Export Backups - Overwrite Problem
I recently updated to the 2024 MD for Mac version, but have been using MD for over 10 years. Love the app, but have encountered a new problem since update. My issue is in exporting backups. I put them in a separate folder as additional disaster recovery solutions.
Since the update, the "export backup" command will find the previous back up version that I select and then says "file exists. Overwrite it?". When I select yes, it comes back with error message saying the it cannot find the file?
This happens whether I try to overwrite a selected renamed previous file or to a MD generated date/time stamped file.
Note that MD can execute an export backup if I let it create a new backup file with an updated date/time stamp name. So only the overwrite option does not work. MD obviously finds and writes to the correct backup folder.
Am I doing something wrong or is it some kind of MAC permissions thing?
Any and all help appreciated!
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1 Posted by tonyt on 30 Oct, 2024 06:29 AM
In backups in settings / preferences have you selected backup on…either….
Every close… or …
Keep one per day?
2 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 30 Oct, 2024 06:41 AM
Have you installed 2024.2(5172)? Earlier versions had a problem in this area (caused by java & the os itself)
3 Posted by Gary on 30 Oct, 2024 11:50 AM
Tony - I have MD settings on "on every close". I thought this was to the main MD file and would not affect a separate backup folder/file that I manual update?
Stuart - I installed MD from the Apple App Store just the other day. My version is 2024.2 (5177). My iMac is using macOS Sonoma 14.6.1 currently if that helps?
Support Staff 4 Posted by Maddy on 30 Oct, 2024 12:19 PM
@Gary
If you haven't already, you may want to install the latest update.
Moneydance 2024.2 (5173) was released on the Mac App Store on Oct 23, 2024.
We recommend removing or overwriting the previous version.
Please keep us posted on your progress, Thank you!
--
Maddy, Infinite Kind Support
5 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 30 Oct, 2024 06:37 PM
Can you send a video of you doing this and the error etc?
CMD-SHIFT-5
(just make sure no private data is showing)
6 Posted by dwg on 30 Oct, 2024 08:17 PM
I think we will need to see that as Moneydance is supposed to be appending a date time stamp to the file name which should mean there is no overwriting of manually created backups.
7 Posted by sth on 31 Oct, 2024 01:44 AM
MD on export backup opens a file saving dialog with date/timestamp part of the file name. If I manually change that to be a different timestamp/date and overwrite an existing file then it should do so with a warning. That seems to be the issue.
Let me try this.
8 Posted by sth on 31 Oct, 2024 01:47 AM
MacOS doesn't show this problem and overwrites the existing file (the 21:44 file overwrote the 21:42 file) when I set the file name to explicitly do this. There is a warning if I really want to overwrite.
However, why mess with the unique date/time stamp in the first place. I hadn't considered doing that.
Of course (5172) and Mac OS. YMMV.
(NOT IK Support)
9 Posted by Gary on 03 Nov, 2024 12:50 PM
I am still having problems. Cannot create video as personal info displayed in too many places. Have attached picture of final error message, after following the following steps:
1) Open file export backup command
2) Select existing file from my back up file folder (see attached for file path). If I do not select a prior backup file, a new file with date/time stamp is created without problems.
3) After selecting a prior backup file, I get a "File exists, Overwrite it?" option box.
4) Selecting "Yes" gives me error box that I have attached. The file I attached is one that I renamed myself. However, the error box occurs if I select any previous backup file (even those with unchanged original MD date/time stamp). Just seems like MD cannot find existing files, but can find the folder to write new ones.
Note that this had not occurred prior to recent update to version 2024.2 (5177). Not sure if this makes any difference but I had updated from a 2022 version.
Any and all help appreciated. If I end up not being able to rename backups, then I will save a list of them as I play with MD daily. I can delete previous ones periodically, but this does not seem like the intention of the file backup dialog boxes.
10 Posted by sth on 03 Nov, 2024 06:44 PM
Actually it does seem to me to be the intention of the backup system. But to ask a silly question, do you have write access to the existing files and the directory they are in? That is what it appears to be.
