Quicken 2007 corrupt file-have older Mac, need help

ccdowney

Hello,

I need to figure out a solution so that I can also finish 2023 taxes. I've read some of the corrupt file discussions.

I've been using Quicken 2007 since the early 90s; I have a Mac/Mojave 10.14.6. I use Dropbox and usually backup by using Save A Copy of my Quicken file (qfdm) when I remember to do so (not a great system but I do have backups each year along the way). I was not saving Quicken with Time Machine (unless there is a secret backup happening that I am unaware of). I had been planning to upgrade Quicken, but I had this older computer so I put it off. I now have a newer MacBook Air/M1chip that I can use.

I opened up Quicken this week and it didn't open up normally where it shows a bar with my accounts; it seemed to be acting like it didn't know I had accounts set up…so I used Open File to open up one of my saved files (not sure that I should have done that). Our computer has been acting up so I wondered if it had something to do with the computer itself. When I opened the saved file, it gave me an error message; I think it said, "can't reconstruct all of your indexes and headers"; it did open the file and I can see my data. However, all of the Category information is wrong/missing, and there are some transactions missing across the years; however, there is quite a bit of data there (payee, $ amounts), which would be useful to have if I am going to reconstruct this information.

Trouble shooting: I made a copy of a data file, used File Open to open the file, used Command/Option/B, and then did a Save As; when I Save As, I am getting an error message that says "Unable to Erase Partly-Copied Files", and folders gets built with the file name I am trying to save as with these folders: Content>Messages with nothing in them.

I have closed Quicken and opened it again, did the Command/Option/B again and am still getting that error.

1. When I opened up the last saved file, did that cause the issue (perhaps the saved files were corrupt?)
2. When I go back a couple years and open up older qdfm files, I see the same data corruption (incorrect categories and missing transactions). Does it mean that there is something wrong with the application itself, or the actual saved files?
3. Is there a possible path here to correct the data so that the categories can be corrected?
4. I am able to make changes in the data file (ie change a Category to the correct one, log out of Quickbooks and log back in, and the change is still there.
5. I have a newer Macbook Air/MacOS12.1
6. It seems that this is the time to get a newer Quicken for my laptop and so I can get my 2023 bank information into Quicken asap so I can finish taxes. Can you advise which Quicken. I primarily use Quicken for bank transactions, budgeting, taxes.
7. It seems like it would be easier to download 2023 information from the bank and enter categories in the new Quicken at this time unless I can export a copy without Save As?
8. Once I set up Quicken on my new MacBook Air and the 2023 transactions are entered, could I then import prior years' info into the new Quicken later (for example, could I export 2018-2022 from Quicken 2007) and then change the categories in the new application if so, are there any issues with going from 2007 to the new application? Is it better to do this now? Would the data file issues cause issues with the new Quicken?
9. In future, should I backup to Time Machine?

I'm not very techy, so I appreciate your patience with my questions. Thanks for your help.

jacobs

Wow, lots to unpack here. I'm sorry you're going through this. You've unfortunately been living on borrowed time with both outdated software and an old computer, and it seems the grim reaper of old computers has come to claim its latest victim. 😥

It seems unlikely that the application program itself is damaged. At least I have never heard of that happening.

If the corruption exists in your backup files from years ago, there may not be much you can do to fully recover/correct that data. I once had a weird corruption issue in Quicken 2007 in which a chunk of transactions were shifted to a different date range, with some being lost, and all the transfers in that block of transactions were broken. I on;y discovered it a few years later, and there was nothing I could do to retroactively fix it. I did have an older data file from prior to whatever caused the corruption, but it would have taken a lot of manual work to fix the couple hundred transactions, and they were in an account with really didn't matter much for our historical record-keeping, so I just moved on. They key will be seeing if you find one of your files which is functionally okay in Quicken 2007 so you can move that data to the modern Quicken Mac.

If you open one of the backups from a year or two ago — and I highly recommend making COPIES of the backups before you open them, in order to preserve a copy completely unchanged — can you successfully perform the Command-Option-B index reconstruction?

In terms of moving to modern Quicken Mac, much will depend on what's damaged in your Quicken 2007 data file. If you can get a version which the Command-Option-B or Save a Copy works successfully, then you've got a somewhat good chance modern Quicken Mac will be able to import it. If your data file is damaged too much and those repair techniques don't work in Quicken 2007, then I'd guess that it's unlikely modern Quicken Mac will be unlikely to important your data. You can always purchase a subscription, install Quicken Mac on your MacBook Air, and try to import your Quicken 2007 data; if it proves unsuccessful and you decide not to continue, you can get a refund on Quicken within 30 days of purchase.

