account - all the same - I validated with repair option, even turned computer (windows 10 desktop) off and on, no change in behavior.

ssmithfl@

In my previous comment, this does not happen with uncleared future lines in a register - all lines there display normally (such as pre-entered tax estimate items for January 2023)

ssmithfl@

And a final item, if I choose update all accounts, no boxes are pre-checked as to which accounts - I update my accounts daily, so all this behavior started today, Monday, 10/17/22

Quicken Jasmine

Hello @ssmithfl@,

Thank you for joining this thread to share that you are experiencing this issue as well. 

Is this occurring with all your registers or with a specific financial institution?

I look forward to your response!

ssmithfl@

It is happening at Bank of America, Chase, Northern, Fidelity, Merrill, Barclays, plus all other accounts I have (cash accounts, even an asset such as my house for zillow updates, and an asset item for my car with no loan attached) - in other words, EVERYWHERE. The only thing unaffected is FUTURE dated items - it seems to be ok with anything dated AFTER today. All registers with dates today or earlier are alternating black and white lines. Same thing happens on separate accounts too. I DID try the supvalidate with no effect whatsoever. It seems to be connected more with the DATE than whether the account is updated online or not, since many of these accounts (cash, car, house, collections) don't have an online presence.

ssmithfl@

I just did an experiment in my cash on hand account - entered a test transaction with just a date, fake payee, memo - no category or amount - and used today's date. It came out black. I changed the date to tomorrow and it turned white and appeared normally. No other updating or closing or validating - just an entry and then a changed date on the same entry.

Quicken Jasmine

Hello @ssmithfl@,

Thank you for providing more information. 

Have you tried uninstalling/reinstalling Quicken? Please refer to the following support articles for instructions on uninstalling here and reinstalling here.

Let me know how this goes!

ssmithfl@

I uninstalled and reinstalled using the links you provided. No change in the display, except now: the update quotes and bills boxes were unchecked at first - when I checked them, all other account boxes unchecked themselves and stay unchecked each time unless I add them all back. If I uncheck the bills and quotes boxes, and check all the other accounts - at the end, the other accounts UNcheck themselves, the quotes and bills box REcheck themselves, and no quotes are ever updated in any of the cases. Same black lines, but now MUCH worse off.

ssmithfl@

For the record, I'm using R44.27 (HF3) (Oct, 2022) Build 27.1.44.27 Windows 10 Home

Quicken Jasmine

Hello @ssmithfl@,

Thank you for attempting those steps, though I do apologize that it made things worse than before. 

Could you please provide the full file path regarding your main file and the backup that you restored from? You can do this by going to File > Show this file on my computer then you may copy and paste everything located in the top bar into your response. 

Let me know!

ssmithfl@

C:\Users\Stephen Smith\Documents\Quicken - is what I get using your instructions;

The program itself is at: C:\Program Files (x86)\Quicken

I made a dropbox backup, then uninstalled, reinstalled, and opened the original main file (without any date and time extensions) to get the results I told you about. You didn't say anything about restoring a backup previously, but I just now went to dropbox, got the backup from before the uninstall, it complained that I was restoring the file already in use, but I told it to overwrite the old file in the restore, and I can't see that anything has changed. I then did a one-step update (nothing was checked in any box, so I checked them all) (it complained that the data in the file was older than the synched cloud file, and would take a moment) and now it is one-step updating very very slowly (just like it did after the reinstall from your link) - and at the end, it updated some transactions to match, but the one-step update box only checks the accounts and one of the bottom boxes; next update, it unchecked all the accounts and REchecked the 3 bottom boxes - basically, back to where I started, but still with black lines making every register unusable and no ability to update investment quotes, even if that is the only box checked - it claims they have never been updated.

UKR

Have you tried starting Windows in "safe mode with networking" and then testing Quicken?
Does it still give you black lines?
If Quicken works normally while in safe mode, some other add-on product must be interfering with your display drivers or settings ... I can only guess, but there once was a report about a graphics-intensive PC game program messing with display settings.

ssmithfl@

Thanks UKR - I restarted in safe mode with networking, had the same issues. Eliminating everything else (computer and Quicken) left me with a damaged data file to consider - the repair/validate kept saying about 8 damaged data files and I realized it never did say it was repairing anything. It didn't seem intuitive, but I pulled up a backup from last Thursday and restored it and the problems went away. Now I just have to recreate 4 not very busy days, so that's a good solution for me. Thanks for getting my mind to reset my thinking on it (and a fresh resolution to log out and backup every single day, lol). Thanks, also, Jasmine - my go to answer was to blame the program, but thanks for bearing with me.

Scott Sams

I haven't been on Quicken in a while. I'm still seeing issues of alternating b/w on almost all of my accounts. I have one checking account and one savings account that is displaying OK (both Ally). All my other investment, checking etc shows every-other row as black until I click on it. Whether the entry is reconciled makes no difference.

I've tried a bunch of things from altering my windows display settings, color schemes, etc, but have had no luck yet. I have latest Quicken release (or so says my update) R44.28/Build 27.144.28. I'm going to install Quicken on an older PC I have at home & see if it shows OK on it. This may tell if the file is messed up, or if a display issue.... And will try the uninstall/re-install Jasmine suggested 10/17.

