Temporarily restoring a previous year's backup

I had closed out 2009 and earlier into several files, removing those transactions from my active Quicken.

How do I access one of those files without screwing up my current data?

Thanks.

Reply to
Pikov Andropov
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"Pikov Andropov" wrote

I don't think you should have any significant concerns about the affect of accessing one Quicken file on other Quicken files ... especially, if you make no changes to the file(s) you access directly.

But if you intend those "closed out" files to remain *exactly* as they were when you created them, you may want to consider not opening them in Quicken.

When Quicken opens one of its files, it automatically does certain things, such as processing alerts and scheduled transactions (Reminders).

You can avoid having Quicken modify your "archive" file by "restoring" the archive to some temporary folder and accessing the data there. The original archive will remain unchanged when you handle it that way.

Reply to
John Pollard

John Pollard has written on 6/14/2011 9:45 AM:

When I open a backup file, doesn't it overwrite the file that's current?

If not, and it is just added to what's current, how do I remove it from the current file?

How would I open them?

I don't follow you. How do I restore a backup to a temporary folder without opening it in Quicken?

Thanks.

Reply to
Pikov Andropov

No. But you should not "open" backup files.

If you "open" a backup file, nothing happens to any other Quicken file. [Also see above.]

Don't confuse "open" with "restore".

A "restore" basically copies a Windows "file" (usually a "backup" file) from one folder to another. In Quicken, if the folder you want to restore to (to copy to) contains a file of the same name as the backup file, the restore will over-write the existing file (Quicken will ask before doing that). If the folder you want to restore to does not contain a file of the same name as the backup file, the restore will create a new file in that folder (and you would then have to "open" that restored file).

To restore to some other folder than the folder containing your regular Quicken file; have Quicken open a file in the folder where you want the restored backup to go. [Quicken "restores" into the "current" folder, which is usually the folder where the currently open Quicken file resides.]

To do that, tell Quicken to create a "New" file in the folder where you want to restore the backup (you could create a Windows folder to use for only this purpose). You can create a new file with any name, but if you give the new file the same name as the backup, you'll only end up with only one Quicken file in the folder. When you have the New file open in Quicken, initiate the restore; you'll get your backup restored into the chosen folder. When you've finished doing whatever you want with the restored backup, you can have Quicken delete it.

Reply to
John Pollard

John Pollard has written on 6/14/2011 4:50 PM:

OK, I'm thoroughly confused. Let me restate my goal.

My current Quicken configuration contains transactions from 2011 only.

I would like to look up some transactions from an earlier time. I have QDATA.QDF files which were created by making a backup in Quicken after each day's transactions. These date from 2007-2010.

Since only Quicken can load/read/access a QDF file, it seems to me that I need to open one of them with Quicken.

If I do, what will happen to the data that Quicken has already opened?

Thanks.

Reply to
Pikov Andropov

You are confused on file manipulation. You need to learn how to use Windows (I assume you are using Windows) to copy a file. You want to make a COPY of your Quicken data file(s) to a temporary folder that you created, then open Quicken as usual and then click on File on the menu bar, then click on Open in the File dropdown menu.

You will now get a dialog box that you can manipulate to point Quicken to the temporary file you just created.

When you get done with the temporary file, re-open your 2011 file using the same technique you used to open the temp.

I would give you step-by-step instructions but I don't know what operating system you are using. Windows 7? Windows XP? OS X?

PS. Buy a Windows for Dummies book, or whatever operating system you use Dummies book, and start reading.

Reply to
Nestor

"Nestor" snipped-for-privacy@ilium.org wrote

You're right, of course.

The "copy" can be done using only Windows.

The reason I suggested the approach I did is that it does not require the user to know anything about the Windows makeup of their Quicken data; it will work the same for any Quicken version I know of. Prior to Q2010, Quicken data was stored in multiple Windows files, and the user had to know how to identify all of those files (they did not have the same extensions in all versions of Quicken) in order to use Windows to make an accurate "copy" of their data.

Now that the newest Quicken versions have all Quicken data in one Windows file, copying that data to a new location using Windows is quite simple.

