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Opening old file screws up current file really bad

SGK

Have current Quicken file working perfectly. Open an old archive year end file where data is needed for that prior year for tax purposes. Go back to the original file. The data from the two files will partially merge, accounts are all messed up accounts disappear, updates pull down all data again - terrible things happen. The only way to get back to any semblance of where things were is to do a restore to the current account from a backup several days old. Even Sync settings gets messed up. This should not be the behavior. Opening an old file should not cause it to partially merge with the current file. This is just unacceptable behavior, and it is not a new problem. For the record, during the last year I have kept a spreadsheet of all my banking and finances because I can complete my work in the morning in 5 minutes, whereas I have to wait all day sometimes for Quicken updates to be current so I can do my finances if using Quicken. Quicken adds work rather than saving me time. For the record, I will not be renewing your product this year - and I have been a client of yours since DOS days. Your product is very poorly designed now when opening an old file messes up the existing file. Archive year end copies should not affect current copies. I suggest you fix things like this before you lose more clients.

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splasher

Are you using or have sync to the Quicken Cloud Account turned on? Quicken sees the old file and the current file as the same file and therefore tries to make the old one look like the new one and vice versa.

swartz10

WHY????

Been having similar problems. Have spent days trying to fix/repair damage to multiple accounts.

splasher

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20401543#Comment_20401543

Like I said, Quicken thinks they are the same file, they have the same internal file id and they are both connected to the same Quicken Cloud Account which is where all of the QMobile/QWeb information is stored/synced to.

This is just one of many reasons why I would never use QMobile/QWeb.

Chris_QPW

One should never do any online activities in an old data file, with the only exception maybe being that you are going abandon the current data file for and only proceed to use the old one. And even that is very risky. As @splasher pointed out your data file isn't an independent thing anymore. It is connected to the Quicken Cloud dataset (even without Sync to Mobile/Web, but especially if that is being used) and as such you can't willy, nilly open/use old data files.

In theory if you do a restore instead of just opening the old data file, it should give that data file a new unique Id and a new Quicken Cloud dataset. But the very fact that it leaves the online connections in place means that things can happen in very strange ways because you now have two data files using the same connections.

This is probably one of the main reasons the "Copy" function of Quicken now disconnects all online connections as well as giving the copy a different unique Id and Quicken Cloud dataset.

SGK

you cannot avoid online. The Quicken program goes online regardless how I have it set. They even say so. They want to datamine you. The ONLY way you can avoid it is to use their program only as a spreadsheet or check register and never get your online balance to reconcile.

"Note: Turning off Sync will only disable Mobile & Web services. It will not stop your Quicken program from syncing with your Cloud Account although the data saved in your Cloud Account going forward will be minimal and it will not include any financial data. If you want Quicken to stop syncing with your Cloud Account you will need to stop using all of Quicken's Online Services (including downloads via OSU and QFX/Quicken format manual downloads from your financial institutions) so you will need to manually enter all your accounts transactions and securities prices. The best thing to do to ensure this is to deactivate all of your accounts that you use with OSU and with manual QFX/Quicken format downloads from your financial institutions. You can deactivate your accounts from the Online Services tab of Account Details: "

Ps56k2

@SGK - do you have the Quicken Cloud enabled for Mobile and Web access ?

Not sure why anyone goes thru the hassle of chopping up their Quicken QDF file into more separate files -
Since you are a long time user, as some of us are,
why not just keep one single QDF file with everything you could ever want to review ? and not create problems in the future -

splasher

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20402921#Comment_20402921

True, you can not avoid "online", but if you don't use Q-Web/QMobile, don't use Express Web Connect, don't use Express Web Connect+, the only information in the Quicken Cloud Account would be your Quicken account information about your subscription. There isn't much data mining to be gotten there that isn't all over the internet already.

Chris_QPW

This is an incorrect statement:

(including downloads via OSU and QFX/Quicken format manual downloads from your financial institutions) so you will need to manually enter all your accounts transactions and securities prices.

You can certainly use both Direct Connect and QFX files and these transactions will not be synced to the Quicken Cloud dataset unless you turn on Sync to Mobile/Web.

In the case of Direct Connect that is a communication of Quicken (the program) directly with the financial institution. With QFX/Web Connect files you are importing the file directly into Quicken (the program).

With Express Web Connect and Express Web Connect + the data flow is:

Quicken (the program) ←> Quicken Connect Services/Quicken Cloud dataset ←> Intuit server ←> financial institution

And both of these cache some of your transactions. In the case of Intuit I believe it is about a month's worth. In the case of the Quicken Connect services, all indications are that is has the same policy as Sync to Mobile/Web, which means it probably retains all the go through it.

SGK

visiting this again. I made the terrible mistake of creating year end files. It used to be I could open one, find a specific transaction then close it and open the present file with no linking. That is not true anymore. My old year end archive files are for practical purposes useless. Thank you programmers at Quicken. Is it more fun to play with finger paints and make new flashy screens than to keep the customer's data intact? Must be because that seems to be the mantra of the present generation of programmers. That said, is there anyway to import the prior years so I can have one searchable file, or am I just screwed by the changes at Quicken as to how they look at old files. I read some other threads that seem to imply it is a world of hurt to try to bring the old year end data back into a live file without hosing the present file beyond repair. I am picky in that I balance to the penny daily. That is the only reason I own Quicken. Presently I have created a spreadsheet for this year, 2023, with intent of having independent years - but if I am to keep quicken on its next renewal I either need to be able to search old year end files or combine them. All my accounts are web express. My banks tell me Quicken sold them on the idea that was a better way to do things so they converted. They were as frustrated with Quicken as I was, and had to keep full time staff at the bank just to deal with Quicken problems.

splasher

Web Express, there is no such thing. The is Direct Connect (DC), Web Connect (WC), Express Web Connect (EWC) and Express Web Connect+ (EWC+). DC, EWC & EWC+ all deal with One Step Update. WC is the user manually downloading from the FI's website a .QFX file that is then imported into Quicken.

You might try opening your year-end-copy/archive with your computer disconnected from the internet, that would prevent it from do a sync to the Quicken Cloud Account since it would appear that you are using QMobile/Q-Web if opening up an old copy of your data file is causing problems in your current file when you change back to it.

As far as recombining your data files, it involves a LOT OF WORK. See this thread:

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7150406/how-to-merge-two-quicken-files

SGK

oh well. The whole idea using Quicken the last 30 years has been to make less work. Guess it is time to just move on to the spreadsheet and call it a day with Quicken. Not only is it (Quicken) more expensive but less convenient. Thank you for a good 30 years. It is 11am, I updated my spread sheet hours ago and paid the bills. Quicken update still isn't pulling the day's transactions down, and might not until late in the day or tomorrow. Time to close out a chapter of my life.

Chris_QPW

For what it is worth. Sometimes it isn't even that a program like Quicken has "changed" or has problems like you are encountering. Sometimes we are the ones that have changed. For me personally, I have long ago "semi-retired", my finances are much simpler, and I really don't need Quicken for them anymore. I use Quicken more as a hobby than anything else.

I think a lot of people that think they need the current Quicken would be better off just using the free Quicken 2013 Deluxe that is available. This is the last truly offline version. But like you said in a lot of cases even that isn't really needed.

People tend to forget that the majority of people don't use Quicken or even programs like them and still somehow survive.