How do You Sync Quicken Data Files, Part II

Question

Below is part of a thread from Oct-Nov 2007. Can someone tell me why I can't reply to the Usenet group from a post from November ? Is there some kind of time limit to reply to the Usenet ?

My questions is similar to Jim's (below): I'm in Q2007 H&B. I am a FolderShare (FS) user (about 4 months). This is a decent encrypted sync application by MS that touts its ability to work with Quickbooks, to keep your financial data synced between for example PC & LT. My problem is, FS keeps generating duplicate QDF & QEL files !! When I post at FS forum or email them-- no reply. Their FAQ simply says when you have dups you must "manually merge the data" ??

What I've tried so far is simply to *restore* the QDF backup to both PC & LT in one session. But, FS still senses some kind of difference, even after restoring the same dam back up to both sides--starts spitting out extra QDF & QEL files anyway !

My thinking now is to make sure all preferences on both sides are mirror exact images (done)-- and it may be that the autobackup cycles have to be timed exactly the same to keep FS from sensing a respective difference between files (but isn't that switch in qdf ?). Appreciate any help, thanks. Brad

*QUOTE*: I am seeking to keep my desktop Q08 sync'd to my wife's laptop, so that either of us can add data. I use SyncBack (2BrightSparks) for other apps, but only in the backup mode. Wondering how you can sync Q08 data that might have multiple entries at different times.

For example: Desktop entries

10/27/07
10/29/07 Laptop entry
10/28/07 If sync'd on 10/30/07, won't the laptop entry be lost, since the desktop has the most current datestamp?

What I've been doing is entering data on one machine, and periodically doing a backup to the other. I would like to enter data on both PCs.

Wondering how you handle sync'ing (not backup) Q data files. Cheers, Jim

*END QUOTE*

jimlarkey · Accepted Answer

Thanks Brad,Think I'll try FS, since I did not really get a solution to my orig post. Maybe FS is what I'm looking for.Cheers,Jim

news.verizon.net · Answer

Been using FolderShare for years and love the program and highly recommend it - unfortunately though, what I think you are asking for is out of scope of what FolderShare can do. Specifically, if the quicken data file is being edited by both machines at the same time, it just doesn't know what to do. It simply is not that smart as it has no idea what the actual data format of Quicken is.

With that said, as long as you are not editing or leaving the file open on either machine at the same time, this solution should work for you. The key is making sure you close quicken so FS knows it can sync the files to the other machine and does so before the other machine tries to use them. If it detects changes to both files, it will dupe them in an effort to ensure no data is actually lost.

Hopefully this makes sense and is applicable to your situation - to be honest, couldn't really tell from your post.

jimlarkey · Answer

I guess I'll stick to scheduled backups with SyncBack as in my orig post....I read FolderShare's privacy policy and didn't like what I read, particularily with financial data.Thanks, & Cheers,Jim

John Pollard · Answer

This is not physically possible (Quicken will not allow the samefile to be opened by more than one instance of Quicken), so itcan't be part of the problem.

news.verizon.net · Answer

Actually with FolderShare, the scenario I give is possible. The reason is that they are not the same file linked, FolderShare copies the files between machines when both machines are online and the file is not open. So let's say computer A goes online 9am-10am and edits Quicken file while computer b is asleep. User turns computer A off at 10am. Computer B is turned on at

11am and the file is edited. Computer A is then turned on and now both files have been changed and FS doesn't know which to keep. Note, if computer A was still on, computer B would get the edited file before it opened it and everything would have been good.

How do You Sync Quicken Data Files, Part II

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