Moneydance data file suddenly 30 times larger than last month!
I have been using Moneydance with Dropbox folder sync since 2005, and have been generally very happy with it. I recently tried to install Moneydance on a Ubuntu Linux laptop. I had a lot of issues with very slow initial sync and the program appearing to hang when I tried to launch it later. My other Windows and Mac laptops were then very slow to sync.
I was able to wait out the program to load and did a backup on my primary Windows laptop. I discovered the backup file went from 2.33GB on 9/2 to 68.5GB today. This is causing the Dropbox sync times to grow to hours and has made the program unusable.
I would like to reset Moneydance and restore from the Sept backup and then manually re-enter the missing transactions. I have a couple of questions:
1) How do I handle the Dropbox sync issue? I want to clear out the bloated sync data file on Dropbox before I restore from the backup.
2) How do I handle the other laptops I use with Moneydance?
3) Would a Dropbox Connection provide better performance than a Dropbox folder for syncing? With almost 20 yrs of data, Dropbox can be slow to sync. Are there instructions on converting from a Dropbox folder sync to a Dropbox Connection sync?
If anyone could recommend instructions on how to reset Moneydance from a backup when using Dropbox sync that would be appreciated. I really rely on Moneydance and it is frustrating not to have it available right now.
Thanks!
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1 Posted by dtd on 08 Oct, 2024 02:49 AM
I have 35+ years of data and my data file set is in the low 100s mb area. (Admittedly after toolbox shrinkage). So unless you have tons of attachments (or even if you do) something is definitely wrong.
So I'm not on the level of Stuart (Toolbox guy) so you can wait till he shows up probably about 6 hours from now (as he is from the UK AND on vacation), but here are my thoughts:
1. Sure restore from Sep backup and plan on the update later.
2. Push a resync to every device using Toolbox. This should create a new sync file (and you can work on getting rid of old ones later).
3. Many like Dropbox Folder better, some like connection. Depends.
4/ 20 years of date should be simple, but not at 2.33gb or (god forbid 68.5gb)
You should definitely shrink the database, but shrink first by going to backup (this growth is just wrong), then get Stuart to walk you through a better shrinkage. I'll help by sending him a "look for this thread". What you have is just wrong.
2 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 08 Oct, 2024 04:38 AM
I would suggest you do this.
1: on the primary, disable sync. Md/file/syncing menu set syncing to none
Restart MD
Ensure latest toolbox extension installed.
Run toolbox. Update mode. Advanced menu. Shrink dataset. Set to 1 days. NO to purge OUT folder. YES to purge uploadbuf file.
Save the output file and upload that here.
Restart MD
Toolbox. Click analyse dataset and objects. Also upload that here.
Then we can see what we have. And advise next steps.
3 Posted by Bob Englert on 08 Oct, 2024 06:51 PM
Thanks for the responses. I ran the purge (forgot to save the log file, sorry). and the dataset is MUCH smaller now.
Do I just re-enable sync on the primary system now, or do I need to first clean out the Dropbox folder first? How should I then handle the other synced computers?
Thanks again for your help. I feel much better about my data now!
4 Posted by Bob Englert on 08 Oct, 2024 07:10 PM
The output log of the Analyse Dataset function after the purge and restart is attached...
5 Posted by Bob Englert on 08 Oct, 2024 07:21 PM
Ran another backup of the purged dataset, new backup file size is 30MB! Things should be MUCH more responsive now. Just need to understand how to best push these changes to my Dropbox folder and my other computers.
Thanks again for the fast responses.
6 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 08 Oct, 2024 07:49 PM
68GB to 3MB is pretty cool! That’s a record!
Toolbox 🧰 +100 😃
7 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 08 Oct, 2024 07:57 PM
Perform a backup and confirm you’re happy with the data / numbers.
Then, as for sync. If it were me I would:
on this purged primary, Toolbox, force RESET sync settings and restart MD
on the secondary machine. Do file / new and create a new dummy empty dataset. Then quit MD
open Dropbox folder. Find the hidden .moneydancesync folder. Delete all the files/folders in that folder.
then resetup sync from scratch on the primary using Dropbox folders.
then on secondary, file / new / open sync’d copy and select the new sync dataset.
8 Posted by Bob Englert on 08 Oct, 2024 08:30 PM
Thank you for your help with this. Much appreciated.
9 Posted by Bob Englert on 09 Oct, 2024 03:46 PM
Follow up question:
I restored Moneydance to my other laptops in the house (Win, Mac, Ubuntu) and everything seems to be working fine. This morning I noticed the backup feature took a lot longer to complete on my primary laptop (the only one with auto backup turned on). When I looked at the backup file sizes today's back jumped significantly from yesterday's after I had shrunk the dataset. A screenshot is attached...
I am not sure which computer or platform is contributing to the rapid size growth, but I have removed the Ubuntu install and will also remove the old Mac version. I would like to keep 3 systems running Moneydance, my primary Win11 laptop, the wife's Win11 laptop, and my new Apple Silicon MacBook Air running Macos15.
Anything in particular I should be looking for when I go through the steps to isolate the dataset, shrink it, and then reconnect to the other systems? I am not sure why the dataset is growing so quickly with a handful of routine transactions added.
I am using Moneydance 2024.1 (v5118) on all systems.
10 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 09 Oct, 2024 05:50 PM
You mustn’t disconnect and reconnect the others. You can run shrink on all datasets but don’t disconnect sync
Grab toolbox. Analyse dataset on each dataset and upload each here.
11 Posted by Bob Englert on 09 Oct, 2024 07:13 PM
Output from the dataset analysis option is shown for the 3 system I would like to focus on. I have removed Moneydance from the old MacBook and the Ubuntu laptop.
So to confirm I can run the shrink option on all three systems with all of them still synced? I never open Moneydance on more than 1 computer at a time.
12 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 09 Oct, 2024 07:31 PM
I think I know what’s happening but not why.
Anyway, yes run shrink on all three still sync’d (use zero days)
Restart them all
Only after all have been shrunk, Rerun the analyse option on all three and reupload here.
13 Posted by Bob Englert on 09 Oct, 2024 07:52 PM
Starting with the primary laptop, I ran the shrink again with 0 days and then exited the program. Repeated this on the 2nd Win11 laptop and then on the new Mac. I then restarting Moneydance on the Primary laptop and reran the analysis. Shrink seems to have worked now and the dataset on all three laptops are around 30MB.
I sure would like to understand what I was doing that is causing the file to balloon!
The log files from each laptop from the dataset analysis is attached.
Thx!
14 Posted by Bob Englert on 27 Oct, 2024 05:41 PM
Files on all of my laptops are all about 30K and Moneydance is opening and closing much faster than before. Thank you for your help with this. I now have an idea of what to due if the file starts to balloon next time.
Bob
Bob Englert closed this discussion on 27 Oct, 2024 05:41 PM.