Investment transaction list column widths can't be adjusted in Quicken Premier 2017

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M C Crockett
M C Crockett Member ✭✭✭✭
edited January 2019 in Investing (Windows)
I upgraded to Quicken Premier 2017 on 21 October 2016.  One of the most irritating features of the upgrade is that I can't adjust the column widths to display all investment transaction columns in the Quicken window.  I have to use the horizontal slider bar to see the two right-most columns.

I have been running Quicken Premier in a VMware Fusion virtual machine with Windows XP and Windows 10.  VMware Fusion is configured to run in full-screen mode to take full advantage of my 30" Apple Cinema Display.  The Quicken Premier window is on the left half of the screen and Firefox is on the right half of the screen.  This allows me to access my financial institutions' web sites and verify that all transactions are correctly downloaded and that account balances are in agreement.

One of the problems with column widths is the addition of the sort icon that results in additional white space being added to the right hand side of a column.  I have been unable to remove or resize the unused attachment column.  I can resize the Clr, Date, and Security columns.  I cannot resize any of the columns to the right of the Security column.  The inability to resize these columns appears to be an alignment issue with the Description column.

The vertical line at the right edge of the Description column header is roughly .5 inches to the left of the right edge of the Description column in the transaction list.  As the column's right edge in the header is not aligned with the right edge in the transaction list, you are not allowed to change the column width.

The 30" Apple Cinema Display has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixel.  The area used for the Quicken window is roughly 1280 x 1550 pixels.

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited October 2018
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    See the posts from the moderator in this thread:
    https://getsatisfaction.com/quickencommunity/topics/register-headings
  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited October 2018
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    +1 I have a different system set up but the same problem with premier 2017.  I see a "no-drop" mouse pointer whenever I try to mouse over the column separators in the header of an investment transaction list, to the right of the security column.  Mousing over the column separators in the transaction list itself doesn't do anything (no mouse change).  And the two don't line up --- see pic:image

    Edit: Following the other thread i notice a reference to "hi-res" screens.  My screen is 1920x1080 FWIW.   I experimented with setting the resolution down but it didn't have any effect on the column layout.
  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited December 2016
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    Denised said:

    +1 I have a different system set up but the same problem with premier 2017.  I see a "no-drop" mouse pointer whenever I try to mouse over the column separators in the header of an investment transaction list, to the right of the security column.  Mousing over the column separators in the transaction list itself doesn't do anything (no mouse change).  And the two don't line up --- see pic:image

    Edit: Following the other thread i notice a reference to "hi-res" screens.  My screen is 1920x1080 FWIW.   I experimented with setting the resolution down but it didn't have any effect on the column layout.

    People call it a "hi-res" screens problem but that is not an accurate term for the problem.
    It is in fact a windows scaling problem.  It just so happens that people with "hi-res" tend to need to use windows scaling.

    You can have a screen that has 1920x1080 and be in the same boat if you have a high DPI screen (which is a more accurate term).  But you can basically have the problem with pretty much any screen.

    A DPI (dots per inch) of 96 is considered "normal".  With something around that with no windows scaling text and controls will look "normal".  But if your screen is say 200 DPI everything would look 1/2 as big if you used no windows scaling.
    DPI is and easy calculation.  Measure the width of your screen in inches.  Divide the resolution width by that width in inches.
    For instance my screen is 23.5 inches (28" diagonal)  in the width and a resolution of 1920.
    1920 / 23.5 = 82 DPI.  So things on my screen are a bit larger than "normal".
    If on the other I had a 10" diagonal/8.66" width screen with the same resolution:
    1920/ 8.66 = 222 DPI.

    Everything would be tiny and need to be scaled up.
    People could also choose to scale everything up just because they find "normal" too small for them to read.

    On Windows 10 to see what the scaling is right click on the Desktop and select Display Settings..., it is the percentage at the end of "Change the size of text, apps...
    100% means no scaling.  200% scale everything up by two times.
  • M C Crockett
    M C Crockett Member ✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2016
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    Denised said:

    +1 I have a different system set up but the same problem with premier 2017.  I see a "no-drop" mouse pointer whenever I try to mouse over the column separators in the header of an investment transaction list, to the right of the security column.  Mousing over the column separators in the transaction list itself doesn't do anything (no mouse change).  And the two don't line up --- see pic:image

    Edit: Following the other thread i notice a reference to "hi-res" screens.  My screen is 1920x1080 FWIW.   I experimented with setting the resolution down but it didn't have any effect on the column layout.

    You make an interesting point and observation but it raises an interesting question.

    Why would Quicken display the content within a bounding box using a different scaling factor than used for the bounding box that includes the headers and sliders?

    My 30" Apple Cinema HD Display supports a resolution of 2560 x 1600.  The size of each dot or pixel is .25mm and corresponds to 100 DPI/PPI.  Windows 10 reports the scaling as 100%.

