Computer crashed
Hello. So my computer crashed and I am trying to restore MD on a different computer. The problem is I can't remember if I used Dropbox connection or Dropbox folder to set up sync (not even sure what is the difference to be honest). Anyway, when I tried Connection, I get a file that was last updated in late 2023, which is not the latest version. When I try Folder, it tells me error creating file. Can anyone help me figure out what I should do to restore the last version of my file? Thanks a lot
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1 Posted by derekkent23 on Mar 29, 2024 @ 08:24 AM
I am not support staff, just a user.
Hi kerri.maharaj
The best way to get up and running on a different computer is to FILE – RESTORE FROM BACKUP. Do you have a Moneydance created manual or automatic backup stored in Dropbox to guard against a computer failure?
If not it is sometimes possible to recover if you have been using Moneydance syncing.
You should be able to initiate syncing using either Dropbox Folder or Dropbox Connection regardless of which method you originally used.
What are you syncing to, another computer or a mobile device? Does every thing look up to date there?
As a starting point you can determine if up to date sync data exists as follows.
Find the Moneydance created sync folder in Dropbox called .moneydancesync
In this folder should be one or more alphanumeric folder.
In each of these folders there will be a file mdsyncinfo.txt
Opening this file in a text editor will show last update date.
From this you should be able to determine if a resent sync data exists.
Hope this helps.
2 Posted by kerri.maharaj on Mar 29, 2024 @ 11:52 AM
Hi derekkent23
Firstly, many thanks for taking the time to reply.
No I don't have a specific moneydance backup. I did back up my computer
about 2 months ago and then accidentally erased it in the process of
recovering the data - I nearly cried :)
Not sure exactly how to answer your question. My setup is the program on
the crashed PC and Dropbox used to sync two android mobile devices.
So unless I can recover files from the crashed computer (it's currently
being evaluated), my only hope is there is a moneydance process that has
the info synced to Dropbox.
I checked the file you referred to and this is what it says,
0d23cf29-3496-4a4f-9fc3-df8ff54b56f5
0d23cf29-3496-4a4f-9fc3-df8ff54b56f5 (Thu, Mar 28, 2024 6:14 PM)
197EA59BE3C4C89945F6C862CCB5D5F582ECD15AAFC61C24F7D7737B6C94DB9F
5064
Any guidance you can provide would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Kerri
On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 4:24 AM derekkent23 <[email blocked]>
wrote:
3 Posted by derekkent23 on Mar 29, 2024 @ 12:39 PM
I am not support staff, just a user.
Hi kerri.maharaj
So you have a sync folder 0d23cf29-3496-4a4f-9fc3-df8ff54b56f5 in Dropbox that was last updated (Thu, Mar 28, 2024 6:14 PM)
Just before the date in the mdsyncinfo.txt file you should see the name of the Data Set that is being synced.
Make sure you have Dropbox Client installed on your new computer so you can see the Dropbox folder and hence .moneydance\0d23cf29-3496-4a4f-9fc3-df8ff54b56f5 on your hard drive.
Now on your new computer in Moneydance select FILE – NEW – OPEN SYNCED FILE and select Dropbox Folder – NEXT in the window that opens you should see your Data Set name listed as in the mdsyncinfo.txt file . Select that and follow the rest of the sync process.
Report what happens as if successful there is another step to perform.
Hope this help.
Support Staff 4 Posted by Maddy on Mar 29, 2024 @ 12:39 PM
Hi Kerri,
We are sorry to hear about the problem you have encountered.
If the data on your mobile device is up-to-date, you could take it from there.
To sync to the same sync file as your mobile device, you should follow the steps below:
You will need to launch Moneydance on your computer and click on File/Moneydance -> New -> Open Synced File, there, select the same sync method as it was originally setup on your computer (Dropbox Connection or Dropbox Folder).
You will see a list of data files with the name of your base account, select the same as the one on your mobile device and you will see a prompt for the passphrase (it should match the one you have created on your computer's previously), wait for the initial sync process to finalize and that will be it.
