Location of backup files when using multiple Quicken files

JimInMN

I use Quicken for Windows. I use four separate Quicken files: one for my family's finances, one for the finances of an estate for which I am the executor, and two for nonprofits for which I am treasurer. Until just now, I have had a separate folder for each Quicken file Family.QDF, etc.. Call the folders Family, Estate, NP1, and NP2. The automatic backup files, I then hoped, would be stored in folders Family\Backup, Estate\Backup, NP1\Backup, and NP2\Backup. However, that isn't what happened. The backups for Family.QDF might be stored in any of the Backup folders. I couldn't explain that.

Now I think I know what is happening. Can anyone confirm this: After opening one of the Quicken files, I would go to Edit→Preferences→Backup, where i could Open or Change the backup directory. I discovered that, regardless of which Quicken file I had opened, the settings were the same. In other words, if I opened the backup directory, it would show the same directory regardless of which Quicken file I had opened. That suggests that the backup preferences are associated with the installation of Quicken on my computer, not with each separate Quicken file.

Based on this, I have moved all four Quicken QDF files (Family.QDF, etc.) into a single folder called Quicken, which has a subfolder Quicken\Backup in which backups of all four Quicken files are stored. This seems to work.

A related annoyance: Before consolidating the files and backup folders, I noticed that I had several nested backup folders, e.g. Family\Backup\Backup. This seems to be because when you change the location of the Backup folder, you are meant to select the folder in which Quicken will create a Backup folder, not the backup folder itself, even though the text in the dialog box says "Browse for automatic backup folder…" However, confusingly, if you ask to open the backup folder, you will open the backup folder itself. Can anyone confirm this behavior?

Ps56k2

yup - the normal structure is .. for all your named QDF files and their related files…

/quicken/ and /quicken/backup/

wmduncan

Is it possible to have different backup folders for each of my accounts?

I would like to have the backups for my nonprofit's account go to my Dropbox folder so other officers can take over the treasury accounting if I am hit by the proverbial beer truck. But I don't want them to have access to my personal Quicken account data — that's for my executor.

Ps56k2

@wmduncan - terminology - "Account" - what do you mean ?

A Quicken Account is just a piece of the entire Quicken QDF data file -
and you only backup the entire QDF data file.
You can manually point the Copy/Backup function to create the Backup anywhere you want -
but it is suggested that you have Quicken create any backups on the local C drive -
and then copy those files off to a thumb drive, dropbox, or whatever.

Might suggest that you create your non-profit in a totally separate Quicken QDF file -
then you don't have any personal info or personal accounts along with the non-profit accounts

Rocket J Squirrel

Quicken remembers the last 5 most recently used manual backup paths. When performing a manual backup, you should be able to choose the destination from the "Where would you like to put your backup copy?" pull-down menu.

Unfortunately for your use case, the automatic backup destination is global across all data files. [EDIT: this is wrong, see below.]

volvogirl

There are 2 kinds of Backups in Quicken, Manual and Automatic. For Manual Backups you can tell it where to put the backup file and if you want to add the current date to the end of the name or to overwrite any existing backup file. If you add the date to the end of the name over time you will end up with a lot of files.

In addition to any manual backups you make, Quicken makes an automatic backup after so many times (which you can set). Quicken makes all automatic backups to a folder named "BACKUP" in the same folder where your Quicken data resides. So if you have data files in separate folders then each folder will have a separate Backup subfolder.

Your data is kept in a file ending in .qdf. So look for files that might have .qdf or .qdf-backup in them. Starting with the 2010 version they added "-backup" to the file extension.

To do a manual backup go to FILE - Backup and Restore - Backup or do Ctrl+B. Or I put a backup icon on my toolbar.

Backup to Drop Box on Windows https://www.quicken.com/support/how-do-i-backup-my-quicken-file-using-dropbox-windows

Backup Preferences FAQ https://help.quicken.com/display/WIN/Backup%2Bpreferences?_ics=1689093060969&irclickid=~950YPMDwnsAxyxmgeflri-a7Y3UVX48-1ZXSUJKJFEupf~9ZYWRI

Rocket J Squirrel

I incorrectly wrote

Unfortunately for your use case, the automatic backup destination is global across all data files.

@volvogirl is correct when she wrote

if you have data files in separate folders then each folder will have a separate Backup subfolder.

Amazing how one can learn something about Quicken every day.