Deleting transactions prior to year 2000

Gary R

My six Quicken accounts go back 25+ years.

Has anyone tried the "make copy" select time period, and download transactions?

I'm considering just keeping the last five years.

Tom Young

Why would you want to do that? If the problem is slowness there could be other things to try first, but it seems like the consensus is that file size usually isn't the problem with slowness.

If you just don't think you'll ever need to refer to transactions older than "X" number of years I'd use Quicken's archive capabilities.

BK

@Gary R , I agree with @Tom Young that the file size does not make a significant performance difference. The amount of data you have in the investment accounts and the integrity of the database could make a difference however. So the question becomes your motive.

That being said, every 7 or so years I start with a fresh file and of course the prior ones remain available but disconnected. But I also QIF import relevant investment transactions which may go back 10+ years and this step is very tedious and time consuming to get it absolutely right. So no, I don't use the "make copy" to answer your question rather I start fresh.

What is my motive? To get rid of many closed accounts, a fresh clean database, and various other clean ups, etc.

Gary R

Tom

Tell me more how you archive the old transactions

My data file was taking two minutes to open

Support told me to stop One Drive

It helped a little, but still slow opening

Did a screen share today and agent said my 40+ closed accounts are probably why slow opening

I deleted all 40 + accounts and data file now opening much quicker

I’m not interested looking back at old transactions over 5 years

NotACPA

Archive is only available for Investing type accounts. It moves transactions, for which you no longer have open positions to a new account.

When I archived my 6 investment accounts, I got quite a bit of performance improvement.

So, as with any "wholesale" action such as this, take a Backup first (just in case), then go to an investment account and click the GEAR icon in the upper right corner. "Archive Transactions" is on the drop down menu.

By moving transactions out of the "live" account, it improves the performance of that account.

REMEMBER, however, that for investment reports that go back in time, you'll possibly need to include the "archive" account also.

Gary R

Thanks

I’ll give it a try tomorrow

Gary R

OK—I just tried one account

Where can you view your archived files?

I called Quicken support and the agent was not familiar with archiving and locations.

Gary R

Oh Boy——-I'm going blind——I just found the file—It was on the top above all my other accounts.

I missed it!

Gary R

Well—-I tested one account and total disaster archiving the data file. I had to restore the file.

Looked like everything went through without any problems. Found the new "archive file" under accounts, reviewed and looked good. Then, reviewed the account with the closed transactions gone, and noticed some problems immediately. Clicked on holdings, and holy crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. There were four securities with negative market values and shares totaling over six figures. However, these numbers were not included in the ending market value. The, I reviewed each closed security and it showed the negative shares, negative market value, gain/loss %.

No clue why this happened, but archiving very bad idea.