Automatic backups to different locations depending on the open file

I'm not sure I'm asking this in the right place. I use Quicken Classic Premier on a Mac. I don't sync to the Quicken cloud. There is an old post in the forums that says:

"I incorrectly wrote

Unfortunately for your use case, the automatic backup destination is global across all data files.

@volvogirl is correct when she wrote

if you have data files in separate folders then each folder will have a separate Backup subfolder.

Amazing how one can learn something about Quicken every day."

How do I set up data files in separate folders? I want to have two Quicken files, one mine and one another family member, and have the automatic backups go to the respective folders for each file, not have the automatic backups for both go to the same file.

(I realize I can direct the manual backups to go where I wish before performing the manual backup.)

Thanks!

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Comments

  • jacobs
    jacobs Quicken Mac Subscription SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta

    I don't think I ever realized before reading your post and doing some quick testing that the Backup folder location specific in the Quicken Settings > Backup screen is indeed a global setting which applies to all Quicken data files you use on the same Mac (and same Mac user account).

    Of course, the backup files should be easily distinguishable in the backup folder, because the filenames include the name of the Quicken data file being backed up. But I don't think there's any way you can have Quicken create its automatic backups to datafile A in one folder and automatic backups to datafile B in a different folder.

    So I think you'll have to either manually generate the backups you want to an alternate location, or periodically open the Quicken > Backups > Automatic Backups folder to select and drag the backups files for your secondary data file into a different folder.

    Or, create a new user account on your Mac for the other family member, and put their Quicken data file within the hierarchy of that user's home folder; then you'll have a different location for backups of that data file. Switching between two user accounts, if you're not used to doing it, is pretty fast and easy. I have my regular account and an account I use for various testing, and I switch back and forth between them frequently.

    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • RickO
    RickO Quicken Mac Subscription SuperUser ✭✭✭✭

    Another option is to use Folder Actions to automatically move the backup files out of the default automatic backup folder location and into separate folders based on the filename. Here's a video on how to set that up:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LaitUcUEqg

    Quicken Mac Subscription; Quicken Mac user since the early 90s
  • jacobs
    jacobs Quicken Mac Subscription SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta

    Thanks, @RickO. I figured there was probably a way to do this with scripting, but I'm not well enough versed in macOS Automator to suggest it and describe the steps. I watched the video, and it seems very straightforward to watch a folder and move files based on filename to another folder (without getting into writing scripts that he depicts in the second half of the video). @mhbowes11 this should allow you to do exactly what you want, using macOS rather than Quicken to separate your backup files.

    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • volvogirl
    volvogirl Quicken Windows Other SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭

    Just for reference my posts refer to Windows Quicken. I don’t know about Mac.

    I'm staying on Quicken 2013 Premier for Windows.