Very Slow Launch - Very Slow Quicken Processes

tbf47

I am still having  an issue with program speed.  Program Launch takes about 40 seconds.  Account update very long.   This is a single purpose PC.  It is not cluttered with a plethora of programs or apps running.   I use it for Quicken for Windows only.  I have  8 meg RAM.  Windows 10 Pro.  Running a 120 GB SSD.  Quicken on the launch  is using about 40% of RAM.  My connectivity speed is 474 mb download.   The program is launched on the C drive C:\Quicken   The launch icon  shows the command       qw (C:\Program Files(x86)\Quicken}     I have deleted and reinstalled the program once.  it did not help.  

Larry Leatherman

I am having similar issues with Quicken Starter edition launching, what is up with that

Rocket J Squirrel

Maybe try some of the Windows tweaks in this FAQ:

FAQ: Are there any Windows settings that can improve Quicken’s performance? — Quicken

UKR

Last year I have upgraded an abysmally slow Windows 8.1 laptop from 4 GB RAM to 8 GB RAM and the computer now performs very well. In Task Manager I no longer see "96% Memory usage" combined with "100% C- drive busy" just trying to do something, anything on the computer.

If you're running Windows 10 or 11 on 8 GB RAM, I recommend you add more RAM or get a new computer if the current one is maxed out on RAM.

MontanaKarl

As in the list linked to above… I would suspect an antivirus scanner… or the location of your data file.   You gave the location if the Quicken program… but is your data file also on your SSD  C drive, or is it on a thumb drive or a network drive (or worse…on a cloud drive)?

I’m not concerned about the small SSD size or RAM amount if this is the only app you’re running.   My virtual machine that runs Quicken Windows only has 4 GB and almost no disk space and it is still speedy.  But my data file is on my SSD and I have no antivirus software other than Windows Defender or whatever the free one is called that is part of Microsoft 365.

Chris_QPW

@MontanaKarl just so you know, it is called Windows Defender and it comes free with Windows, not part of Microsoft 365.

tbf47

My data file is located in my Quicken directory on the SSD.   This has happened in the last 12 months.   From mouse click to program finished launching is about 45 to 50 seconds.  Is this your experience ?  
  

MontanaKarl

tbf47 said:

My data file is located in my Quicken directory on the SSD.   This has happened in the last 12 months.   From mouse click to program finished launching is about 45 to 50 seconds.  Is this your experience ?  
  

Mine launches in a second or two.  I'm at a loss to guess what's happening to you. Sorry.

MontanaKarl

Chris_QPW said:

@MontanaKarl just so you know, it is called Windows Defender and it comes free with Windows, not part of Microsoft 365.

I know we're off-topic now... and Defender was part of Windows forever AFAIK, but with Microsoft's rebranding of Microsoft 365, they now claim that Microsoft Defender (different than the old Windows Defender?  Dunno.) is exclusively part of the Microsoft 365 subscription:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/microsoft-defender-for-individuals

Some searching leads to this article... which suggests that there is nothing new, just a name change... which makes the Microsoft wording of 'exclusivity' to the 365 subscription odd:

https://www.pcworld.com/article/612730/microsoft-defender-preview-handson.html

tbf47

What size is your data file?

MontanaKarl

tbf47 said:

What size is your data file?

Guess that was to me?  My QDF is 186 MB with over 56,000 transactions and more than 100 accounts if I include the closed/hidden ones.

tbf47

@MontanaKarl
Thanks.  My is QDF is 175 MB.  I thought maybe that was the reason for slow performance.  This machine is relatively new (2 yrs).  If it were connectivity I believe would see it manifested on my other computers.  

tbf47

@MontanaKarl   yesterday I deleted and restored Quicken.  Slow program performance was not affected.  Today I may try to load this on an entirely different machine

MontanaKarl

Quite the mystery, @tbf47
A year ago, I bought a cheap HP laptop at Costco for around 400 with specs like in your original post... well, maybe its a 256 GB SSD and Windows 11.  Quicken launches instantly and all actions are also instant.  So, I can't imagine it is the small memory/etc.
Does everything else run well?  Will be interested to hear what happens on a different machine...  if bad performance there, may point to an issue with your data file...

tbf47

@MontanaKarl   I will let you know.  Not sure I mentioned it but I ran file Validate this past weekend also. Hopefully I will give the other machine a try today.  thanks

tbf47

@MontanaKarl  So, this afternoon I tried Quicken on a 4mg box.  It has never had Quicken.  Ran faster than my office box.  Weird.  What should I check for on my office windows machine that could be slowing this down

MontanaKarl

@tbf47 At least now we know it is the other computer and not something in your data file.  Have you tried restarting the slow computer in safe mode to be sure that any antivirus etc is not running.  Things run slower anyway in safe mode, but if Quicken actually runs faster than before, it’ll confirm that it is some other startup item that is affecting It.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/start-your-pc-in-safe-mode-in-windows-92c27cff-db89-8644-1ce4-b3e5e56fe234

tbf47

@MontanaKarl
 I tried your suggestion.  There was no difference in the launch in Safe Mode.  Please feel free to send any other suggestions.   Thanks for the advise it is much appreciated.  

MontanaKarl

@tbf47 Could you give the complete specs of each computer including operating system version from the Windows > Settings > About screen?  (Don't share your Device ID / Product ID or anything personal)

If Windows 10 or 11 is it Home or Pro?  Is it Windows "S" mode?

The fact that your other computer ran faster (but fast?) says its not Quicken, but I'm not sure we can diagnose things from here.

tbf47

@MontanaKarl

I am going to give the Quicken Mac a tryout. I noticed on the PC the QIF Export in *Newer Quicken for Mac versions open Quicken for Windows file directly. So, I am interpreting that as I can do a file backup to flash drive on the PC then open that very file with Quicken on Mac? Thank you for the help.

Rocket J Squirrel

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20341977#Comment_20341977

That verbiage is talking about QIF files, not QDF files.

tbf47

@Rocket J Squirrel

Thanks for the heads up. To keep my PC version as the “keeper” until I am sure, how do you suggest I proceed to export my PC data file for a trial use on the MAC? Thank you

MontanaKarl

@tbf47

Just put your normal QWin QDF data file on a thumb drive or otherwise onto the Mac. When you get the start window, choose the option for a Quicken Windows file and youI'll be prompted through the conversion process which involves uploading the file to the cloud for conversion. My file was apparently too big for this process and failed to convert using this standard / recommended method.. If the QDF conversion fails, post back and I'll give the alternative method.

tbf47

@MontanaKarl,

I made back up on a thumb drive on QWin. Placed the file on my Mac desktop. QMac does not see it a file that can me opened.

Mac does not see it as a QDF file. It sees it as a Unix Executable.

Please advise. Thanks

MontanaKarl

@tbf47

You do not OPEN the QDF on your Mac. You launch Quicken and respond to the Let's get started screen by saying you have a Windows file and clicking Next. You'll be asked to browse to the QDF file etc. macOS doesn't need to know what a QDF file is.