OPEN QUICKEN NO FILES

Hi, Big Boy.

Where do you WANT your Quicken files to be? Where did you put them before?

Your post is almost empty of details and we have to guess what you are really asking. :>(

My guess is that you've OPENED your Backup file from that USB drive, rather than Restored it from Backup. So Quicken now thinks that's the location for the working copy of your file that it should use regularly. If that's correct, then all you need to do is to Open it again and then use Backup to put it back to where your working copy should be. Once you've done than, then exit Quicken, use Windows Explorer to find that working copy, and click on THAT .qdf file. It should open Quicken with that file loaded. (Actually, of course, a Quicken "file" is a set of related files that Quicken refers to as ONE file; loading the .qdf file gets the whole set.) Once you've verified that your onscreen copy is, in fact, the version that you expect and that it is current, use Backup again to put it onto that USB drive once more. Finally, with your working copy still onscreen, simply close Quicken as usual, either with the X in the corner or with File | Exit. It will save the final current version of your file back into your new chosen location, NOT onto the USB drive.

Next time you click on the Quicken icon from your Start menu, it should start with your working copy loaded. Each time you decide to do a manual Backup, be sure that the destination folder is on that USB drive or wherever you want your backup - NOT your working copy - to be.

Normally, once Quicken is up and running with our own data loaded, we never have to use the File | Open command again. Quicken just remembers where it put our default file last time and opens that automatically each time we start Quicken. If we use more than one Quicken file (keeping the books for our Grandma or our church or some other entity, separate from our own finances), things are not quite so simple, but for most of us, we never need to remind Quicken where to find our files after our initial setup.

If I've guessed wrong about what you really are asking, please post back with a clear statement of your question.

RC

When this occurs my "guess" becomes: "Hmmm... Guess they didn't want an answer!". YMMV. (And apparently it does!).

Hi, you seem really helpful and I have a situation I could really use help with!

I'd like to get some information from Quicken on my old XP computer onto my new MAC.

I realize Quicken Windows and MAC are different and require a fairly intricate migration under ideal circumstances.

My circumstances are not ideal, as the XP computer is dead and I'm accessing the hard drive direct via USB from my MAC.

Also, I never exported or backed anything up while using Quicken in Windows.

I can view the Quicken folder, but obviously I can't run it. I was hoping there would be an obvious filename, for example my account name or something, but there is not.

The good news is I used Quicken for EXTREMELY basic operations, to keep track of how much money in, out, for what, and when. In other words, I never left the simple, main page accounting ledger or did any computations or anything (aside from the balance it calculates automatically).

I think/hope this simple information is somehow viewable -- even in a messy text file I could put it together and that would be great.

I've tried opening some .dat files with text viewer in MAC but they come up blank.

Is there any way I can retrieve this information in any format?

Hi, nanox2000.

Are you talking to me? You didn't say "Hi, RC" or anything like that, so I'm just guessing.

MAC? What's that? I'm joking, of course, but only partly. I know NOTHING about the Mac, except little bits that I read here and there.

The good news is that you DO have at least one backup if you used Quicken in Windows for more than a week or so. Find your *.qdf file; it should be up to date as of the last time you actually used Quicken. If you didn't assign a different name, it will be QDATA.QDF. There may be some related files with the same name and different extensions, like QDATA.QEL, QDATA.IDX, etc., depending on how YOU use Quicken; since you said you use it only minimally, there may be only a couple of these. These related files make up what we often call a "fileset", but Quicken calls the whole group "a Quicken file". When Quicken copies or otherwise handles these files, it deals with the whole set; when we use other Windows tools, such as Copy, we must remember to include the full set, like QDATA.*. You probably don't need any .dat files; Quicken will probably rebuild any of these that it needs.

Wherever you find that .qdf file, there should be a BACKUP subfolder. In that BACKUP folder, you should find a series of Quicken filesets, dated a week apart. If you used the default filename of QDATA, the latest of these sets will be named QDATA1; earlier sets will be QDATA2, QDATA3, etc., with the oldest probably QDATA5.

