Archiving files

Question

Multiple problems with accounts unable to download transactions from Schwab and frequent crashes. One of the support people said my file is to big. It is about 2o years ago. What is best way to make toh file shorter (e.g. just last 4-5 years) but still have access to the older data?

ajcamma · Answer

Crashes had stopped but then with the most recent Update (58.14) they started over again. Went back to the previous update (ver 56.9) and the crashes stopped. After many hours with support and elevating the problem to the Escalation Team they suggested just leaving old version on. Obviously they don't have any idea what is going on!

The problem with downloading transactions from Schwab continues as it has for 9 months now. Many, many hours spent with Support and again they obviously don't have any idea how to fix it -other than say it's Schwab's fault!!

Support certainly went down after Intuit sold the program to a Private Equity Firm. I've used quicken since the 1990's withou problems until that sale.

q_lurker · Answer

I agree the support folks offer “too big” too often without real justification.  My Quicken file shows in Windows as 212 MB; in Quicken as 130MB. (What Windows sees is really a zip-file compression of several files that Quicken uses for your data.  So apples-to-apples comparisons are important.). My data dates back to 1990. I have no ongoing issues.

That said, if you have had and continue having crashes, there would seem to be a good chance your file is irreparably damaged. But if that is the case, simply deleting old transactions is unlikely to repair or alleviate those problems.

I would not bother with the @crwalejr procedure.  The steps suggested by @nmestanas may be sufficient.  It also may be necessary to start over from scratch using the old file without online connections only for reference when needed.  You may be able to transfer selected accounts or portions of accounts using QIF file export / import processes, but those processes can be tricky and time consuming.

nmestanas · Answer

I guess I should have started with "How big is it?"

My current Quicken file goes back to 2001 and is about 85MB in size.  I use Quicken Classic.  I don't do real estate, run a business, manage properties or use any of the other "add-ons".  I don't add attachments.