Quicken loses last download stamp for accounts when datafile copied to new computer.

leishirsute

@Boatnmaniac Everytime I copy my Quicken datafile to a new computer, the date/time stamp of last transaction download is lost on several accounts. They still display on the older computer, but the new computer loses them. It's frustrating. I opened this new discussion to stay on topic. This time all the EWC+ accounts display last download info correctly and Fidelity accounts are missing date time stamps even though they seem to be updating.

Original thread was at:

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20425007#Comment_20425007

Could your earlier suggestion still be a solution?

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7932531/time-date-stamp-of-last-account-update

Chris_QPW

If you want it changed, you need to submit an idea to be voted on. The information is stored in the runtime.dat file, which is a "config file" and not contained in the Quicken data file. For any given set of information, the developer has to decide what information is store at what "level", not all of it is stored in the data file.

For instance, a preference that people might have not noticed that isn't stored in the data file is the width of the Account bar. In any given application there is the program's data file(s), the "user level" data, and the global data.

runtime.dat is stored at the global level for whatever reason.

Boatnmaniac

@leishirsute - Thanks for starting a new thread on this subject. It was definitely the right thing to do.

To state what @Chris_QPW said in another way: When you copy your data file to another computer, you are leaving the runtime.dat file behind on the original computer. So on the other computer when you run OSU Quicken should create the runtime.dat file there or, if a runtime.dat file is already on the other computer from a prior copy instance, Quicken should be updating that runtime.dat file.

When you run OSU, are the date/time stamps not being correctly updated?

Also, I hope you are aware of the risks of copying and running a common data file on multiple computers. It can be managed but all it takes is one instance of not carefully following the protocol and it can really mess up the data in that file.

QuickUserPSP

All of the last update time and dates should update on the new computer once an update is done either by OSU, Update Now, or Web Connect. If they don't that would signify a connection issue rather than just a missing or stale last update date and time.

I wouldn't recommend deleting the "runtime.dat" file or any configuration file. It can cause data file corruption that is difficult to recover from. And more importantly, if you do delete the "runtime.dat" file, it is critical that you close and reopen Quicken before your run the OSU. Doing an OSU right after deleting the runtime.dat file can also cause date file corruption.

If you run an update and the last update date and time is still missing or if you get the CC-800 error, the best thing to do is to deactivate and reactivate online connections for the affected accounts.

QuickUserPSP

@Chris_QPW your idea of making the "runtime.dat" part of the QDF files makes good sense. If the runtime.dat file is important to maintain online connections it should be copied as part of the QDF file.

That makes me think what if you copied the "runtime.dat" file along with the QDF each time you moved from one computer to another? Would that solve the connection issues?

Chris_QPW

@QuickUserPSP I would give that a definite maybe. 😉 I'm in fact, not even the one that found that is information was stored there, and it is in binary format so I have no idea what all it has in it or what affect it would have to move it to another machine.

QuickUserPSP

@Chris_QPW - I can open the runtime.dat file in Notepad and it is readable. It does have coding and the last update day and time. But again, I wouldn't delete it because all the information would not be reproduced in a newly recreated file.

Chris_QPW

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20425083#Comment_20425083

Oops, my mistake, I thought I had tried to read it at one time and was binary. But I certainly wouldn't copy it around either.

QuickUserPSP

@Chris_QPW I agree that might not be a good idea either.

I don't know if they changed something recently, but I did some testing and it looks like if you move your QDF file from one computer to another, online connections for all accounts using EWC or EWC+ get broken in BOTH computers after you do an OSU. The only stable connections were the accounts using DC.

I got CC-800 errors in the "to" computer. In the "from" computer, the last update and time disappeared for all EWC and EWC+ accounts.

I had to disconnect and reconnect online services for all accounts with EWC and EWC+ in the "from" computer to get them working again.

leishirsute

@Boatnmaniac from your statement above, should I be able to copy the runtime.dat file from old computer to the new computer to restore the date time stamps? When I run OSU, the date time stamps are updating for all accounts except fidelity, which remains blank. However, downloaded transactions are working for fidelity. Maybe an account reset for just fidelity may be the best course of action.

leishirsute

UPDATE

I copied the runtime.dat files from the working computer to the new computer and that fixed the time stamp display for all accounts.

Previously removing the runtime.dat files in the new computer did not resolve the stamp stamp for the Fidelity account. Strange behavior.

Boatnmaniac

@QuickUserPSP -

I don't know if they changed something recently, but I did some testing and it looks like if you move your QDF file from one computer to another, online connections for all accounts using EWC or EWC+ get broken in BOTH computers after you do an OSU.

The only stable connections were the accounts using DC.

When deleting the runtime.dat file because of corruption of that file, the exact same thing happens in the data file with the EWC and EWC+ connections being broken and needing to be set up, again. DC connections remain unaffected. I'm thinking this is because EWC/EWC+ connections are maintained and run via the Cloud Account which the runtime.dat file must interface with but DC connections are "direct".

If is logical that moving/copying the data file to another computer without also moving the runtime.dat file would produce the same results.

I got CC-800 errors in the "to" computer. In the "from" computer, the last update and time disappeared for all EWC and EWC+ accounts.

A common cause of persistent CC-800 errors is a corrupted or missing runtime.dat file.

I had to disconnect and reconnect online services for all accounts with EWC and EWC+ in the "from" computer to get them working again.

This is also required after deleting a corrupted runtime.dat file….connections need to be setup, again.

Boatnmaniac

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20425181#Comment_20425181

I wasn't sure if runtime.dat file(s) could be successfully & functionally copied from one computer to another. Good to know that it can be done and that it appears to have resolved the issue for you.

QuickUserPSP

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20425181#Comment_20425181

Glad it worked. As @Chris_QPW mentioned it would make more sense if the "runtime.dat" file was a part of the data file (QDF) because it seems to be critical to maintaining a solid, stable connection.

That is an improvement idea that maybe we can suggest.

leishirsute

ADDITIONAL UPDATE

I copied the runtime.dat files from the working Windows 10 Pro computer
to a new Windows 11 Pro computer and that fixed the time stamp display for all
accounts on the new computer.

Previously removing the runtime.dat files in the new
computer did not resolve the time stamp for the Fidelity account.