While I haven't dealt with Quicken for the Mac, my guess is that you will need at least one full set of these files. The best one should be the current QDATA.* file set; QDATA1.* would be next best, etc. As long as you are moving one file from the PC to the Mac, you might as well move them all if you have room on the Mac. And, of course, as soon as you get them onto the Mac, BACK THEM UP somewhere safe so that you don't have to do all this again!

I hope this helps. If not, post back and one of the Mac users here should be able to give you some REAL help.

RC

Here is a link to a Quicken knowledge base article on converting data from Quicken for Windows to Quicken for the Mac.

If it isn't readily apparent from the kb article: you need to be able to "run" Quicken for Windows in order to extract the data to convert to the Mac. [And even then, the process is cumbersome, flakey, and will not get all your data.]

I believe that there is at least one product for the Mac that will allow you to run Windows programs (sorry, my Mac knowledge is almost zero, and I don't remember the name of the product). If you have the CD containing Quicken for Windows, you could install Quicken for Windows to the Mac software that runs Windows programs, use Quicken for Windows to do the extract from the Windows Quicken data, and import to your Mac file.

Sorry, I meant to add that if you have the software to run Quicken for Windows on the Mac, I suspect you would be better off to use Quicken for Windows as your regular Personal Financial Software application. From everything I have read, Quicken for the Mac is nowhere near as good as Quicken for Windows.

Hi RC, yes, I was talking to you, but my sincere thanks to everyone kind enough to respond.

Oddly I could not find a QDATA.QDF file, any .qdf files at all, or any "backup" directory. I certainly used it for over a week though! A couple years? I searched myself and with the auto "finder," but I copied and pasted the list of files here anyway in case I'm totally nuts, missed it, or it might be of use.

I would hate to install Windows on my PC just to view this file once. I mean that's all I really want, I could write it down by hand it need be, it's just a couple pages...

Is this insane -- to email my Quicken directory to a family member with an IBM, ask them to run it and look at it? I mean, would that work?

The data is extremely impersonal, I don't even think it has my name much less a bank account... I really used it like a notebook to jot down money in, out, and date, only I wouldn't be able to lose it, which obviously backfired...

My quicken directory:

xsell.dll xport.dll xmlparse.dll xmlparse_tok.dll whatsnew.wri video.exe UpdateContent.dll txstuff.dll ttaximp.dll ttaxexpt.dat titlebar.ini techhelp.exe TAX.THP TAX.SCD TAX.PRI START.exe sport.dll splash.bmp Sounds Snap SendError.ini SendError.dll RestartExe.exe Release.txt readme.wri qwwin.dll QWVER.DLL qwutil.dll qwsync.dll qwsnap.dll qwsb.dat qwprem.dat qwpr.dll qwplan.dll qwpkg.cfg qwonline.dll qwmain.dll qwipa.dll qwinver.dll qwinet.dll qwcntr.dll qwapp.dll qw.exe qvault.dll QUpdate.bmp quicken.ico qtax.dll QShowHelp.dll Qsetup.dll qse.ini qsapi.dll qsapi_eng.dll Qsapi qsac.dll qreqst_vs7.dat qreports.dll qrep.dll Qnue qnet.dll qindex.dll qif_ub.dat QHI.HLP qhi.exe QHI.DAT QHI.CNT qdb.dll qdappui.dll qdapp.dll QCONNECT.DLL qcon32.dll qcomutil.dll qappid.ini qaccess.dll q.dat printenv.exe Premier pnf.hlp pkgsettings.ini phash.dat pfpro.dll patchw32.dll onlncall.dll online.swf online.dll online_overview.swf online_overview_sound.swf olbservice.dll olbackup.exe ofxsdk_qw.dll mvut14n.dll mvtl14n.dll mvsr14n.dll mvmg14n.dll mvmc14n.dll mvix14n.dll mvfs14n.dll mvcl14n.dll mvbk14n.dll Movies mmedia.ver migration.dll ltkrn70n.dll ltfil70n.dll licbrick.dll lfpng70n.dll lfcmp70n.dll lfbmp70n.dll lbtmngr.dll lbt.dll lbt_txsync.dll lbt_taxexport.dll lbt_rte.dll lbt_qupddir.dll lbt_qplus.dll lbt_qcomrmnd.dll lbt_pvsync.dll lbt_excite.dll khash.dat Intellic.cat INSTALL.INI InetTools.dll imveng.dll icconfig.ini ibill.dll host.exe helptl.dll HaB graphs.dll glbread.txt gdipapi.dll fri.dat err_rep.chm ero.dat dllapps_savgol.dll dllapps_plan.dll dllapps_frcast.dll dllapps_ero.dll dllapps_dedfnd.dll dllapps_dbtred.dll deluxe.ver Deluxe dellid.dll dedfindr.dat decapi.dll dbghelp.dll custprof.dll Convert03 convert_stub.dll convert_stub.dat cnfirmfi.ini cipher.dll certs cashgen.dll cashflow.dll calnote.dll bpbox.ocx BindContent.exe billmind.exe billmind_qwrmnd.dll billmind_alrtpkg.dll bgtbrwsr.dat bgt.dll bgt_pnf.dll bagent.exe atwork.dll atwork_xprint.dll alrtint8.dll alert.dll

