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File size (Q Win 2004)

Dandy1903

I have used Quicken 2004 for 20 years. I have always ended the year by archiving my file. Recently I have realized that my files might be too large. Would ending the year by starting a new year rather than archiving the data, reduce the size of my data file? Is there something else I could do? Thank you for your help.

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splasher

Lots of users use the word "archive" and mean very different things. EXACTLY how are you "archiving"?

Dandy1903

At the end of the year I go to File>File Operations>Year End Copy. Here I choose Archive. There it describes what

'Archive" is. I am using Qkn 2004.

splasher

Okay, so we have established that you are doing year-end-copy to archive. Some folks consider making a once a year backup on Jan 1st as an archive.

What do you consider to "be too large"? My data file with transactions all the back to 1996 is 106MB. I do not store attachments in my file, so that is all data, no pictures.

Dandy1903

Excuse me but did you see a reply from me over the weekend? I left a detailed explanation of the problem I'm having but it appears that it didn't post.

splasher

The posts in this thread are the only ones made by @Dandy1903, so I don't know anything about your weekend reply.

Once again, "What do you consider to "be too large""?

One thing to know/remember about YEC, it does NOT reduce/remove any investment transactions since they are necessary for information at the lot level.

See this FAQ about YEC:

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7149937/faq-year-end-copy

Dandy1903

Thx for your response. I have read through it and it has answered some questions. I'll try again.

There are two reasons for my question about file size:

Quicken began to open slowly so I thought the data file was too large. The size of the file is 99MB for years 2004 to date so compared to yours, mine is fine.
1. Your attached articles described file openings of 10+ seconds. Mine takes about that long at first then as described in the articles is faster after that.
I attempted to load Quicken 2023 Classic Deluxe for Windows. Quicken Support walked me through the process of loading 2013 and converting the files. However, we were unable to get it to work. It would not finish converting the files. I finally went back to Qkn 2004. Support thought perhaps there was something wrong with the file. I can't remember if they addressed file size as being a problem. I just thought it could be the problem.

You mentioned validating data. What is that?

Thanks for your help.

splasher

Validating is a Quicken process (File menu) that checks your data for consistency in the connections between transactions.

It doesn't hurt to run it. It will make a backup of the data file and put it in a folder named Validate where your data file is stored. It may point some things that need to be manually fixed.

Dandy1903

How long should it take to validate my 99MB file?

Dandy1903

I ran Validation on my Qkn file. Does it produce a report?

Chris_QPW

It should have brought up the log after it finished, but you can see the last log file by selecting:

File → Validate and Repair File … → Validate & Repair Log

Dandy1903

I am using Qkn 2004 and I don't see Validate and Repair File on the menu bar.

Chris_QPW

In older versions of Quicken Validate and Repair is on: File → File Operations…

Dandy1903

Thank you for letting me know about your file size, My file is 99MB, includes 2003 to date and is only data. So I guess I'm good on that.

There are 2 reasons I asked about the size of the data are:

Slow to open
1. The application is slow to open at times so I thought it was because the data file had gotten too large.
Inability to install Qkn 2023
1. I purchased the 2023 Classic Quicken Deluxe but was unable to install it. I had to install Qkn 2013 first and convert the data before uninstalling 2013 and installing 2023 and coverting data. However, the data would not convert to 2013. I thought that perhaps my 2004 data file was too large.
2. Quicken Support walked me through all of this.
  1. I can't remember if they said anything about file size. They thought that there is a glitch in my software but the copy we were trying to convert was a fresh copy from their website.
  2. I scanned my computer before all this and it is clean. I may scan it again.

Since it would not install, I am back with 2004. It works fine now and so far is opening faster. I just thought it was time for an upgrade.

Thx for your help.

Chris_QPW

In general, the size of the data file has nothing to do with the speed. What is in the data file can affect it though. For instance, slowness in a given investment account can be because of the number of securities/security lots/transactions. For other slowdowns it is mostly corruption in the data file or some external problem with the computer like drivers or maybe even corrupted Quicken configuration files.

If you don't need any online functions, you really shouldn't go past Quicken 2013, which is the last version that works completely separate from the Quicken servers (no Quicken Id). As you have seen you can install, and use Quicken 2013 for free.

Dandy1903

when Qkn support helped me with upgrading 2023, we weren’t able to convert files. I hopped the validation scan would generate a file with results but it didn’t. Where would I find it?

Chris_QPW

You can open the last Validate & Repair log by going into Validate & Repair and there is a button at the bottom to open the log file. Frankly, I doubt that will help. Of things that it reports that the user can fix, those shouldn't have stopped Quicken from converting/opening the file. Another words, if the automatic changes Validate & Repair makes don't fix it, it is probably not fixable.

If one really wants to try to get the data transferred, you could try to export/import a QIF file. See this:

https://www.quicknperlwiz.com/changetransfers.html

Dandy1903

thank you. Qkn 2004 only has Validate. There is no Vaidate & repair.

Chris_QPW

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20397120#Comment_20397120

Just a name change on the menu. It is Validate and repair. What they attempt to repair will change for different versions of Quicken, but they will all try to do it. Note if you haven't already, do the validate and repair in both Quicken 2004 and Quicken 2013, before trying to load it into Quicken Subscription for its conversion.

UKR

If you are running on Windows 10 or 11 with the latest Windows Updates installed please do be sure that MS OneDrive is NOT actively accessing the active Quicken data file while you're trying to run Quicken. As of the latest updates, OneDrive will always run in the background by default and will interfere with Quicken operations.

Pause MS OneDrive before you start Quicken. There's a Taskbar icon for that.
Resume OneDrive after you have closed Quicken.

If you know how to (or of its possible to do so), configure OneDrive to exclude the Quicken data files from its processing. It's OK to send Quicken-created backups to a folder processed by OneDrive.

Dandy1903

great advice. Thanks. I have onedrive running all the time. I’ll exclude anctive Qkn files and include the backup only.