Big change in .qdf file size

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Jay Gourley
Jay Gourley Member ✭✭✭
in File Conversion and Backup (Windows)
I typically copy, validate, and backup my data file each week. This week, the process cut the file size almost in half from 320 MB to 173 MB. Nothing obvious is missing, but I obviously cannot check every transaction and report. Can anyone explain what's happening so that I don't worry about this. Obviously, I'm keeping a backup, but I don't want to discover months from now that I have to rebuild from that backup.

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  • q_lurker
    q_lurker SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    Answer ✓
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    As stored in Windows, the QDF file is really a zipped file.  The 7-Zip program among others can read the files and sizes within that zipped QDF file.  You might want to see which of the internal files showed the big reduction.  

    The one I might flag for a closer look would the the attachments, if you have been attaching statements or releases to your accounts or transactions.  Such attachments can be a big contributor to the overall QDF file size.      

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  • Rocket J Squirrel
    Rocket J Squirrel SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2020
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    File > File Operations > Copy typically reduces the file size because it does not copy items marked as deleted. If you performed a mass deletion of unused accounts, categories, payees, and/or transactions prior to the Copy, the new smaller size makes sense.
    If you didn't do any of those things, going from 320 to 173 is a pretty big reduction and you should double-check that nothing of importance has gone missing.

    Quicken user since version 2 for DOS, now using QWin Biz & Personal Subscription (US) on Win10 Pro.

  • q_lurker
    q_lurker SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    Answer ✓
    Options
    As stored in Windows, the QDF file is really a zipped file.  The 7-Zip program among others can read the files and sizes within that zipped QDF file.  You might want to see which of the internal files showed the big reduction.  

    The one I might flag for a closer look would the the attachments, if you have been attaching statements or releases to your accounts or transactions.  Such attachments can be a big contributor to the overall QDF file size.      
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