    The problem appears to be specifically related to the difference in width of the Description column used in the header and the transaction log.  In the header the column width is 2-3/16".  In the transaction log the column width is 2-9/16".

    The column widths of the header and the transaction log are identical for all columns to the right of the Description column.

    The problem appears to me to be a programming problem where the width of the Description column is defined differently in the header than it is in the transaction log and has nothing to do with "hi-res" screens, dpi, or scaling.
  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited December 2016
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    Denised said:

    +1 I have a different system set up but the same problem with premier 2017.  I see a "no-drop" mouse pointer whenever I try to mouse over the column separators in the header of an investment transaction list, to the right of the security column.  Mousing over the column separators in the transaction list itself doesn't do anything (no mouse change).  And the two don't line up --- see pic:image

    Edit: Following the other thread i notice a reference to "hi-res" screens.  My screen is 1920x1080 FWIW.   I experimented with setting the resolution down but it didn't have any effect on the column layout.

    The basic reason it is being called a "hi-res" (or Windows scaling) problem is because that is where people are seeing it.  This problem doesn't show for instance on any of my machines unless I change the Windows scaling.  But I can reproduce it on my "non high DPI screen", by change playing with the Windows scaling.

    And I'm the "norm" as in most people aren't having the problem.  But "most people" that use Quicken also aren't on high DPI screens or use Windows scaling.

    I don't know the details of why it is happening, but let's say that it clear that they have long since dropped using any kind or header that is directly connected to the columns in the transaction list.  And so it is certainly being sized separately, and it is most likely doing a calculation to do that, and whatever they have based that on, it isn't right in this case.
  • M C Crockett
    M C Crockett Member ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2018
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    Quicken Premier 2017 R3 appears to partially resolve the problem that I had adjusting the column widths in Investment accounts' Transaction List.

    One thing that I had to do was to change size of the default font in the Registers from 9 pt. to 8 pt.

    The right edge of the Description column in the heading did not align with the right edge of the Description column in the Transaction List but I was now able to drag the right edge of the Description column in the heading so that it aligned with the right edge of the column in the Transaction List.

    The column width of the Description column in the Transaction List cannot be adjusted.  This is a terrible waste of horizontal space as the information stored in this column by Quicken rarely, if ever, uses half the width of the column.

    Once the Description column in the header is aligned with the column in the Transaction List, it is possible to reduce all the column widths of columns to the right of the Description column.  After doing this the Cash Balance is visible in all investment accounts.

    I still can't remove or hide the useless Attachment column from the header or transaction list.  In addition the width of the column cannot be adjusted.

    The Clr column is another column that can't be adjusted in either the header or the transaction list.
  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited December 2016
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    Quicken Premier 2017 R3 appears to partially resolve the problem that I had adjusting the column widths in Investment accounts' Transaction List.

    One thing that I had to do was to change size of the default font in the Registers from 9 pt. to 8 pt.

    The right edge of the Description column in the heading did not align with the right edge of the Description column in the Transaction List but I was now able to drag the right edge of the Description column in the heading so that it aligned with the right edge of the column in the Transaction List.

    The column width of the Description column in the Transaction List cannot be adjusted.  This is a terrible waste of horizontal space as the information stored in this column by Quicken rarely, if ever, uses half the width of the column.

    Once the Description column in the header is aligned with the column in the Transaction List, it is possible to reduce all the column widths of columns to the right of the Description column.  After doing this the Cash Balance is visible in all investment accounts.

    I still can't remove or hide the useless Attachment column from the header or transaction list.  In addition the width of the column cannot be adjusted.

    The Clr column is another column that can't be adjusted in either the header or the transaction list.

    Note you can adjust those columns, you just can't adjust them lower than what they have set the min size to.  And yeah I agree the Description min is too large.  But this is nothing new it has been like that for years.

    It seems that for the columns lining up they are some more work they need to to.
  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited November 2016
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    Quicken Premier 2017 R3 appears to partially resolve the problem that I had adjusting the column widths in Investment accounts' Transaction List.

    One thing that I had to do was to change size of the default font in the Registers from 9 pt. to 8 pt.

    The right edge of the Description column in the heading did not align with the right edge of the Description column in the Transaction List but I was now able to drag the right edge of the Description column in the heading so that it aligned with the right edge of the column in the Transaction List.

    The column width of the Description column in the Transaction List cannot be adjusted.  This is a terrible waste of horizontal space as the information stored in this column by Quicken rarely, if ever, uses half the width of the column.

    Once the Description column in the header is aligned with the column in the Transaction List, it is possible to reduce all the column widths of columns to the right of the Description column.  After doing this the Cash Balance is visible in all investment accounts.

    I still can't remove or hide the useless Attachment column from the header or transaction list.  In addition the width of the column cannot be adjusted.

    The Clr column is another column that can't be adjusted in either the header or the transaction list.

    This is not true in my case.  I was unable to adjust the size of any of the columns from description rightward, even to make them larger when there was space available.
  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited November 2016
    Options

    Quicken Premier 2017 R3 appears to partially resolve the problem that I had adjusting the column widths in Investment accounts' Transaction List.