So that's my recommendation: buy a subscription to Quicken Mac, install it on the newer Mac, move all your data files and backups to the newer Mac, and try/hope you can get something fairly recent to convert properly so you don't lose all your years of data.

Important note: to move your data files and backups, I encourage you to make a compressed (.zip) copy of them before moving from one Mac to the other. To do that, simply click on a file or a folder in the Finder and do File > Compress. This will result in a .zip file that's safe to move to the MacBook Air. You can move the .zip file(s) via Airdrop if the computer are near each other, via a flash drive, via file sharing, even via email to yourself. Once you have the .zip file on the MacBook air, double-click it to un-zip it and restore the original file or folder.

Oh, the version you will want is Quicken Classic Deluxe for Mac. Quicken is now sold on a subscription basis, so you will have to adjust to the idea that you'll be paying a recurring fee to Quicken in the years ahead.

In order to import your data into Quicken Mac, you don't need to export anything; you just need to move the data file to your new Mac, start modern Quicken Mac, and tell it to create a new file starting from a Quicken 2007 data file. You'll select the data file, and if it works, it will go through a multi-step process resulting in a modern Quicken Mac data file. But it's possible it will stop during the process and tell you it's unable to export the data. There is no election of what data to migrate; it's all or nothing.

If you're struggling to import your old data and want to focus on 2023 in the new Quicken Mac in order to get your taxes done, I should warn you that most financial institutions allow Quicken to download only the last 90 days of transactions directly into the program. The issue for you will be to see if your bank(s) and credit card company(ies) also allow you to download a file of all your 2023 transactions in Quicken/QFX format, which you can them import into Quicken. Some financial institutions do, some don't.

Should you use Time Machine? I believe every Mac user should use Time Machine! 😀 The software is built into macOS, and all it requires is an inexpensive external hard drive. Turn Time Machine on in your system settings, and you're done; there's nothing to set up or configure — it will just do its thing and back up your entire Mac every hour. I think Time Machine is only a piece of a proper backup security strategy, but it's the first and easiest thing to implement. (I could talk more about that at another time).

Sorry, I didn't answer your questions in order, so if there are loose ends you have questions about or want to dive deeper on, please come back and ask more questions!

ccdowney

Hello thank you so much for this info. I wrote a long comment, but it didn't post. I am trying again to see if I can post before I write back again.

ccdowney

Hello, and thank you again! I looked around at all of my folders and somehow I found a datafile folder with an old date but noticed it had been updated in 2023 in a Quicken Files drive on my desktop. I'm not exactly sure where the Quicken Files drive came from...it looks like an external drive. I saved a copy per your advice, and my data is there! I purchased Quicken Mac, compressed my file, emailed it to myself, downloaded it, when I double clicked it said 'Unable to expand "1Backup060412.qdfm.zip" into Downloads. Error 79-Inappropriate File Content. I airdropped it and realized that my filename said copy at the end, so perhaps that caused the error. It took a long time but all of my transactions are downloaded into the new Quicken. I have some issues with some double transactions as I had entered in transactions by hand that didn't quite match, but I can figure that out. I also figured out I had Time Machine. So after I clean up these transactions, I can buy a new computer. I can already tell that Quicken Deluxe is going to be better for me than Q2007.

jacobs

@ccdowney I’m so glad to hear you were able to recover your data and get it imported into Quicken Mac, even though you have some cleanup work to do. Going forward, you’ll find there’s a bit of a learning curve as you get used to using it, but you now have your historical data secure in a modern, reliable database.

smayer97

Taking a step back, I have an important question… are your data files stored on an APFS drive or an HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) volume? (do a Get Info on the volume). This could be contributing to your woes, as QM2007 will generate errors if trying to perform file-based management on an APFS volume.

ccdowney

Thank you so much for this info! It has completely helped me to understand.

Somehow I found a datafile from 2023 that is working!

I wondered if a datafile is different than a backup and read some info about looking for the datafile in the User>Library>Application Support>Quicken>Backups>Automatic. When I got to the Quicken 2007 folder, there wasn't anything in it. I read of someone that couldn't find their datafile in that folder, but looked around and found it under a different name called Business, so I started looking around at all of my folders. I then found a drive on my Desktop called Quicken Files with 3 items: 1 datafile (1Backup060412.qdfm copy with mod. date of 2020 so I was hopeful I could use it), a folder (11Backup060412qdfm copy.qdf with nothing in the Contents folder), a folder called Backup- 1 Backup060412.qdfm .qdfm (with a file in the Content>Messages folder called 1Backup060412.qdfm copy). I noticed this file had a modification date in 2023, so I made a copy (as you recommended), opened up the file, and all of my data is there and all of the categories are there too. Yay!!!

