Quicken Mac Freezes in the database update
Can't even open quicken. got a Database update dialog. Freezes right at the end. Have forced quit a few times and freezes in the same place
Answers
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Taked with support-
Thank you so much for your time and patience to this matter. I was checking on my resources, and It seems that this is a known issue. It has been escalated, since in your case the issue started yesterday, open quicken > go to the "Quicken" menu located in the upper left corner, next to the apple logo > check for updates. If It shows you that you have the latest version, I will recommend you to please wait 24 hours more, and try again.
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I just bought it yesterday, entered in all my information last night, and now today I am stuck on this interminable "database update" error. I have deleted and reinstalled the app several times. I have tried to use the backup file. Nothing works. WHY?
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So I trashed the app using AppCleaner, making sure to save my Quicken files somewhere else before doing it, and trashed all the Quicken app files. Then I clean installed Quicken, and this time, suspecting that the Mac iCloud-synced Documents folder where Quicken normally installs might be trouble, I created a Quicken un-synced folder on my hard drive, and restored from my backup Quicken file — also suspecting that the main file might also be corrupt. So far, it works:
Steps:
- Make a copy of your quicken files: your main quicken file and the latest backup;
- Make a new Quicken folder which is NOT synced to iCloud or Dropbox
- store those two files there
- Trash Quicken (using the free AppCleaner; it delete ALL the little files hidden everywhere)
- Reboot if you want (not necessary)
- Reinstall quicken from the DMG file you downloaded (you do not need to redownload unless you have an older version)
- When it asks you for what to do, choose "open a quicken file" on the bottom of the dialog box
- Open your backup file, restore
If it crashes again, or hangs on the Database Update forever screen, I will report back. If not, consider this a fix
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It is recommended NEVER to place the Quicken data file in a cloud synced location. This can eventually result in permissions related database corruption. Lots of info on this if you do a search.
Quicken does NOT place the Quicken data file in the Documents folder by default, probably for this very reason. The default location for the file is (user) > Library > Application Support > Quicken > Documents. This is not the same as the user Documents folder and it is not normally synced by iCloud Drive.
Trashing (or temporarily moving) the file (user) > Library > Preferences > com.quicken.Quicken.plist will make Quicken forget the last file opened and let you point it to a different file without getting stuck in the database update hang. That's probably what App Cleaner did for you. (Although when stuck in the database update hang, you may still be able to use menu File > Open to open the non-cloud-synced copy of the file without having to trash the prefs file.)
Quicken Mac Subscription; Quicken Mac user since the early 90s1 -
thanks.. I was able to File…Open during the database update hang, but it didn't do anything and I couldn't access my accounts. I thought that doing so and force quitting may have corrupted the file. Not sure about the sync folder issue, I know some apps don't play nice with it; I believe it was trying to sync to my icloud. Anyway, things are working now. Spent an hour of lost time on this issue, and we still do not have an explanation as to WHY it happened nor how to PREVENT it from happening again. I am sure the .plist file you mention is the culprit, but why isn't it fixed. I am not the only one.
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Just an update. I closed Quicken and reopened it. Database update hang again. So I deleted the plist file and it made me choose my file to use. And it worked. So now I have to delete that file every single time I open Quicken? Please I hope they can fix this. I have the latest MacOS.
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What is the location of your data file?
And what version of Quicken Mac are you running? Database updates typically only occur if you are updating the Quicken app to a new version and the data file needs to be updated for compatibility.
Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 19930 -
Using an uninstaller fixed the issue.
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the data file is in [name of mac account]/Quicken which I created to make sure it is not being synced by Apple's iCloud service or Dropbox
latest version of Quicken (I checked for updates) and latest MacOS
I have not closed Quicken yet, and now the dates are awry. It thinks it is still January 1st. What is going on with this application?
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What is going on with this application?
Whatever is going on appears to be something with your Mac rather than the application. Quicken gets today’s date from macOS. Even if you leave Quicken running overnight, typing ‘t’ in a date field should fill in the current date, not the date it was when you launched the program.
As an experiment, you might want to try restarting your Mac in Safe Mode (hold down the Shift key when you restart until it fully boots), and then launch Quicken to see if things are different or not.
Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 19930 -
Startup in Safe Mode is different if you have a Mac with Apple Silicon chip:
Quicken Mac Subscription; Quicken Mac user since the early 90s2 -
I have a silicon chip mac…What will safe mode do? It is only diagnostic but doesn't explain or help why the .plist file is always a problem. I now will close Quicken finally after being open for 4 days. Here's a screenshot from the Billing section. It says it is due in 5 days. Which makes me think Quicken still thinks it's Jan 1 — the day when I opened the app and haven't closed it yet. I will do it now
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Ok. Update. I first closed my Quicken file. Then I closed the app. I restarted Quicken from the app (not clicking on the Quicken file, my .quicken file), and it did the Database Update, but did it very quickly and opened up my file. All dates are correct now.
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Good to hear that it sounds like you've got it solved.
Quicken Mac Subscription; Quicken Mac user since the early 90s0 -
@rvd Screens don't dynamically update with the changing of one day to the next; you need to do something to cause the screen to refresh. If you create a new transaction and press 't' for today, that causes it to pull the current date from macOS. With the Bills & Income screen, I think if you had switched to another screen and then clicked back to this screen, you would have seen the dates update.
As @RickO says, hopefully now that it completed the database update successfully, you're over the hump of whatever problem you were experiencing. I'd be curious to know if you see a message about a database update next time you launch Quicken; you shouldn't. If you do, it would indicate to me that there's something wrong in the preferences file which makes it keep thinking you need an update when you don't. You should only see a message about database updates during installation of new versions of Quicken. Usually this is only for the feature updates (e.g. 7.4, 7.5, 7.6 etc.) and not the bug fix updates (e.g. 7.4.1, 7.4.2, etc.)
Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 19930 -
@jacobs I appreciate that but i did do that. no matter what transactions were entered, or downloaded, or if I switched screens as you say, the "date" stayed at Jan 1.
the database update happened once when I closed my file, then closed the app, and reopened the app. Once that was done (it took a few seconds), i closed it again and opened it again, and never saw the update dialog again. It seems solved, but at least i know the troubleshooting step: delete the plist file and open again.
thanks for everyone's help
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