Transferring Q. data

Just copy the file set using any medium you believe is reliable, USB stick, network, CD-ROM or UDF CD. If you use CD-ROM you will have to remove the Read-Only attribute after you transfer the files to the new computer.

Don't delete them from the old computer until you have checked to make sure they are good.

Or, just use your backup set. You do make regular backups on reliable removable media, right?

-- Vic Roberts Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.

What exactly constitutes 'the file set'?

thanks

The directory where I have my Quicken data has files with the following extensions:

QDF (This is the main data file) QEL QSD QPH DIR

I'm not sure if all these are needed, and depending upon what you do with Quicken you may have other file types. Others here will certainly chime in and correct me if I am wrong. I backup all these just in case.

-- Vic Roberts Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.

I have filename.IDX, filename.QDF, filename.QEL, filename.QPH, filename.QSD and filenameOFXLOG.DAT in my Quicken folder.

Don't forget .QTX as well. Easiest advice is to look for *all* filenames that is the same as the QDF file (also the name that appears at the top of your Quicken screen) and regard those files as a "set".

I don't have a QTX file. Are the file extensions a function of what version you are running? Your advise to pick anything that starts with your filename works best.

It is a mistake to attempt to define a Quicken fileset by attempting to name every specific file you believe is in the fileset. Some files only get created if you invoke certain Quicken functions ... one example: the .QTX file is only created if you elect to utilize Quicken's tax planning features. And some file extensions are different from one Quicken version to the next. You need to apply a better concept to the backup process.

The simplest and most accurate methods are: use Quicken's backup to create a backup fileset to a folder on your hard drive (to make matters simple: put only Quicken backups in that folder); or use Windows to "copy" all Windows files with the same name as your Quicken "file". If your Quicken file is named QDATA, then copy QDATA.*, and you will get all the files you need.

Except ... if you use Home Inventory, in which case, you must pay attention when Home Inventory asks you if you want to backup your home inventory file, then you must make sure that home inventory backup file also gets backed up to your regular offline media. A regular Quicken backup will *not* backup your Home Inventory file.

Wouldn't QDATA*.* be more appropriate? I have QDATA.*, QDATA1.*, QDATA2.* and QDATA3.* "sets" of files in my Quicken\Backup folder. I'm assuming that the most current set of files is the last backup for that quicken file.

well thanks

No. Qdata1, Qdata2, etc. are not different files in the same fileset; they are different filesets. And, unless you have mistakenly named your Quicken fileset QDATA1, QDATA2 or any other name followed by a number; then those filesets that end in a single digit are nothing more than Quicken's own automatic backups ... performed on your behalf every seven days or so.

If you find different file extensions associated with QDATA1 than you do with QDATA, it means that QDATA1 is not a backup of your current QDATA ... but it is defininitely a backup (unless you have violated the basic rule not to name your Quicken fileset with a name ending in a digit).

So, to repeat: if you want to get (copy or backup or whatever) all the files in your current fileset using Windows "copy": copy QDATA.* (assuming QDATA is the name of your current Quicken file[set]).

I'd use the "Backup" function. There's no difference between copying the needed files and backing up. The former, guarantees you have all the files you need....

You won't be able to restore directly from the CD since the files are "Read Only". Copy them to the new drive and then just open the account from Q.

I guess they are just my automatic backups then. Thanks for the clarification.

I do have one fileset that ends in "2" (as in version 2). I will rename that one to eliminate the confusion. I was not aware of the basic rule when I named it.

So you basically ignore the numerically named backup files?

Perhaps I overstated it when I said "rule"; guideline might be more correct. But it surely will save confusion if you know when you see a Quicken file that, if its name ends in a digit, it was created by Quicken's automatic backup. (Another guideline for file names is to keep them less than 8 characters).

Not sure what you mean here.

If you are wondering if those auto backups can be used to determine what are the "correct" file extensions for a Quicken fileset, I would say they only tell you what the "correct" extensions were when the auto backup was made. If, for example, you have, since that backup was created, initiated Quicken tax planning for the first time; the auto backup would not have a .qtx file but your current Quicken fileset would.

Since you do not have direct control of when auto backups are created, if you are just concerned to get all the members of your Quicken fileset moved or copied somewhere, I agree with Hank: just create a backup. Put it in a folder where the folder name tells you what the contents are; you could use today's date, and/or text indicating why you made the backup, or whatever. But, if for some reason, you can not or do not want to use Quicken's backup; I think it is useful to know that QDATA.* will allow you to move/copy your complete Quicken fileset (repeating: this excludes home inventory ... which a Quicken backup also does not get).

I was sort of trying to answer two questions: what files are in a Quicken fileset, and how do I make sure I move/copy them all.

If you mean do I use those auto backups as backups; sure I would if I needed them. I have not had cause to need them yet, but I don't forget that they are there.

On Sun 22 May 2005 10:40:27a, John Pollard wrote in news:LJ1ke.13620 $V2.12735@attbi_s72:

You can also tell by the directory. I make periodic copies of Quicken (usually after something (minor) abonormal happens while Quicken is running) just to make sure I have a file that can still be copied before the next scheduled backup. I use digit endings on those copies and perioedically delete the older ones. Because of the CPYn suffix and because these are not in the automatic backup directory, there will be no confusion.

Yes, that's a good point.

But I was also thinking of my practice of not opening backup files: when I want to know the contents of a backup, I make a Windows copy of it somewhere and open the copy. Sometimes that could have one of those auto-backups floating around outside its normal home in the BACKUP folder.

I have gone exclusively to using the folder (even path) name to tell me about the files therein - like "Copies", or "Backup", or "2005-05-14", then I always keep the same file name no matter where a "copy" of that file goes ... I also have several different files, so I want something simple in their name to tell me what they represent; then the folder name tells me whether they are the original or a copy for some purpose.

I agree. All files with the same name as the QDF file. Better stated than I did.

-- Vic Roberts Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.

"But I was also thinking of my practice of not opening backup files: when I want to know the contents of a backup, I make a Windows copy of it somewhere and open the copy."

Why is that? Is it because you might accidently change some transaction in the 'backup' copy and this invalidate it (logically) as a potential copy you could restore from if need be, or perhaps you don't want it in the recent list of opened files (although opening the copied version would do the same thing). I am trying to figure out what your reasoning is, since I do it relatively frequently. My only problem to date is to ENSURE I remember to reopen the 'real' copy on the next time around (which usually means after looking at the backup, I almost always open the real one again just to make sure it 'sticks'.)

Once you open a file with Quicken, Quicken will change at the very least the date on it. If there were scheduled transactions in the backup, they will be scheduled and inserted in registers, etc. End result is that after you open the backup, it ain't a backup no more but some hybrid file.

Exactly.

To say nothing of Andrew's own observation that once the backup file is open, one might forget that it was supposed to be a "backup" and actually modify something (Quicken updates your file as soon as you make changes; you don't get the option not to "save" the changes you make).

To me, a true backup should be guaranteed to remain *exactly* as it was when it was created ... but you are not obliged to treat yours the same way.