Quicken Mac 8.01 startup "Unexpected error ... trying to read..."

Steve_Cdn_Mac

MacBook Pro 10,1 (15" Early 2013), OpenCore Legacy Patcher 2.2.0, macOS Sequoia (15.2 - 24C101)

Screenshot 2025-01-26 at 9.45.15 PM.png

This error first occurred after upgrading Quicken 8.0 to 8.01

If "Relaunch" is chosen the file is opened successfully but several of the accounts display balances that are incorrect.

If "Quit" is chosen, the next time Quicken launches it opens the file successfully but, again, several of the accounts display balances are incorrect.

Restoring the most-recent backup fixes the account balances but the error can happen again on a subsequent app launch, most likely on the first launch after reboot.

I searched the community discussions and figured it may have something to do with the file being located on the iCloud drive. Moving the file to a local folder did not change the behaviour.

I am a retired Windows driver developer. I'd be happy to provide further info to assist developers to fix this issue.

Cheers,

Steve

MontanaKarl

Have you submitted logs, and potential UA sanitized data file, via Help > Report a Problem ?

(Sounds like a really frustrating situation.)

John_in_NC

In my experience, file corruption isn't so much from the file being on cloud storage (possible), but, rather, accessing/sharing the file from different user accounts. That can leave a mishmash of permissions that renders the file useless.

Since you are a computer guru, then you should be able to comfortably use terminal commands to force the correct permissions to the package and all the inner files. I personally won't post that solution as this is a family friendly forum and average people don't need to be tampering with UNIX permissions.

Alternatively, if you get a working file, you could always export to QXF and import that back into a new blank file. That will have all the correct permissions.

That said, if you are really running Sequoia on a 2013 notebook, you have done something to move yourself into uncharted waters. Your mileage may vary at this point. Good luck.

jacobs

Yes, the first thing that caught my eye was the use of a hacked version of macOS Sequoia in order to run on a computer Apple does not support for that OS. I don't know if that has anything to do with the problem you're experiencing, as it's nothing I've dabbled with. But I don't think the Quicken developers would dive into this since it's not a supported configuration. I assume you have no other Mac you can try running Quicken on?

If 8.0 was working fine, I'm surprised the update to 8.0.1 would gave gone south since the major database updates occurred in the update to 8.0.

Storing your data file on iCloud Drive (or any cloud service) is a definite no-no, for both Quicken Mac and Windows, due to potential issues with data syncing the cloud and not way the internal Quicken database is updated. It's possible that moving your file to a location not on iCloud hasn't fixed a problem which was created earlier.

But if you have a backup that works reliably once and fails on subsequent launch, I think I'd try what John was suggesting: open the backup and immediately export it as a QXF fie. Then create a new file, from scratch, and don't add any accounts; go to File > Import > Quicken Windows (QDF, QXF) and select the exported QXF file. See if all the data looks right. (You'll lose any saved reports, register configurations, attachments and preference settings, but all your data should be intact if the backup was good and Quicken is running properly in your OS configuration.)

Steve_Cdn_Mac

Thanks for thinking about this folks :-)

And, of course, now that I've written it up, the error hasn't showed up again.

I haven't submitted a Report A Problem yet. I will if I can reliably reproduce it.

The file permissions are correct, thanks for the suggestion John.

While OpenCore Legacy Patcher is generally quite reliable it is, of course, not perfect. Sequoia's TV app crashes … but Win10 on Parallels works so … woohoo?

I've moved the data file to a local folder (automatic backups are on iCloud Drive) and after each Quicken session I create a local duplicate of it. If/when I encounter the error again I'll provide further details. Thanks again!

Cheers,

Steve

Steve_Cdn_Mac

The error happened again today on first Quicken launch after reboot. I chose 'Quit'. (note: should have checked the file modified timestamp both before and after but didn't … been retired for a while, starting to slip :-P)

The file opened successfully on the second Quicken launch and, again, several account balances were incorrect. Closing and reopening the file did not fix (or change) the balances (not that I expected it to). Eventually I did confirm that the file's modified timestamp had been updated.

Opening the local duplicate (that I had manually created after yesterday's Quicken session) was successful and displayed correct balances. I was able to close and reopen this file without any issues.

So the behaviour (sorry, Cdn eh! :-) seems to be restricted to first-launch-after-boot and I have a workaround that isn't TOO onerous (create a local duplicate after each session) so I can live with that for now. Maybe the next OpenCore/Sequoia/Quicken update will fix it… or maybe I'll blow the dust off the wallet and get me some Apple silicon. It's hard though … this MacBook Pro has worked so well for so long and still does everything I need it to do way better than any other system I've ever owned. Ah well, progress …

Cheers,

Steve

jacobs

When you say the balances were incorrect, have you identified what's changed? What types of accounts (banking or investment)? Are there transactions missing? Placeholder or other transactions added?