I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions or need more assistance.
--
Maddy, Infinite Kind Support
5 Posted by kerri.maharaj on Mar 29, 2024 @ 12:53 PM
Hi derekkent23
Interestingly, I've tried that a couple times before and keep getting
an error that says can't create file. I tried it twice after reading your
message. The first time, I received an error message. The second time, MD
opened with the data!
Please let me know what to do next.
Thanks
Kerri
On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 8:39 AM derekkent23 <[email blocked]>
wrote:
6 Posted by derekkent23 on Mar 29, 2024 @ 01:13 PM
I am not support staff, just a user.
Hi kerri.maharaj
OK from your last post I assume you can now see your correct data in Moneydance.
Using the method I described the recovered Data Set is what is called a Secondary Data Set you normally find if you sync to other computers.
To change a Secondary Data set to a Primary Data Set proceed as follows.
Under EXTENSIONS – MANAGE EXTENSIONS install TOOLBOX.
Open TOOLBOX under EXTENSIONS
On opening TOOLBOX it should give you a message to the effect the Data Set is a secondary Data Set (Secondary Mode). Tick the UPDATE MODE tick box and follow on screen instructions. Then Click FIX MAKE ME A PRIMARY DATASET.
Hope this help.
7 Posted by kerri.maharaj on Mar 29, 2024 @ 02:15 PM
Hi derekkent23
I did the actions you suggested and everything seems to be working fine. I
just need to update the transactions since the crash to double check.
I can't thank you enough for your help.
I do have one last question. It was a frustrating few days after the PC
crashed and then losing the PC back up as well. Is there any recommended
approach to back up the moneydance files on the PC to a cloud storage such
as OneDrive or even Dropbox?
Thanks again for your help
Kerri
On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 9:13 AM derekkent23 <[email blocked]>
wrote:
8 Posted by derekkent23 on Mar 29, 2024 @ 02:51 PM
I am not support staff, just a user.
Hi kerri.maharaj
Moneydance backups can be a live saver if you make a big mistake or you hit a problem with your computer, so a word on Moneydance’s backup types and how to restore a Moneydance backup.
There are two types of Moneydance backup, manual and auto.
The default backup location can be found under HELP – SHOW ARCHIVE FOLDER. This location is on your hard drive. In both cases you can select the backup location and as such it is good practice to set the location on a cloud server such as Dropbox, OneDrive etc, in case your hard drive fails.
Manual backup. A manual backup can be made under FILE – BACKUP EXPORT. The automatic file naming convention is yourdatasetname-yyyymmdd-tttt.moneydancearchive
Automatic backup is set under FILE – PREFERENCES – BACKUPS. Auto backup makes a backup every time you close Moneydance. Moneydance only keep the last auto backup of the day, overwriting any previous auto backups for that day. You can set the number of backups to be kept. When this number is exceeded the oldest backup is deleted. The automatic file naming convention is yourdatasetname.yyyy-mm-dd.moneydancearchive
A moneydancearchive file is a compressed data set.
The contents of a backup file is encrypted and provided you have set a password under FILE – PASSWORDS can only be opened by Moneydance by entering your password after using FILE – RESTORE FROM BACKUP.
If you are syncing and using a cloud server as a backup location don’t set your computers to use the exact same backup location. When you sync you have a primary computer and secondary computers. A primary data set is not the same as a secondary data set and hence neither are there backups. But as they use the same data set name it possible to get confused. To identified a Secondary Data Set install and run the extension Toolbox, it will tell you if the Data Set is a secondary. It is possible to convert a secondary data set to a primary data set by running Toolbox. Your password is not reset, you still need it to open a backup.
