In QB Pro 07, I ran a cleanup on my file as it goes back to 1994. I kept years 2004 to present. One would expect a reduction in file size after removal of 10 years of transactions, but it hasn't changed at all. Exact same number of bytes. Is this considered normal?
Thanks!
The same thing happens if I remove *all* transactions (keeping lists, of course). The resulting file is even a few bytes bigger.
Creating and using a Portable Company File after removing all transactions usually shrinks the file. Also backup and restore the file. This may shrink the tlg file.
If you carry out the trash, does your house get smaller?
Maybe it's the same principle.
Thanks, Karl.
Not really, since the data dictates the file size. Trash, on the other hand, doesn't determine the square footage of the house.
Often deleteing a record(s) in a database program simply means that the record has been marked as deleted and future information can be recorded in the same physical space that the deleted record currently resides in. The same is true when a file gets deleted. The operating system is given permission to write over the disk area where the file resides. The old information does not get physically removed.
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Same principle as deleting a file on the hard drive. The drive size doesn't shrink.
Now this makes sense, although not very efficient.
Thanks.
But not the same as taking out the trash...
Not very efficient? I can't image a more efficient method.
Assume you delete record #2 out of 130,000 records in the file.
Do you suppose it would be more efficient to move 129,998 records up one slot to simply reduce the file size by 100 bytes?
Not for one record. For 10 years of transactions, yes. Since, during this operation, QB is removing thousands of transactions, it would seem not only more efficient, but prudent to change the file size to accomodate the new significantly lower number of files.
Starting a new file and exporting all my lists to the new file makes a new file size of 7 mb as opposed to the 'cleaned up' file size (with only 2 years of transactions) of 50 mb, which was the same file size of the account when it held 13 years of transactions. So, we are not discussing a "100 bytes", but rather 40 MB or more.
Ah, well you've just invoked the "reorganize database" function that's built-in to QB (although, obviously, by a different name). As you can now see, all is well.
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