Blank screen issue and OneDrive

Ray Cosner

Everyone,

• User error, see below.

splasher

Definitely, a man of few words.

Ray Cosner

My first very short post was a fat-finger error.

For a couple weeks, I have been having the same problem many other people have reported - blank screen when opening Q, must select the QDF file, enter Quicken password, then proceed normally. I have been using OneDrive since 2014 for almost everything on my PC, including my working QDF file, with no problems.

I tried the solutions recommended by @Jim_Harman - Both his Option A and B cleared my Q launch problem, with some additional benefits. First, I paused OneDrive syncing, and Q launched cleanly. I then moved my working QDF file outside the OneDrive System, rebooted, and that also launched cleanly. There were a couple unanticipated benefits. (1) The One Step Update now runs significantly faster - about 20 seconds instead of 2 minutes. (2) The sync to Q web/Mobile has reliably corrupted my Tax Planner for at least five years, but now it runs quickly and reliably. I still keep my Q backup files on OneDrive.

As mentioned above, I have used OneDrive extensively for nine years, including keeping the QDF on OneDrive. I had complete trust in OneDrive. Once, it really saved my bacon. One day I discovered that all my Q files had vanished from my PC, including Q software, and all my QDF and backup files (I have discussed this previously in this forum). After a moment of panic, I found everything in the OneDrive recycle bin, restored all the Quicken stuff, and I was back in business in five minutes just as if nothing had happened!!!

I spent some time this morning reviewing Microsoft's log of OneDrive updates. They have installed 6-8 updates on my PC just in October (i.e., very active with updates). That suggests why our problems suddenly began a few weeks ago. I hope that someday soon, with no fanfare, these problems will disappear. From a recent moderator post, I know Quicken people are discussing this issue with Microsoft.

Running Quicken Classic Premier R52.33 on Windows 11 Home insider beta version.

Quicken Jasmine

Hello @Ray Cosner,

Did you experience this issue with your Beta files?

Thanks!

Ray Cosner

Yes.

At first I thought this was likely a Quicken issue. My initial thoughts centered on the server I suppose Quicken uses to validate a user's license during the launch process. Some of the Community messages the past five days led me to start wondering about OneDrive despite my long and positive experience with it. That left me willing to try out @Jim_Harman's suggestions for corrective action. By that time, I was aware that Quicken staff had already concluded it was most likely a OneDrive issue and had opened discussion with Microsoft.

The beta version of Win-11 is generally pretty stable, but it has quirks and other issues from time to time - MS provides a web app for reporting these. OneDrive, however, is not distributed as a part of Windows betas. It's on its own update cycle, not part of Windows Update which is how the Windows betas are distributed. OneDrive uses "quiet" (stealthy) updates.