When you FILE– RESTORE FROM BACKUP you do not overwrite your existing data set, a new data set is created with the naming convention – from manual backup yourdatasetname-yyyymmdd-tttt.moneydance the date time code taken from the backup file - from auto backup yourdatasetname-yyyymmdd.moneydance the date code taken from the backup file. As part of the restore process you will be given the option to change the name of the restored Data Set although you can’t use the name of an existing Data Set. Also there is a tick box KEEP SYNC SETTING FROM ORIGINAL FILE. See note below tick box. If you were syncing data between devices and something when wrong and this is the reason you are Restoring from Backup you should untick the box to break the syncing link to other device so the syncing does not resume automatically and you can set up syncing anew. Other backup methods such as making a copy of your data set will mean syncing is still enabled and can mean a restored data set will sync and your data set will be corrupted again.
The set Auto Backup location can be found under HELP – SHOW BACKUP FOLDER.
The default data set location can be found under HELP– SHOW DOCUMENT FOLDER. This location is on your hard drive and you should not move your data set, certainly not to a cloud server where due to the nature of the Data Set read/write features it could become corrupted. You can delete old data sets you no longer want. You can rename a restored data set with Moneydance closed as you would any other folder provided you retain “.moneydance” extension. A data set is a folder not a file containing other folders and files. When you open Moneydance it will open in the “Welcome to Moneydance” window with the data set name listed on the right.
Hope this helps.
9 Posted by kerri.maharaj on Mar 29, 2024 @ 06:53 PM
Many thanks derekkent23
This was very helpful.
You have been awesome.
Kerri
kerri.maharaj closed this discussion on Mar 29, 2024 @ 06:54 PM.
kerri.maharaj re-opened this discussion on Mar 29, 2024 @ 06:54 PM
10 Posted by kerri.maharaj on Mar 29, 2024 @ 06:54 PM
Thanks a lot Maddy
I was able to recover my data using the guidance from derekkent23.
Appreciate the willingness to help.
Kerri
On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 8:39 AM Maddy <[email blocked]>
wrote:
11 Posted by derekkent23 on Mar 29, 2024 @ 10:57 PM
I am not support staff, just a user.
Hi kerri.maharaj
Glad I was able to help.
Have Fun, Stay Safe.
12 Posted by dwg on Mar 29, 2024 @ 11:21 PM
With backups the important thing is no matter what method you use, to store the backups somewhere other than on the same disk as the Moneydance data files, you can store them in multiple locations if you like, people used to managing systems will often use rotating media so there are multiple copies in multiple locations, with backups from different days on various media.
13 Posted by dtd on Mar 30, 2024 @ 12:18 AM
And with your financial data - it's good to do offsite backups to keep from crying.... :)
Very pleased to read about this positive ending.
14 Posted by kerri.maharaj on Mar 30, 2024 @ 08:43 AM
Hi dtd
I've been using MD since 2012, having selected the system after a long
search and trying many alternatives. I've kept using MD for several
reasons:
1. It's full featured (at least for my needs)
2. Continuously updated
3. Help is always available. I think every question I had or issue that
arose was resolved.
4. The program has hidden gems, such as the ability to recover my data in
this instance. I thought I had lost everything, yet some magic was still
possible.
Days like yesterday remind me of 3 and 4, and why I chose the program, and
keep using it.
Stay awesome.
Kerri
On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 8:18 PM dtd <[email blocked]> wrote:
15 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on Mar 30, 2024 @ 10:29 AM
Toolbox 🧰 +1 😃
Maddy closed this discussion on Apr 01, 2024 @ 10:33 AM.
kerri.maharaj re-opened this discussion on Feb 02, 2025 @ 11:53 AM
16 Posted by kerri.maharaj on Feb 02, 2025 @ 11:53 AM
Hi derekkent23
I'm not sure if it's ok to reach out to you. You were unbelievably helpful
the last time my computer crashed I had to restore from a back up.
Believe it or not, the same computer crashed again but when I booted up my
back up computer moneydance synced and all the info was updated. I re-read
the information you gave me below and I realized that I had a question re
the backups from different computers, because I started using onedrive
after the last incident.
Before getting to that, I have an immediate problem. To summarise, my
primary PC has crashed and I am using a secondary computer, which has the
correct MD info. The immediate issue is my Android app is not syncing
correctly, and is showing 2 restored files.
Could you help me with this?
Thanks a lot.
