Where are my attachments?

Michael Lynch

This new issue popped up a few days ago.
The paperclip displays to indicate my attachments are there,
but the attachment seems to be no longer available.
It also appears to be lost in the online app / sometimes.
I am getting all kinds of strange alerts from quicken that I've never seen before.
When I re-upload an attachment to a transaction, after getting the top message (seen below),
the same message and shading reoccurs but then it DOES display the newly re-uploaded attachment even though it said it was missing. It continues to say "the specified file could not be found" whether or not a attachment is there.

THIS IS SERIOUS!

I've attached images below..
The first one is from my Quicken App-online page.

This second one is from the Quicken Windows desktop.

Michael Lynch

I have solved my own problem.
It turned out that my attempt to output a custom year end tax-helping copy of my larger complete multi year file caused a processing delay so long I thought that Quicken had crashed. So after ten minutes or more of no-information occurring (including not getting a helpful notice telling me to be patient because this might take hours to process and no way to interrupt the delay or make the process end) I turned off the program and restarted it.
Somewhere along the line it made a new file but, possibly due to my turning it off in mid process, it did not link the attachment image files to their transactions.

Ultimately, I went back and recovered an older copy of the original large file and decided this time to wait a half hour or more (I went and shoveled snow) for something to happen

The old program came back with working attachments except for those that I had added since saving that backup.

That “make a special copy” process is fraught with problems - at least when dealing with lots of image attachments.

Quicken might want to consider making that a side-car type program that runs outside of Quicken altogether.

Quicken Anja

Hello @Michael Lynch,

To start with, I suggest that you please try validating and/or super validating your data file. However, I do recommend that you first save a backup file prior to performing these steps.

Validate: 

1. File
2. Validate and Repair File...
3. Validate File
4. Click OK
5. Close the Data Log
6. Close Quicken (leave it closed for at least 5 secs)
7. Reopen Quicken and see if the issue persists.

If the issue persists, proceed to Super Validate. If the issue is resolved after performing validation, then please disregard the instructions to Super Validate.

Super Validate:

1. File
2. Hold CTRL + Shift and click Validate and Repair File...
3. Super Validate File
4. Click OK
5. Close the Data Log
6. Close Quicken (leave it closed for at least 5 secs)
7. Reopen Quicken and see if the issue persists.

I hope this helps!

Michael Lynch

Possible reason: Today I noticed an alert from windows that my windows "One Drive" expired.
I was not aware my subscription added Quicken data without asking me.
And so far, I have not tested this possibility by renewing my windows "One Drive"

Michael Lynch

@Quicken Anja

Thanks for your attempt to help.
I had already attempted the validation, but had forgotten the secret “Super Validation” trick. (I forget why this is secret )

in any event this method did not work.
Still have not renewed my OneDrive

I just now checked available space on my laptop’s C:drive and it is 41.3GB.
I also have a Seagate 3.63TB backup drive with 812GB available.

Michael Lynch

What is particularly troubling is that occasionally, after getting an alert that “Quicken cannot complete your request because the specified file could not be found”, after I click the [OK] button, the attachment image (specified file) appears anyway.

Michael Lynch

I have solved my own problem.
It turned out that my attempt to output a custom year end tax-helping copy of my larger complete multi year file caused a processing delay so long I thought that Quicken had crashed. So after ten minutes or more of no-information occurring (including not getting a helpful notice telling me to be patient because this might take hours to process and no way to interrupt the delay or make the process end) I turned off the program and restarted it.
Somewhere along the line it made a new file but, possibly due to my turning it off in mid process, it did not link the attachment image files to their transactions.

Ultimately, I went back and recovered an older copy of the original large file and decided this time to wait a half hour or more (I went and shoveled snow) for something to happen

The old program came back with working attachments except for those that I had added since saving that backup.

That “make a special copy” process is fraught with problems - at least when dealing with lots of image attachments.

Quicken might want to consider making that a side-car type program that runs outside of Quicken altogether.

Quicken Anja

Thank you for following up and sharing the solution that worked for you! Glad to hear it has been resolved. 🙂