I figured out I do have Time Machine operating as I have an external drive and there are copies of my computer getting backed up. It looks like the Quicken Files drive is an external drive that I could eject on my desktop yet I only have 1 external drive. I am not sure how the Quicken datafile got into the drive (perhaps my repair shop set that up for me and my covid-y brain doesn't remember 😀) or where that drive is actually located (I am not tech-y). The Quicken Backups I was making when I do a Save As were going into Dropbox (these files seem to be corrupted). If you have any thoughts on any of this, please let me know.

I noticed my preferences for File Backup in Quicken weren't selected. It shows that if they were selected that it would store backup files in Quicken Files which is the name of that drive above.

I'm going to go down the route of purchasing Quicken Classic Deluxe for Mac for my laptop and make zip file etc as you outline above.

My Imac does need to be replaced asap; do you know if I can buy the Quicken Classic Deluxe for Mac for my laptop and sign in or move it to a newer computer later? And once I do have this version, what are the basics of making backups of my datafile?

Thanks!!!

jacobs

do you know if I can buy the Quicken Classic Deluxe for Mac for my laptop and sign in or move it to a newer computer later? 

Yes! When you purchase a Quicken subscription, you can install the program on as many computers as you wish; you just have to move your data and your backup folder to the new Mac when you get it. (To move a Quicken data file, you should always do the File > Compress and move the compressed .zip file. Quicken backup files are already compressed, so this isn't needed.)

And once I do have this version, what are the basics of making backups of my datafile?

This is controlled in Quicken Settings > Backup.

In this screenshot, you'll see I have it set to automatically back up every time I quit Quicken; I recommend this setting. It creates a file called "BACKUP (Automatic) - {your file name} {date}".

There is a checkbox if you want it to pop up a dialog box when you quite to ask you if you want a backup to be generated; I have this turned off, as I just want it to make a backup every time.

The next setting is for how many backup files you want Quicken to maintain in your designated backup location. When Quicken reaches the number you specify, it will then delete the oldest backup when each new one is created. I think it defaults to 5, which I feel is completely inadequate for almost all Quicken users. You can see I have it set to 50 backups; depending how often you open and quit Quicken, you might find 25 is good enough, but I wouldn't go lower than that. Disk space is plentiful, Quicken backup files aren't huge, and you just never know when you're going to need a backup that's more than a few days old if you find that something went wrong somewhere a while back (such as deleting transactions or an account you didn't realize).

Two side notes about additional backups. Each time there is a major version update (e.g. version 7.6 to version 7.7), Quicken will automatically create a backup before installing the update, to insure you can revert if something blows up with the update. (I've never experienced a problem with an update but it's nice to know it provides this extra automatic backup.) These backups, which you'll see in your backup folder as "BACKUP (Pre-Update) are not included in the count of backup files Quicken maintains, so they stick around forever. ) Once every year or two, you can delete some of them if you wish. Also, you can manually generate a backup at any time, by doing File > Save a Backup in Quicken. I do this periodically (maybe once a month or two, after doing some large chunk of work in Quicken) so that I create some additional backups which won't be automatically deleted by Quicken over time. Again, disk space is plentiful, so why not have plenty of backups. (Of course, all the backup files on the hard disk are backed up in Time Machine, so there are backups of the backups!)

The last setting in the dialog box above is for you to set the location of your Quicken Backup folder. By default, Quicken creates a folder called Backups inside the Quicken folder it creates where your data file is stored.

Side note: for reasons too complex to get into here, Quicken's default location for files and backups is obscure: it's in a folder called Quicken inside the Application Support folder of your user Library folder. And Apple, in its infinite wisdom and desire to prevent users from creating problems for themselves, hides this folder by default. You can get there in the Finder by holding down the Option key while pulling down the Go menu; Library will be in the menu choices only if the Option key is depressed. As long as you know how to find these folders and files, it's fine to leave them where they are. Unless you're having problems, or moving your data file between computers often, you shouldn't need to dive into here very often. But if you want them in an easier-to-access place, you can move the location of your live data file or your backup files or both. A good alternate location is moving the Quicken folder to your user account home folder (e.g. Macintosh HD > Users > your login account name), e.g. at the same level as Applications, Desktop, Documents, Music, etc. It's also okay to put it in your Documents folder, but only if you do not have your Mac set to have your Desktop and Documents folder stored in iCloud drive (in your macOS Settings > Apple ID > iCloud settings).