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news:2e9a5dcd-39b8-4bd1-9474- snipped-for-privacy@k13g2000hse.googlegroups.com:

If you used Quicken on the old computer, than some kind of drive on that machine has the qdf and associated files that together make up the Quicken file set. The listing of files you supplied look like the program directory. For you now that is as useful as a completely empty Formula 1 racetrack. What you want is the car, i.e. the Quicken file set. I got confused looking at earlier posts in this thread, where several people seemed to be posting with problems, including one who had his Quicken files on a memory stick/thumbdrive. Those are the files you want - if the qdf s not on the hard drive, then go find it somewhere else, whereever you saved your data, or a backup of the data.

NOTE: I have never converted Quicken for PC data to Mac compatible data, and if I were to get a MAc (unlikely at this point) I likely would install Windows on my Mac so as to get the capabilities of PC Quicken, which I understand are superior to Mac Quicken.

Hi, nanox2000.

HOW did you search for .qdf files?

There are a lot of ways to look for files on a hard drive. You did not tell us what method(s) you used. So maybe you've already tried what I'm about to suggest. But it is as near failure-proof as any method I know. I often call it "the brute force method", using the old MS-DOS commands that most of us have forgotten - or never knew - in a Command Prompt windows, which many of us call the "DOS window", even though we know it isn't really MS-DOS at all. The easiest way to open a Command Prompt window, just type "cmd" into the Search box and press Enter.

In the Command Prompt window, type: dir c:\*.qdf /s /a

If you have a large drive with lots of files, you may have time for a cup of coffee. And if you have multiple drives, you have to search each one separately. But if you want to limit the search, you can specify the folder or folders where the files might be.

As Han said, the list of files that you put into your last message is useless for this purpose. Those are the executable files that actually run Quicken and we all have an identical list on our own computers - and they have nothing to do with your data.

Installing Quicken again on your computer - or on your friend's IBM - would do you no good at all. The only useful file(s) for you are the .qdf file and possibly a couple of related files with the same name and different extensions.

RC

To recap, I now have a MAC, so no shelling to DOS, fake or otherwise for me.

I am searching the harddrive I yanked out of my old (dead, Windows) computer and hooked up via USB to this MAC.

I don't want to run Quicken on a MAC or IBM, I don't really care about Quicken per se, I just want the the information I entered into Quicken on my old (dead, Windows) computer anyway way I can get it.

I never did save or backup in Quicken. When I opened quicken (on my old Windows computer) I choose from the 4 accounts I had created. When I exited it asked if I wanted to back up, I said no. When I opened Quicken again, and choose the account again, it would have the information I entered last time, so yes, I realize it was somehow saving it.

MAC is a new and somewhat scary environment for me. The search I was using is "finder," it is literally called that.

This finder works great on this MAC, and on the other, proper 30 gig external hard drive I have hooked up.

I realized just now -- it does not work AT ALL on the 80 gig hard drive I pulled out of my old computer and hooked up to this MAC. In other words, I do not know how to automatically search the drive that contains my Quicken information.

