Why require revalidation of accounts after we copy a Quicken file?

NebularNovice

Quicken Windows Classic Deluxe

I wanted to get a copy of a Quicken file onto a different computer. I thought I was supposed to restore a backup on the new computer instead of copying the file. I installed a current copy of Q and tried to restore a backup from Online backup, but that wasn't available. So I took a local backup and copied it to the new computer. Once I restore and run OSU, I am given a long (10 items) list of accounts which need to be revalidated. That is a royal pain — 30+ min when it goes well. Why do we have to do that?

Then I exited from Q on the new computer and entered Q on the old computer. OSU on that file (which had worked perfectly) now needs all the revalidation. Why? I didn't restore a backup to the old computer.

😒

splasher

To move a copy to another computer, the BEST way is to just do a Windows copy. Once copied, just do a File→Open Quicken file in Quicken.

There is no need to use the Copy process on the File menu in Quicken.

NebularNovice

Quicken tells us that we must/should do it by restoring a backup. Are they misleading us?

(I'm too gullible. I didn't try the simple copy though I was tempted.

splasher

"must" ??

I think the word might be "suggest".

Personally, I don't even do restores, I copy and rename the .QDF-backup file to .QDF.

In the past, I'm not sure if Q has totally resolved the issue, but doing excessive restores has caused the "too many datasets" issue, which happened when they routinely moved their data file between computers using backup/restore. We used to suggest the restore method of moving a data file until the dataset error issue started happening.

NebularNovice

• I checked multiple places for Quicken instructions and videos on moving/copying files. All that I found said to restore. I'll definitely use Copy in the future.

Are you saying the Q backup file is the same as the file being backed up? That's the only way I can see to use a renamed copy of the backup file.

If Copy of a file will work smoothly, it might be desirable to do a copy instead of backup in the future. If I want to restore without all the hassle, I could just copy the saved file back in place of the damaged file. That's too bad because I have become used to the Quicken Online backup which seems to work pretty well.

Chris_QPW

.QDF and .backup-QDF are exactly the same. The main difference is how Quicken will treat the two different types/suffixes. When you open a .QDF file it just opens it in place. For the .backup-QDF that triggers it to treat it as a restore and copies the data file before opening it.

Quicken Inc has created a quite complex system since a few years ago when they interjected their server into the downloading of transactions flow and for other online services like bill pay.

They now have to try to keep your data file and the data on the server in sync.

In the past restore was just copy the data file either to where your existing data file is or a new data file. Now restore includes syncing to that server copy data (the Quicken Cloud dataset). As @splasher said at times that sync can cause problems.

As for a Windows copy of your data file as long as the two data files are exactly the same they are by definition still in sync with the dataset on the Quicken server and as such will work fine. But there is a danger of using an old copy of your data file because it might be too out of sync with the dataset on the Quicken server. Between the two it is really a no win situation if you have to restore from a old copy/backup of your data file.

The copy in Quicken has its own history that changed at the same time. Before what it did is just make a record by record copy (and it still does) which removed deleted records and sometimes even cleared some corruption problems (Quicken normally doesn’t delete records it just marks the deleted so they can be quickly reused. Creating records in a database is a slower process that overwrites).

These days they added changing the unique Id in the data file that connects it to the dataset so that a new one will be created and the disconnect all online services so the new data file is completely disconnected from the old data file and dataset.

splasher

I wouldn't makes copies of the data file to be saved somewhere as a "backup".

One of the things that using the backup process is good for is that it will put the date and time in the file's name so that they don't overwrite each other like putting the copy in the same folder that you put your last copy in.

Chris_QPW

On the subject of the new online backup I have never used it so I might be wrong but I suspect all it does is store .backup-QDF file on a server somewhere. Nothing wrong with that. But the big question is what are your choices for retrieving that data file? Do you have to use Quicken’s Restore or can you just fetch the file and save it on your computer? If that later then that would allow you to rename from .backup-QDF to .QDF if you like.

But in truth for an old backup file I can’t really state will give more problems. Doing a restore or just opening it as a QDF file.

NebularNovice

Thanks for the information. I will probably take more local backups than I have been doing. That seems to be the easiest way to get back to an earlier version. And certainly if I want to transfer a file to a different computer, I will just do a simple copy. That would have saved me well over 30 min, probably close to an hour of wasted time.

I will also ask the question of whether I can request a copy of an online backup file if I need to use it.

I think the Quicken handling of restore is very poor and leads to a lot of unnecessary hassles.