John_in_NC

Howdy, Steve:

If you can swing it, upgrade. I know that machine has served you well, but even the most bare bones Mx based setup will run circles around that older MBP even in terms of graphics. The older might still perform tasks decently, but you really are running on borrowed time before you have a hardware failure and then it's game over. Your backups appear questionable at this time as you are finding out.

You can keep that old machine for your Windows emulation if needed.

In the interim, I HIGHLY suggest that, once you have your file open that appears correct, you File:Export it to QXF. Hopefully it successfully exports. It's a lower fidelity format, but it will keep your transactional data. You might just need it if your main file gives up the ghost or your computer dies. You can store this file anywhere without issue.

I don't know if your file issue is related to your unique setup or from sharing, but either way, you need to be thinking about plan B.

Good luck!

Steve_Cdn_Mac

No error on first launch today. So far so good.

@jacobs Banking account balances were most obviously affected. I did try to track down changed/added/deleted transactions but gave up on that pretty quickly. I have decades of data (started with Quicken in the 90's on a Mac SE 30) so there's no way I could trust whatever I found to be the only problem. Attempting to fix a corrupted file would only be a last resort.

@John_in_NC There's always a plan B :-) I'm not a gamer or video editor so 2.7 GHz Quad-Core i7 / 16G RAM / 1T SSD and a nice big external monitor is plenty. I know the day will come that I'll need to make a change, I'm prepared.

Cheers!

MontanaKarl

@Steve_Cdn_Mac wrote:

I'm not a gamer or video editor so 2.7 GHz Quad-Core i7 / 16G RAM / 1T SSD and a nice big external monitor is plenty. I know the day will come that I'll need to make a change, I'm prepared.

Well, if that's the case you shouldn't have used a patcher to force load Sequoia onto a machine that it isn't designed for. It's a high risk choice for other than hobby work since the OS was not designed for, nor includes, native drivers for all of your hardware components.

Since you have just one external monitor, pretty much any low end ARM Mac would serve your purposes more securely. If not a current Mac Mini slightly old MacBooks Air… even any M1 machine would be a safer choice and cost under $500 if your decades of data is really important to you.

jacobs

Attempting to fix a corrupted file would only be a last resort.

my question about what changed was not rooted in fixing it each time you launch; it was about trying to figure out what actually changed each time: transactions removed? placeholder transactions added? Whatever happened, it might (or might not) give some clue as to what’s going on.

There are some easy things you can do to look without reviewing tens of thousands of transactions one by one. The first thing I would do is number of transactions in a number of yourunder the search box) before and after one of the this might give you a quick idea if transactions are being lost or added Another thing you could do is generate a report of your account over the years, using the Net Worth Over Time report. If you do this before, and after one of these restarts, it might give quick insight into whether he balances change back when the accounts were created or recently.

Steve_Cdn_Mac

@MontanaKarl Thanks, I appreciate your concern. I have multiple backups on multiple sites so if/when my system dies (as any system can at any time, even with Mx hotness and official support) I'll be a day or two behind in Quicken, max. This is a manageable risk.

@jacobs So far the bad balances are Banking accounts (5 of 6 active accts). Investing, Property and Separate acct balances are all correct. When the error occurs the file size and modification timestamp are both changed. Subsequent opening of a copy of the original file does not encounter the error and all balances are correct. With access to Quicken source this could possibly be useful info but …

Evidence so far points to a one-shot conflict between Quicken 8.01 and OpenCore 2.2.0. OpenCore usually releases an update shortly after each macOS update so maybe this will all go away soon. In the mean time my workaround is reliable and reasonably convenient.

If/when this all becomes too much I'll get a refurb Mx MacBook Pro. With any luck I'll get 10 years out of it before Apple obsoletes it in spite of the fact it (like my current MBP) does everything I need it to do faster than I need it to. Apple doesn't have to obsolete it's hardware so soon (which is why OpenCore exists and works) but it does. It's a marketing/profit thing and it makes a mockery of Apple's environmental cred. There, I said it, I'm glad.

Thanks for your attention and suggestions, if/when things change I'll drop a note to let y'all know.

Take care, be well, have fun :-)

Cheers,

Steve

John_in_NC

Sounds good, and Apple refurbished a great way to go. (Typing on such a machine now.)

This doesn't add much to thread other than nostalgia, but you were lucky with an SE/30. I started Quicken with version 1.5 on a Plus although an LC was my daily driver then. (what the budget for freshman college student allowed.)

1.5 required a separate file for each account-fun. FYI, you will see notices from big boss Eric Dunn. He actually was the coder then who ported code from an Apple II product ("Electronic Checkbook?") to became QMac in those days. So, yes, he is quite familiar with QMac in its infancy.

I post this merely as a possibly interesting FYI. :-)

Steve_Cdn_Mac

> … you were lucky with an SE/30.

That's got to be a reference to Monty Python's "Four Yorkshiremen" sketch :-)