That may be a mini-project that requires completion before continuing here, but in the meantime I figure it is at least worth asking --

1) Given that I never explicitly saved anything in Quicken, and my QDATA.QDF file is not in my Quicken directory, is it safe to assume Quicken saved this file to a directory other than Quicken?

2) If so, is there some default location I can check by hand, since I do not seem to have the ability to search this hard disk automatically?

Thank you for your help and patience!

Try looking for the files in your documents folder. There are several files - the easiest one to find would be qdf. Then note the filename as you would want all of the remaining files that have the same filename. For example. Oilcan.qdf. I would then need all files that have the filename Oilcan.*. The number of files may vary depending on your Quicken version and the functionality you used.

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news:c585a6da-cd42-4756-beef-f6b6acaec655 @i7g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

So you know how to search. Good, and I am not making fun.

I don't know how to work a Mac, but I think that finder should be able to find files. Did you try, just for fun "*.*" without the quotes, on the old PC drive? It at least should give you a lot of files.

The file that holds (in Q2008 - PC) the data for the last 4 accessed files is quser.ini, I believe. It is a simple text file, and the Mac should be able to open it. To just make sure it is not accidentally saved over, make a copy of it before opening it with whatever textreader your Mac uses.

The problem, as you say between the lines, is that the old PC is dead. However, I don't remember whether the hard drive died, or the powersupply, or the motherboard crapped out? This could be important for us to help you more.

I would think so. As Oilcan said, try looking in the My Documents folder, or whatever path would lead there (it could depend on the version of Windows you had). The files referenced in quser.ini should be on the old drive.

I think that if the drive is not kaput, you should be able to search for files on it. But I admit, even with the supposedly improved Vista search capabilities, I can hardly find anything. At least on my old XP machine I can get along with the built-in search functions.

I'm not known to be patient, so don't thank me .

Hi, nanox2000.

Did you even try what I suggested: dir c:\*.qdf /s/a

RC

Oilcan, I did browse around my documents folder. I didn't see anything but I'll try to check more thoroughly.

Han, I did a very simple test. Basically, it finds everything on the MAC. the letter "t" alone finds all files with the letter "t." As I type more, it eliminates things, and if I type "the real kids" it finds my mp3s by the band The Real Kids. On the old hard drive, it finds nothing, ever. The word "the" finds nothing, the letter "t" gives nothing, searching in a directory where I can see a file, searching for that file name, gives nothing. * gives nothing, *.* gives nothing, so, I am sure the finder works for MAC, but not for the old drive.

RC, I don't see how I can do that. I am browsing from a MacBook, so I cannot shell to DOS.

wbertram, the mac can apparently read the drive formatted for PC. I can browse around by hand, open documents, move them to the MAC drive, etc. However the search function of the mac does not work. File system on windows is a good question, i have never heard of those things and don't know. it was Windows XP if that's related.

I think I need to learn how to search this drive correctly. I can shell to UNIX from this MAC. I can cd to my desktop which shows all documents but not my external drives. I know minimal unix commands... But my next guess is I should figure out how to access this drive from the Unix prompt and try searching that way and see if it finds anything.

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news:3ac17fb3-b944-4d8f-a9fe-2bb8004519e1 @s12g2000prg.googlegroups.com:

What I know from Unix (very, VERY little), you should be able to browse other drives. At least, I could using Ubuntu booted from a CD inserted into a PC. (Download the image and burn it to a CD, it's freeware Unix). I don't know whether your Mac has a CD drive or not.

The last alternative is to hook up your old hard drive to the USB port of a PC. Any PC. Also hook up a flashdrive/memory stick. Then use the PC to roam the old hard drive using PC software. It has to work, unless there is something kaput on the drive. What killed your old PC setup?

My UNIX skills are a little rusty, but you can try the shell command....

find /NTFS_mountpoint_name -name "*.qdf" -print

Where NTFS_mountpoint_name is the root directory of the NTFS drive where you suspect the Quicken files reside. Changing the "*.qdf" to "*" should find all files. Hope this helps.