Mobile Sync Corruption

srvance

I recently discovered that some cross-account transfer items were corrupted. They were a line item from a paycheck (direct deposit, scheduled and recurring entry) transferring to an HSA. The item was originally entered correctly and even reconciled for some deposits, but the paycheck end showed as a multiple of the original value.

I can navigate between the items using the "Go to matching entry" functionality and see that they're different. When I tried to correct the item on the HSA side, it said I needed to correct it on the other end. When I tried to correct it there, it corrupted the balance, showed asterisks in the total, and said I needed to correct the entry.

I restored from the manual backup from my prior session without syncing and all the values are correct. When I look at the corrupt paycheck entries in the mobile app, it shows two to three entries for each line item. This tells me that the corruption occurs in the mobile app or the sync.

A super validation showed two line items from a previous paycheck that had lost their association with their target account, but no other issues.

My wife and I both use the mobile app to record our on-the-go transactions, mostly the cash transactions in a specific cash account. I don't think we've ever entered a value in the paycheck checking account through the mobile app and definitely have never edited a paycheck split.

1) I've seen the recommendation in other threads to reset the cloud data set. Is that the path forward?
2) Why would the sync duplicate the line items? Are there known issues with online sync? Is it reliable to use without risk of corrupting my desktop file?

Quicken Jasmine

Hello @srvance, 

Thank you for reaching out to the Quicken Community. 

If you haven't already, I suggest resetting your cloud data from your Quicken desktop program and see if that may make a difference. However, before doing so, first, verify that the Dataset name and the File name match each other identically by navigating to Edit > Preferences > Quicken ID & Cloud Accounts (see below). 



If they do not match, please click Edit dataset name and change the Dataset name to match the File name exactly the same (do not copy the file extension: ".QDF"). 

Then, click OK in the preferences window and proceed to save a backup (just in case). From there, please follow the steps below to reset your cloud data.

1. Sign out of your Quicken Mobile/Web app(s)
2. On your desktop program go to Edit
3. Preferences...
4. Mobile & Web
5. Make sure sync shows it's ON and click on Reset your cloud data 
   
6. On the following screen you can leave the preselected option for "No, just reset my Cloud data", type Yes in the entry field to confirm, and click Reset
   
7. Wait for the sync reset to finish
8. Navigate to the Mobile & Web dropdown menu 
9. Select Cloud Sync to resync your data and to make sure no errors occur
10. Wait for it to finish syncing 
11. Sign back in on your Quicken Mobile/Web app(s)

To answer your question, yes this is the route to go when troubleshooting issues with your Quicken Mobile application. 

Let me know how it goes!

srvance

Hi, Jasmine --

Thanks for your response. I restored from backup, verified that the backup did not have the duplicated splits, and did a Super Verification on it. I then followed your instructions. When I look at one of the transactions in question in the mobile app, I see duplicate entries for the splits. When I try to look at the splits in the desktop app, the app crashes. I've submitted a crash report with a reference to this forum question.

What do I do next? I can try restoring from an earlier backup in case the corruption is latent, but I won't know if it's correct until I go through the whole sync reset recipe again, and the farther back I restore from, the more transaction data I either lose or have to manually re-enter.

The cloud sync is useless if I can't trust the data in the desktop app, so I can also turn off cloud sync, although that will reduce the usefulness of the system. I really can't have my data corrupted. This is a critical bug that Quicken needs to fix and have a repair path for, and it seems like I'm not the only one experiencing this.

Quicken Jasmine

Hello @srvance, 

Since, unfortunately, the previous steps have failed so far, next, I suggest you try manually resetting your cloud data by creating a test file and deleting your cloud account from that test file. After that, you would attempt to resync your main data file which should then create a new cloud account (this does not affect your data saved within that data file).

First, please proceed to save a backup (just in case). From there, create a new data file (click here to view instructions, and review the section titled: "Creating a new file"). Once the new file opens, follow the steps below to remove your main data file's cloud account.

1. Go to Edit
2. Preferences
3. Quicken ID & Cloud Accounts
4. Click Cloud accounts associated with this Quicken ID (#) (this is not a button, it is written in blue underneath the "Edit dataset name" button)
5. Select the Cloud Account Name used for your main data file and click Delete
6. Type Yes and click Delete
   

After that, switch back to your main data file (click here to view instructions, scroll down and review the section titled: "How to alternate between multiple files"). 

Once your main file opens, resync your data by navigating to the Mobile & Web tab and clicking on the blue Get Started button, and then the blue Sync Now button and see whether or not the errors you were receiving persist. You can then also delete the new file you previously created as well as its cloud account.

I hope this helps!

srvance

Hi, Jasmine --

I did that and things seem to be syncing without corruption at the moment. The one thing that's concerning is that the mobile app still shows multiple copies of the split items. What's your take on that?

Also, I've lost a lot of confidence in the sync. This really looks like a bug. I'm meticulously careful about my sync habits, and I say that as a developer who has written systems like this. Is anyone investigating these problems?