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Phantom transaction that I can't delete

larryjoeb

I have a checking account with a transaction showing a deposit from a mortgage dated 2/18/2004. When I click on "Go to matching transfer", I see the mortgage account, which which was opened in 2012 and obviously shows no corresponding transaction. If I try to delete the phantom checking account transaction, I get "This transaction is a transfer to a split and cannot be deleted here." If I search for the amount of the transfer, nothing shows up other than the phantom transaction in the checking account register.

I have tried Validate and Repair multiple times already.

How can I figure out what this transaction is for and how I can delete it?

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imdcareys

You can try going to Reports > Banking > Transaction and see if you can delete it there. Perhaps the same account was used previously and the prior transactions were deleted?

Also, if this has only recently become an issue, you might try opening a compatible backup file and try to see if the 'phantom' transaction appears. This might help you locate it in the current file.

There are people here who know a lot more about Q than me, so be on the lookout for suggestions from a SuperUser.

-Carey

Tom Young

The next step "above" simply validating the file is to first make a Quicken Copy, and then validating the COPIED file. The act of copying sometimes clears up corruption that simply validating doesn't. You will, though, have to make new downloading connections for all Accounts in the file.

mshiggins

What happens if you try to Cut the transaction as if you were going to cut and paste it?

larryjoeb

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20373124#Comment_20373124

I just tried that, and Quicken gives the same error message as when I try to delete the transaction.

larryjoeb

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20373121#Comment_20373121

When I tried making a copy (not a full backup) with all checkboxes selected, I got the following error: "Copy File was unsuccessful. Quicken can retry, ignoring individual items which can't be copied. Try again, ignoring item copy errors?"

I then click on "OK". The end result is a popup that says, "File NOT copied." I tried again but copied with the "Uncleared transactions", "Investment transactions", and "Attachments" checkboxes unselected, but the result was the same.

larryjoeb

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20373120#Comment_20373120

When I create a report using Reports > Banking > Transaction, I can see the problematic transaction. When I try to delete the transaction directly in the report, I get the same error message as when I try to delete the transaction in the register.

I also tried saving a backup file, but the phantom transaction also shows up. I also tried doing a copy instead of a full backup, but the copy was unsuccessful, i.e., didn't create a copy file.

Tom Young

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20373285#Comment_20373285

The inability to make a copy indicates, as I understand it, the the file is corrupt beyond repair. You may want to get in touch with Official Quicken Support

https://www.quicken.com/support#windows

to see if they have a more optimistic take.