Quicken runs slow but my datafiles go all the way back to 1997. Can I load just last 5 years?

kennyk72

I am running windows 11 on a windows laptop. I have all updates down and regularly backup my data. I suspect two things. One, my transaction history goes all the way back to 1997 and I really don't need to regularly access that far back. The second is that I have a brokerage account with many thousands of trades / transactions. Could either of these two things be really slowing down my Quicken Classic. No other programs give me this kind of issue.

Thanks

NotACPA

For your brokerage accounts, look (in Q Help) into "archiving" older transactions in positions that you no longer hold. This will speed up your usage of those accounts.

For non-brokerage accounts, size has very little to do with Q's perceived performance AND should you create a "year end archive" (of transactions that only occur after a particular date), it's just this side of impossible to "put Humpty together again".

So, the usual SuperUser recommendation is to just let the file ride. I have txn in my file that go back to 1987.

NotACPA

@RalphC Good point about the attachments. Since the OP didn't mention such, and I don't use them, I hadn't thought of that.

NotACPA

For your brokerage accounts, look (in Q Help) into "archiving" older transactions in positions that you no longer hold. This will speed up your usage of those accounts.

For non-brokerage accounts, size has very little to do with Q's perceived performance AND should you create a "year end archive" (of transactions that only occur after a particular date), it's just this side of impossible to "put Humpty together again".

So, the usual SuperUser recommendation is to just let the file ride. I have txn in my file that go back to 1987.

RalphC

As @NotACPA says, the age or size of the data file will not adversely affect it's performance. However, attachments tend to bloat the size of the file which will slow down the backup transfer process. After years of appending attachments to my 25+ year old file, I cut my file size in half by deleting attachments and, consequently, the backup time required. I suggest you delete any outdated attachments that are no longer needed. But, I'd just keep the file the way it is, regardless if you need old transactions or not…because you may someday.

However, if Quicken is running slow for you as you add transactions, generate reports, and whatnot, that's another discussion requiring some troubleshooting on your part.

NotACPA

@RalphC Good point about the attachments. Since the OP didn't mention such, and I don't use them, I hadn't thought of that.

kennyk72

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20459734#Comment_20459734

the archiving trick seem to have helped. I have no attachments on any of my transactions or files so don’t think that is causing the issue.