Lastly, whether displayed on my primary or secondary monitor, or if my second monitor is unplugged, the issue remains...

Scott Sams

Another curious bit- future transactions are not blacked out every-other line in the accounts that have all historic transactions black every other line. I suspect the issue is with the way Quicken is trying to display some 'color grading' between past transactions. But no idea why most accounts have this display issue but my 2 Ally accounts are OK.

UKR

Scott Sams said:

Another curious bit- future transactions are not blacked out every-other line in the accounts that have all historic transactions black every other line. I suspect the issue is with the way Quicken is trying to display some 'color grading' between past transactions. But no idea why most accounts have this display issue but my 2 Ally accounts are OK.

Have you tried changing the register color settings (Edit / Preferences / Register / Colors button)?

Change the color for an account type which shows the black bars or use the 'Restore Defaults' button.
Save the change and go back to the register in question. Did it change back to normal?

I don't know where in Quicken these settings are stored, but something appears to have stepped on them and I hope that setting and saving new colors will fix it ... I hope ...

Scott Sams

UKR-That may be related to the issue. - I can change the "colors" including to "Default", but they revert back to 'blank' when I go back into the color setting picker tool.

So maybe a settings file somewhere is corrupted? It must be attached to my data file (embedded) as uninstalling/reinstalling Quicken with PC rebooot between still shows the alternating Black/White issue. Strangely, both my properly-displaying Ally and other savings accounts have same color category.

Scott Sams

I went back to a backup file prior to the time when my online update caused this issue to occur. The file views fine. The Colors in the Savings and Credit Account Preferences is also showing "Default" vs blank. However, even with this old file if I change the color scheme it reverts back to Default when I re-open the color scheme. Below is screenshot of the color scheme picker in this reverted data file.

UKR

If you haven't done so already, please do the following actions:

• Even if you are on the latest software level already, download and install the latest Mondo Patch file from https://www.quicken.com/support/update-and-mondo-patch-20182019-release-quicken-windows-subscription-product to ensure your Quicken software is up to date and correctly installed.
• Reboot Windows.
• Try Quicken again.
  

If it still fails, I'd say it's time to call Quicken Support on the phone and request help.  Let them do a screen share session with you to review the situation on your computer, to determine the nature of the problem and to figure out how to fix it.

Quicken Support:

• To contact Quicken Support, please use this link only:
  https://www.quicken.com/support#contact-support  and select Chat or Phone support.
• Support is only available during posted hours of operation
• The phone number can be found at the support website.
• To start Chat or see the support phone number, your browser must allow popup windows from https://www.quicken.com
  See https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7870684/faq-talk-to-support-does-not-respond#latest
• If you are eligible for Premium Support (purchased separately or included as part of your subscription to Quicken 2018+ Premier or HB&R) call the number that can be found at the top of your My Account page at https://www.quicken.com/my-account  (US) or https://www.quicken.com/canada/my-account (Canada) when you log in with your Quicken ID. Place the call using the phone whose number is recorded in your account profile.
• Other links or phone numbers found elsewhere on the Internet, even in some posts or emails received from other Community members, may not be from Quicken or may not be up-to-date. Use those at your own risk.
• Unlike other so-called "Quicken support providers", the real Quicken Support is free for all currently supported versions.

Scott Sams

I made a new Quickbooks file. Added a checking account & two entries. They view fine, and the Color chooser allows changing color schemes and retains the changes. So it seems my current and more-recent even backups have an issue with the color scheme data embedded therein is corrupted.

I opened my oldest (Dec 2021) backup. It also has the issue of not being able to alter then register color preferences.

My Quicken file is quite large (85MB), as I've been a user since 1997! Back then the registers were more one-colored, so maybe when Quicken 'improved' things over the years, the register coloring has become an issue.

As things are now, if I do an online One-step update of an older working backup it gets corrupted with black/white banding. i.e. becomes nearly unusable. Would like to get this resolved before my Dec 5 renewal of subscription.

Scott Sams

UKR, thanks for suggestions. I had the latest patch already but re-ran the mondo patch from your link. Still having the issue. I also tried rolling back to an earlier (42.8 from July) Mondo patch which was prior to when the issue started to occur. That didn't help either. I'll give support a call during the week. Thanks for the links.

Scott Sams

SOLUTION!
Don't know the cause, but to fix (at least for now), I exported account and transaction data and opened that archive. Steps:
1. in File..Copy or Backup File Selected "Advanced Options..Create a Copy or template"
- selected default dates (1988- today) and included all 3 checkboxes: Uncleared transactions, Investment Transactions, and Attachments.
Chose where I would like to put the new file (a new filenmame eg as todays date) was chosen.
Then pressed Save Copy.

Quicken saved the backup. Then it asked if I wanted to open the existing or new data file. I chose the new file.

It then opened the data, I think making up new/default viewing settings (i.e. it just imported my data not the corrupted settings information).

Everything looks normal again! I can also now set the register preferences/colors and they will change/keep my selection.

My transactions total before and after doing this is the same. My Credit score was zero, so re-downloaded that. Account details appear OK. Appears all is fixed now.

NOTE/CAUTION: I did a one-step update & it updated quotes, but NOT account information.
Looking at my Account List none are set up for transaction downloads any more, so this above fix does NOT seem to copy over the online information.