(NOT IK Support)
11 Posted by Gary on 04 Nov, 2024 12:38 AM
sth, I meant to say that the dialog boxes lead one to believe you can overwrite an old file because you can point to one and the dialog boxes ask if you want to overwrite it.
But you are also kinda correct that the initial dialog box will easily create a new version.
There are no silly questions and I had the same thought about permissions. I looked at my Mac's permissions and it seems like I should be able to read & write. Indeed, I just took an excel file, saved it to my Moneydance backup folder and then was able to overwrite it with an Excel Save As command. So the indications seem to point to an MD potential issue as opposed to a Mac permissions issue, especially since I was able to overwrite before updating MD.
12 Posted by dtd on 04 Nov, 2024 12:51 AM
Well, the simplest thing to do is to try to replicate your issue.
I did what you describe, and it worked without an issue. Now, that said, I used Mac version 5172 as I am not using the Apple provided version. I don't know if the Apple version of MD has a sandbox that might cause a permissions issue.
One thing you can do is to download Mac version 5172 (yes it will be in demo mode, but that's not an issue) load your file, then do export backup to overwrite another file. If it works, that suggests there may be a problem with 5177 (or that 5177 has a sandbox). If it doesn't work, then it suggests an issue with permissions (or something else), since others can do what you want to do with 5172 on their machine.
13 Posted by dtd on 04 Nov, 2024 12:54 AM
Most people here use the Moneydance from the website version, not the Microsoft/Apple company versions which have totally different license/upgrade policies.
That's why I suggested you do this test, since many of us don't have access to 5177.
14 Posted by sth on 04 Nov, 2024 01:00 AM
I missed the Mac App Store note. Yes, that version is sandboxed and that is probably the reason you are seeing this. There is limited ability to write to files outside of the sandbox.
I will bet if you export to the same directory that the auto backups are in, it will work. But writing (and overwriting files outside of the sandbox is problematic.).
(NOT IK Support)
15 Posted by dtd on 04 Nov, 2024 01:02 AM
Obviously you should rename the 5172 download (I use names Like MD5172 when I test multiple versions) so as not to overwrite your version. Or even easier, rename Moneydance to Moneydance 5177 in your application folder to make it unique.
16 Posted by dtd on 04 Nov, 2024 01:05 AM
Well, sth probably "did the test" for you, so ignore my comments on getting 5172.
Instead, follow his test suggestion - export backup to the same directory your auto-backups are in.... and then overwrite it.
17 Posted by Gary on 04 Nov, 2024 01:33 AM
Thanks folks for the sandbox/version thoughts. I will give 5172 a shot later this week.
Independently, I started calling my computer gurus (doesn't everyone have folks smarter to go to in a pinch?). Their advice and counsel all pointed back to the MD updated version as the source of the backup problem.
So the whole exercise has kinda come together. Thanks again.
P.S. Guru suggested that I should stop over writing the backups and just save a version for any day/time I want to backup.
18 Posted by dwg on 04 Nov, 2024 01:49 AM
FWIW Moneydance itself will overwrite its own automatic backups if you set them to save only once a day, and use the software more than once a day, by default it is set to do this within its own user folder structure, so file protections should be an issue.
19 Posted by Gary on 04 Nov, 2024 01:00 PM
Thanks again everyone for all the help! If I followed all the comments, I understand that version 5177 (apple App Store) has differences from version 5172 dealing with the sandbox issues and a limited ability to write to files outside the sandbox. Makes sense now!
Is the knowledge base documentation just for version 5172 when dealing with files? For example, my version 5177 has different backup preferences menu than shown for the knowledge base.
DWG - Since I have my own separate manual backup folder, where would I find the automatic backup files under version 5177? Does checking a separate backup folder option under the version 5177 preference menu obviate automatic backups?
System closed this discussion on 03 Feb, 2025 01:00 PM.