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Update Accounts / File Operation Validate - invalid transactions

RonadamsRonadams Member ✭
in Errors and Troubleshooting (Windows)
When I run "Update Accounts" nothing outwardly appears wrong with my Quicken file(s). But if I run Validate, it always shows some invalid transactions, no action required, Quicken fixed. A second execution of Validate will show correcting a missing category. A third execution indicates no errors.
This sequence repeats with every "Update Accounts" regardless of which file/PC I run it from and regardless of how many or which Banking institutions are in the file.
I've tried copying transactions to a new file and resetting online services for each account. Nothing has impacted this scenario.
I don''t want to start over on a new file, losing my current history.
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Comments

  • GeoffGGeoffG SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    Two things you can try that you did not mention. I would run a File>File Operations>Copy to start. This rebuilds the table structure and is not just a file copy. Next I would run a super validate. While holding down Ctrl execute a file validate. If neither method corrects the issue, you will need to restore from a backup until you can find a clean file.
    user since '92 | Quicken Windows Premier - Subscription | Windows 10 Pro version 20H2
  • RonadamsRonadams Member ✭
    I've done those things already. Since this happens to separate files on separate computers, I have to wonder what caused it. As neither file appears to have any visible issues when running Quicken (all the data is there as expected), I have to begin to wonder if the problem is being caused by the validate or super validate itself. It always returns more "invalid" transactions than were downloaded. It always "fixes" them without requiring me to do anything. A second iteration always declares it deleted one invalid category that I should go look at categories for, but can never determine which one it might be addressing. And a third iteration always declares the file to be clean. I'm certainly disappointed that Quicken is using a file system that apparently does not have utilities to truly diagnose and correct issues.
    I have no idea how far back I would have to search for a "clean" file. My initial impact appeared as downloaded transactions were not being applied to my file. That issue cleared following a file operations / copy activity.
    Without running a Validate, I wouldn't even know an issue existed.
  • GeoffGGeoffG SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    File validate is not a silver bullet. Files can become corrupt and file validation may fail to resolve the issue. When that is the case, your only option is to restore back before the file corruption.
    This is one reason why I perform a weekly validation, to head off  potential corruption lurking in my data file.
    user since '92 | Quicken Windows Premier - Subscription | Windows 10 Pro version 20H2
  • RonadamsRonadams Member ✭
    I gave up and created a new quicken file/ registered all my bank accounts/ downloaded what transactions were available. First time I do update transactions and receive any, File Validate presents a slew of invalid transactions, same as was happening before.
  • RonadamsRonadams Member ✭
    And as before, on the surface, Quicken accounts all appear to be working, and accepting the downloaded transactions, but Validate File reports (and/or) creates errors. I have no thoughts on how to deal with this further.
  • GeoffGGeoffG SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    Are you saving the data file to any type of cloud account or using a backup utility? That's two elements that can cause data corruption.
    user since '92 | Quicken Windows Premier - Subscription | Windows 10 Pro version 20H2
  • RonadamsRonadams Member ✭
    I'm not using and cloud accounts, or backup utility that would impact the file.
  • RonadamsRonadams Member ✭
    I had an online chat with a Quicken agent yesterday. She told me that I should not be doing File Validations on any consistent basis as that could damage the Quicken file.
    I haven't been able to find any reference to any ability to actually verify that a Quicken file is damaged or not, seeing as how a brand new file shows validatein damage after its first Update Transactions event.
  • GeoffGGeoffG SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    It is true that Q support does not advocate regular validation. It's also true that they would deny that an update may cause data corruption. Since there is no way of knowing when or if a file has become corrupted, I elected to perform regular maintenance (File Copy and Validate) on a weekly basis as a means of ensuring my file is not corrupt. I've experienced no ill effects in the two years I've been doing this.
    user since '92 | Quicken Windows Premier - Subscription | Windows 10 Pro version 20H2
  • RonadamsRonadams Member ✭
    Right, she would not say that updates might cause corruption, but she did state that Validate might.

    When you do File Copy are there additional tasks required? I did that and I believe I may have lost things like custom categories and memorized transactions. Is that likely?

    Thank you for your correspondence.
  • GeoffGGeoffG SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    There are two types of copy. The generic simply copies the file just as file explorer would. The other, File>File Operations>Copy is vital to data file integrity. It performs a table level copy to rebuild the data tables. This can often repair data corruption. It is also the first sign of data corruption when you cannot perform this copy operation without receiving an error.
    This could explain your missing categories and transactions as they may have been corrupt and hopefully the copy process fixed them.
    user since '92 | Quicken Windows Premier - Subscription | Windows 10 Pro version 20H2
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