Price Histories

If it were for U.S. securities, I'd say Yahoo; but I don't know if Yahoo has price histories for Canadian securities. Also possibly MSN Money.

I don't know much about the Canadian version of Quicken: is your price history kept in a separate Windows file, as it is in the US version? Look for QDATA.QPH (where QDATA is the name of your Quicken data), and the QPH file contains your Quicken price history (and nothing but your price history).

If you have a separate price history file, I think there's a good chance you can recover some, or all, of your "missing" prices.

In the US versions of Quicken, the format of the QPH file has not changed since it was first introduced back around Q2001, or so. That means we can replace any QPH file with any other QPH file (obviously, some limitations exist for securities present in one QPH file but not another).

Better yet: if you have a separate QPH file (and assuming the Canadian versions have the same format as the US versions), there is a free program that can list the data in that file; and can extract some (you select), or all, (uncorrupted) prices from that file into a comma delimited file that can be imported into Quicken. Google can find the "QPH File Processor".

John,

Thanks for the reply. I found your response to similar question and downloaded QPH processor. I created a file for a particular security from a back-up QPH file and all the data for the security seemed to come out ok in an excel spreadsheet. I have used the security code, in this case AIM1511 for the AIM Trimark Fund. For some reason, I cannot get Quicken to import the file. After I put in the path for the file name, all I get is "path is not found or file is unreadable". The file is a csv file so it is what is asked for in the Quicken help file, so I don't understand why it can't import the file. In the Cdn version, the file import dialogue is not very helpful - there is no browse button to find the file, one has to type in the entire path and file name. Is it necessary to add the file extension to the file name (.csv, for example)? Have tried it with and without the extension with no change.

Thanks.

Doug

OK, tried it again. The Quicken web site asks for the csv file in fund, date, price format while the QPH processor generates a fund, price, date format. Re-arranging the data allowed Quicken to import the file correctly. Be careful with the directions provided on the Canadian Web site however. If you are using the standard Canadian date format of dd/mm/yy, ignore what the Quicken instructions say. If you use the US date format (mm/dd/yy), some of your data will be lost (I had 665 entries, of which only 235 came through and they were wrong because of the date format). Also ignore the instructions regarding configuring your computer to US standard. The instructions on the Quicken Canadian site are simply a copy of the US instructions. Have fed this back to Quicken.

Thanks for the pointer to the QPH file processor.

Doug

Doug

Thanks for the feedback.

I have successfully imported the delimited file output from the QPH File Processor directly into the US version of Quicken.

Glad to get your results with the Canadian version of Quicken.

Nuts: I meant to add that the US version of Quicken is also frustrating in that it requires you to specify the complete path to the price file ... a good reason to create the price file in the Windows root folder, for example.

I assume that Intuit doesn't want to make it overly easy to import prices other than in a One Step Update.

Fed that back to Quicken as well. Not have a "browse" button to get to the file path is really ridiculous in this day and age.

Doug

Hi, Doug.

Rather than try to perfectly type a long path\filename, you should be able to use copy'n'paste. The details will vary slightly with your Windows version; here's how to do it in Vista/Win7: In Windows Explorer (outside Quicken), browse to that folder. In the Address box at the top of Explorer, right-click and choose Copy address as text. Then go back to Quicken, where you need to type the address, right-click and choose Paste. This will enter the right path, then all you have to do is type "\" and the filename.

Or, in Explorer, right-click the filename, choose Properties, then highlight the Location, copy'n'paste that, add the "\", then highlight the filename and paste it.

But you're right: Quicken should have a Browse button there.

RC