Update caused data corruption

Question

When I logged on to Quicken yesterday, I did the standard requested update. I found my data files were completely messed up. Transactions were missing, accounts that were balanced at the end of last month are totally out of whack.

I tried restoring from a backup and spent the morning updating, then two of the accounts went haywire again.

Anyone have an idea what’s going on or what I can do about it?

skeleton567 · Answer

I'm still using QW2014 Premier, but understand the data corruption issue, so I think this has been going on for a long time.  I don't often run the validity check, but when I do, I get the same reported issues often on the same transactions that I have corrected before, actually putting my data back to the original content.  It is my belief, as a 50-year plus IT guy, that Quicken corrupts its own data. After the validity check and my 'correcting' the same transactions,  it will again report the same issues with the same transactions at a later time.

This is one of the several reasons I will not upgrade, and especially not pay a subscription fee for Q.  As long as I don't do validity checks, all seems to work pretty well.  I almost NEVER have data issues or get errors

I've read that Q currently secretively utilizes a 'container' concept which places all the data structures into a single place, as opposed to the earlier concept of utilizing several files.  While this concept is fairly new and likely in response to utilizing cloud storage, it appears to have some design problems that have not been addressed.  I have also heard, but cannot substantiate, that the current structures utilized by Q are pretty obsolete.

I am seeing lots of advertising for the new Intuit Credit Karma thing, which I have not looked at, but will say that Intuit should maybe take back ownership of Quicken and make some serious changes.  I would even be willing and happy to help them identify problems and make corrections, but of course no one wants to give us access to the structures.

RalphC · Answer

It's probably not a systemic Quicken bug as others, including myself, are not experiencing the issue.  But, know that all Quicken data files are stored on the "C Drive".  However, if you didn't change anything, it's probably located in a Onedrive hot folder.  What's the full path to your data file?

rfrd00 · Answer

My datafile is located on the C Drive. I save backups in 2 different locations, also on the C drive.

I restored a backup from an earlier date and tried resurrecting data, but when I switch to a different account the account I was working on gets all wacky again.

It really feels like there is some sort of bug in my software.