Why can't I see my sub-categories in the Category window

jriche1
jriche1 Member
I have a number of categories with subcategories that I have been using for many years. Recently I went to edit my sub-categories but I cannot find them in the Window view, yet they are all still there in my register. This problem has only been for the last major update I believe.

Best Answer

  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    There is a problem with Categories which has affected a number of users which Quicken has yet to address. I'm not sure if you're experiencing the same thing, but it sounds similar enough that I would give this a try...

    Make a backup of your Quicken data file before beginning. Quit Quicken

    Open the Users > [your home account name] > Library > Preferences folder and scroll down to find com.quicken.Quicken.plist. (To access the User Library folder, in the Finder, hold down the Option key while you pull down the Go menu; Apple hides the Library folder otherwise.) Drag this .plist file to your desktop. Now relaunch Quicken.

    You will likely have to point Quicken to your existing data file when it launches — don't let it create a new one — and then open your Categories window to see if everything is back to normal. 

    I'm not sure all the settings and preferences are lost by replacing the prefs file, so you may find you need to reset some other things. (For instance, my Register Text & Row Settings was reset to the default row height instead of the Compact setting I normally use, and some of my Sidebar preferences were reverted to default settings.) I also had to answer a security question for one of my accounts; I'm not sure if that's related, but since this never happens otherwise, I assume it was.

    If you don't get too messed you up losing your preferences, and your categories are now okay, then carry on. If you find something is seriously amiss, quit Quicken, and drag the preferences file from your desktop back to the Preferences folder; relaunching Quicken should now be back to where you were previously. 

    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993

Answers

  • RickO
    RickO SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Do you see a > symbol to the left of any category names. Clicking this symbol expands or collapses the subcategory list. Perhaps somehow all of your main categories got collapsed in the Categories Window view?

    Alternatively, in case it's a drawing routine glitch, restarting the computer could be the fix.
    Quicken Mac Subscription; Quicken Mac user since the early 90s
  • jriche1
    jriche1 Member
    Thanks but the dropdown only shows 1 sub category, yet in my register it shows all 12. Have restarted, reloaded a new copy of Quicken. Nothing helps. Support sees the problem but they have to escalate it and that department is closed over the weekend. Thanks for the thoughts though.
  • RickO
    RickO SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    A couple things you could try to troubleshoot...

    1. Make a backup, then restore that backup into a new file. See if the problem is still there.

    2. Another is to export to a Quicken Transfer QXF file. Then import that into a new empty file. 
    Quicken Mac Subscription; Quicken Mac user since the early 90s
  • jriche1
    jriche1 Member
    I tried both and in each case none of the categories I created came in, only the default Quicken categories.
  • jriche1
    jriche1 Member
    The strange thing is all the categories are in the register, even in the online register. Its only when you go into "edit categories" or open the category window that they are missing. I also get about 90% of the categories in the window are grayed out. Very strange.
  • RickO
    RickO SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    jriche1 said:
    I tried both and in each case none of the categories I created came in, only the default Quicken categories.
    A new file would have only the default categories, but a restored backup would not. It sounds like you only created a new file. Were your transactions and accounts there?
    Quicken Mac Subscription; Quicken Mac user since the early 90s
  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    There is a problem with Categories which has affected a number of users which Quicken has yet to address. I'm not sure if you're experiencing the same thing, but it sounds similar enough that I would give this a try...

    Make a backup of your Quicken data file before beginning. Quit Quicken

    Open the Users > [your home account name] > Library > Preferences folder and scroll down to find com.quicken.Quicken.plist. (To access the User Library folder, in the Finder, hold down the Option key while you pull down the Go menu; Apple hides the Library folder otherwise.) Drag this .plist file to your desktop. Now relaunch Quicken.

    You will likely have to point Quicken to your existing data file when it launches — don't let it create a new one — and then open your Categories window to see if everything is back to normal. 

    I'm not sure all the settings and preferences are lost by replacing the prefs file, so you may find you need to reset some other things. (For instance, my Register Text & Row Settings was reset to the default row height instead of the Compact setting I normally use, and some of my Sidebar preferences were reverted to default settings.) I also had to answer a security question for one of my accounts; I'm not sure if that's related, but since this never happens otherwise, I assume it was.

    If you don't get too messed you up losing your preferences, and your categories are now okay, then carry on. If you find something is seriously amiss, quit Quicken, and drag the preferences file from your desktop back to the Preferences folder; relaunching Quicken should now be back to where you were previously. 

    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • jriche1
    jriche1 Member
    Jacobs this worked great! Thank you.
This discussion has been closed.