Kerri
17 Posted by derekkent23 on Feb 02, 2025 @ 12:45 PM
I am not support staff, just a user.
Hi kerri.maharaj
What sync method are you using Dropbox Folder or Dropbox Connect?
What version and build of Moneydance are you running e.g. 2024.2(5172).
The reason I am asking some changes have been made to syncing. E.g.
2024.2(5165)
* Fixed a bug that could cause invalid "Restored xxxxx" accounts to appear if an initial sync download was not completed before the file was loaded the first time *Added an option to disable syncing of mobile data on specific computers, in order to avoid potential (but very unlikely) conflicts
18 Posted by kerri.maharaj on Feb 02, 2025 @ 01:16 PM
Hi derekkent23
I'm using Dropbox Folder and version 2024 (5117)
Sorry, I should I provided that in my original email. Thanks for replying.
Kerri
On Sun, Feb 2, 2025 at 8:45 AM derekkent23 <[email blocked]>
wrote:
19 Posted by derekkent23 on Feb 02, 2025 @ 02:30 PM
I am not support staff, just a user.
Hi kerri.maharaj
I think I would start by updating to the free upgrade 2024.2(5172) from https://infinitekind.com/download-moneydance-personal-finance-software
on all your computers as your screen shot indicate this could be a bug you are seeing.
Under FILES – PREFERENCES – NETWORK – on one and only one computer ensure SYNC DATA WITH MOBILE DEVICE (APPLIES TO CURRENT FILE ON THIS COMPUTER) is ticked.
This was a developer workaround fix to, overcome a rare but possible issue were transaction were duplicated when using a mobile device. The drawback is transaction between a computer with this unticked and mobile will only update when the other computer with the box ticked is open or opened.
Then in the Android app click on 3 dops (top right) then SETTINGS – DISCONNECT. See if you Data Set is listed.
20 Posted by derekkent23 on Feb 02, 2025 @ 03:24 PM
I am not support staff, just a user.
Hi kerri.maharaj
In case it was not obvious after you upgrade FILE – RESTORE FROM BACKUP from a good backup unticking KEEP SYNC SETTING FROM ORIGINAL FILE. Set up syncing again before disconnecting on Mobile and attempting to sync mobile.
21 Posted by kerri.maharaj on Feb 02, 2025 @ 03:27 PM
Hi derekkent23
I did the update as you suggested, but please note, I don't have access to
the primary PC, only this one, re your mobile sync point. Also note that
when I ran Toolbox per your recommendations in the past, I didn't get a
notice to make this computer my primary, so I'm not sure if I'm doing
something wrong.
I also did the mobile disconnect but the information in the app is
unchanged i.e. still showing the restore files.
Any other suggestions?
Thanks
Kerri
On Sun, Feb 2, 2025 at 10:31 AM derekkent23 <[email blocked]>
wrote:
22 Posted by kerri.maharaj on Feb 02, 2025 @ 03:37 PM
LOL. This was not obvious :)
Let me try and let you know.
Thanks
Kerri
On Sun, Feb 2, 2025 at 11:24 AM derekkent23 <[email blocked]>
wrote:
23 Posted by derekkent23 on Feb 02, 2025 @ 04:28 PM
I am not support staff, just a user.
Hi kerri.maharaj
On a secondary computer when you open Toolbox you get a message starting:
THIS DATASET IS RUNNING AS A ‘SECONDARY NODE’.
If you want to convert a secondary to a primary follow then on screen instructions.
This includes selecting UPDATE MODE and following the on screen instructions brings up a new menu in the menu bar FIX: MAKE ME A PRIMARY DATASET.
If you don’t get the message THIS DATASET IS RUNNING AS A ‘SECONDARY NODE’ it suggest the Data Set is already a primary and you should see in the body of the text a line DATASET IS A MASTER / PRIMARY SYNC NODE
But before you attempt this lets see if after restoring a backup, setting up syncing you can get syncing to work to the mobile.
System closed this discussion on May 04, 2025 @ 04:30 PM.