The only new zinger is recognizing that the most current Quicken version's backup files now have a new file extension (.QDF-backup) ... and Quicken won't "open" files with that extension directly. Quicken will offer to over-write the currently open file (if it has the same name) ... which is not wanted, for the purpose of this discussion; or to "restore" the backup with a new name ... which should work for the ends desired here.

Reply to
John Pollard

I do not want to copy any files.

I am very familiar with file manipulation in Windows, DOS, CP/M, Unix and Linux.

Let me restate what I have and what I would like to do.

When I open Quicken, my 2011 data appears as a check register. I do not want to lose any of that data, no matter what I do with old files.

I would like to look at some old data, stored as qdata*.qdf.

How do I look at the old data without losing my current data?

IF THE ANSWER IS: File > Open, then will the file I open overwrite the current data?

IF THE ANSWER TO THAT IS: No, the old data will be added to the current check register, then how do I get that old data out of the check register when I am finished looking at it?

Thank you for your patience.

Reply to
Pikov Andropov

When you open another older file, the data from it will replace the data displayed from the current file. You can later go back and open the normal current file, and it will be intact. After that, both files will appear on the recent files list on the file menu.

Reply to
Jim H

Here's what I'd do:

  1. Save what u have now with a "backup" (under file operations).
  2. "Restore" (under file operations) the file u want to look at and do your looking.
  3. "Restore" your original backup from step 1, above, and you're back to your original file situation.
Reply to
D. Parker

Thank you for a definitive answer!

If I close Q after opening the older file, and then close Q, and re-open it, won't it open the last file it had?

How do I get the normal file to replace this new thing?

Q 2010 -- no recent files list under File. ???

Reply to
Pikov Andropov

Wow! That makes a lot of sense. Thanks.

Reply to
Pikov Andropov

Pikov Andropov wrote in news:itb4n2$g95$1@dont- email.me:

It depends. In Q2011, the qdf file is the only file that holds all quicken data in that file (obviously). In earlier versions, and I don't remember whether this changed with 2010, or already with 2009, in earlier than 2009 versions, the data was scattered over some 4 to 6 files, with the qdf file having the bulk, but stock prices were in another file, etc.

The most important thing is what you named the different files (or file sets, as in before 2009). Obviously no 2 files can have the same name, unless they are located in different directories. So it is up to you to look that up.

I now have just 1 quicken file that I still use, but in the past I did the finances for a couple of non-profits too. So I had household, NP-1 and NP-2. In terms of Q2011, there would be a file household.qdf, and files NP-1.qdf and NP-2.qdf. If I had need to look at all these on a regular basis, I would make shortcuts in some easily accessible folder such as quicklaunch that point at each one of these qdf files. I'd assign them different icons for easy recognition. Double clicking on the shortcut for a file would launch that file. No problem cross- contaminating another one. I bet that even if the filenames were identical nothing untoward would happen as long as the files were in different (sub)directories. But it would be confusing. And as said before, when Q opens a file, it is examined for new reminders,automagic entries etc. Which is why the advice was given to USE COPIES of the original files.

HTH

Reply to
Han

What's been left unsaid during this whole discussion was the original post about 'closing' (whatever THAT means and "...removing those transactions from my active Quicken.". Not that it matters now, and this is a religion to some, but in many cases, there's no need to do that given today's disk sizes and speeds, and so forth.

And if one does do that, it leads to these types of problems!

Reply to
Andrew

"Andrew" wrote in news:4df9f147$0$28695$ snipped-for-privacy@cv.net:

Correct. And that's why I don't do this kind of archiving. I do save backups, though, and they may serve the purpose of the OP, although I can make any kind of report for any time period at any time (except futurecasts that would be worth anything).

Reply to
Han

I have kept all of my transactions (checking, credit cards, investments, loans, etc) going back to 1996 in my active Quicken file which is currently 90mb. It is very useful to have it all in one place so I can answer questions like "When was the last time I installed a water heater" and use "Find" to get the answer. Also useful to answer questions like how much did I spend on auto fuel, property taxes, etc, etc annually over the last 15 years. I do have annual backups so I can restore to a previous year if necessary.

Reply to
Arnie Goetchius

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