    One thing that I had to do was to change size of the default font in the Registers from 9 pt. to 8 pt.

    The right edge of the Description column in the heading did not align with the right edge of the Description column in the Transaction List but I was now able to drag the right edge of the Description column in the heading so that it aligned with the right edge of the column in the Transaction List.

    The column width of the Description column in the Transaction List cannot be adjusted.  This is a terrible waste of horizontal space as the information stored in this column by Quicken rarely, if ever, uses half the width of the column.

    Once the Description column in the header is aligned with the column in the Transaction List, it is possible to reduce all the column widths of columns to the right of the Description column.  After doing this the Cash Balance is visible in all investment accounts.

    I still can't remove or hide the useless Attachment column from the header or transaction list.  In addition the width of the column cannot be adjusted.

    The Clr column is another column that can't be adjusted in either the header or the transaction list.

    this seems to be something that most people have a problem with and Quicken just ignores it... all they would have to do, it seems is to reduce the set width of the description column.. i.e. change one number in the program and problem solved.
  • M C Crockett
    M C Crockett Member ✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2016
    Options

    Quicken Premier 2017 R3 appears to partially resolve the problem that I had adjusting the column widths in Investment accounts' Transaction List.

    One thing that I had to do was to change size of the default font in the Registers from 9 pt. to 8 pt.

    The right edge of the Description column in the heading did not align with the right edge of the Description column in the Transaction List but I was now able to drag the right edge of the Description column in the heading so that it aligned with the right edge of the column in the Transaction List.

    The column width of the Description column in the Transaction List cannot be adjusted.  This is a terrible waste of horizontal space as the information stored in this column by Quicken rarely, if ever, uses half the width of the column.

    Once the Description column in the header is aligned with the column in the Transaction List, it is possible to reduce all the column widths of columns to the right of the Description column.  After doing this the Cash Balance is visible in all investment accounts.

    I still can't remove or hide the useless Attachment column from the header or transaction list.  In addition the width of the column cannot be adjusted.

    The Clr column is another column that can't be adjusted in either the header or the transaction list.

    Based on my experience with Quicken Premier 2017, once you align the right edge of the Description column header with the with the right edge of the Description column in the Transaction List; you can expand or contract any column to the right of the Description column.

    Also, it appears that you can double-click on the right edge of a header column to the right of the Description column to adjust the size to hold the maximum value in that column.

    I would really like the ability to not display the unused Attachment column that is larger than necessary because it can be sorted and additional space is needed to display the sort order triangle.

    The Clr column has the same issue as it, also, can be sorted.  Perhaps Quicken would consider changing the name from "Clr" to "C" so that the user can reduce the column width.  Seriously, how often is a user going to sort this column?
  • Quicken Tamara
    Quicken Tamara Alumni ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2018
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    This has been reported to Quicken Windows product development on QWIN-8566 to see if they can allow the user to select the columns they do or do not want to see in their investing account register(s), returning unused field space to the register view.

    The alignment of the columns with the headers is something they're working on resolving. Please note that these changes will most likely made to 2017 version only, as development of non-security/non-privacy items is ended for older versions.
  • petermic
    petermic Member ✭✭
    edited January 2019
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    Windows 10, Quicken Premier 2017, Screen 3840x2160, font size 175%

    Chiming in with similar complaints.  Investment register columns - 'Description' column is too wide and refuses to be reduced. 'Clr' column also could
    be much narrower than the program allows.

    Investment registers forget the column widths I've set so I have to start all over again after each re-start. 

    And yes, it would be great to hide some investment register columns -
    particularly attachments and the blue circle column -whatever the heck that is for!  ;-)

    Also, I'd rather not waste screen space on the 'Placeholder Entries' etc bar at the screen bottom.  For that matter, I don't use the bar at the top of the register - 'Enter Transactions, Holdings' etc. All wasted space to me.  All I need can be put in the toolbar and even that's not necessary.  Maybe I have overlooked options to make unwanted bars go away.

    Not sure this is related, but the time for Quicken to record an investment transaction is quite long - maybe 5 seconds at times.  This was a problem a few versions back, but not with QW 16.

    Please don't suggest that I change the font size.  It's what makes the text readable in all my software.

    I do hope the new ownership will continue to invest in the product.  The product is almost indispensable.  Don't really need any new features, but surely do need it to work smoothly.  I would be more than happy to pay $50 / year as a subscription.

    Thank you.
  • rich
    rich Member ✭✭✭
    edited January 2019
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    Windows 10, quicken premier 2107 R6.  Please remove the minimum column width for the description column, or at least allow it to be a lot narrower.Thanks
  • rich
    rich Member ✭✭✭
    edited January 2019
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    Windows 10, quicken premier 2109 R17.6.  Please remove the minimum column
    width for the description column, or at least allow it to be a lot
    narrower.Thanks
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