File used when opening Moneydance
I've used Moneydance for many years and I have several different data files for different purposes. Whenever I would click on a data file Moneydance would open that data file regardless of the last data file used. That has now changed: With the last update, when I click on a data file it opens the last one used regardless of the file I clicked on. Thats a nuisance because I then have to reopen the desired file from within Moneydance.
For 15 years it worked the way expected and now it's different. Please fix it to work the way it always did before.
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Support Staff 1 Posted by Maddy on 10 Jul, 2025 02:46 PM
Hi,
Thank you for contacting Moneydance support.
In order to ensure you are opening the same file in the future, you could do this:
I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions or need more assistance.
--
Maddy, Infinite Kind Support
2 Posted by djhodapp on 10 Jul, 2025 09:58 PM
Hi Maddy,
Thanks for your response. This is not what I want it to do. I want it to work as it always has for the last 15 years eg: When Moneydance is NOT open I would click on the file I want to use, it would skip the welcome screen and directly open the file I clicked on. No fuss, no muss. Simple, easy, and logical. It doesn’t work that way now.
Here are the ways it works:
Welcome Window > Open Last; Settings > Appearance > Show Splash Screen When Starting > unchecked — it opens the last file every time regardless of the file clicked on causing it to open requiring the need to transfer files from within MD.
Welcome Window > Open Last; Settings > Appearance > Show Splash Screen When Starting > checked — it opens the Welcome Window every time requiring a selection.
Welcome Window > Open this Window — this requires the selection every time.
Nothing makes it as easy as it used to be: Click and Go.
Unfortunately, your calling it a Welcome Window in one place and a Splash Screen in another does not make it easier for sorting out what’s happening. Don’t your folks talk to each other? Isn’t there someone checking for consistency. I switched to Moneydance from Quicken about 15 years ago. Maybe I should start looking for other alternatives.
Don
On Jul 10, 2025, at 9:46 AM, Maddy <[email blocked]> wrote:
3 Posted by dtd on 10 Jul, 2025 11:00 PM
...
Support Staff 4 Posted by Maddy on 15 Jul, 2025 07:34 AM
You could try the approach below:
Open Moneydance.
Go to Help > Show Documents Folder.
This opens the Finder window showing your .moneydance data files.
Drag the .moneydance file to the right side of the Dock (near the Trash).
This creates a shortcut that opens the file directly in Moneydance.
In regard to the label choice Splash Screen vs Welcome Window, I've filed a ticket in our ticketing system with your suggestion, so the developers will be looking into it.
Please let us know if we can be of further assistance!
--
Maddy, Infinite Kind Support
5 Posted by djhodapp on 15 Jul, 2025 04:01 PM
Thanks you, Maddy, for giving this another thought and trying to help. Unfortunately this is not a solution for me but it begs a question about how MD now works. Here are the issues and what’s changed in MD:
My MD data files are not stored where MD stores them. Before beginning to use MD I set up to store all my personal, financial records in a highly encrypted disk image (.dmg) file on my Macs. Rather relying on each app’s encryption, they’re different, and have security systems that I don’t understand this puts all data in one very secure spot. It’s worked great for me. When I open the dmg in the MD folder each of my data files are right there to click on and open the one I wish.
Here’s the question about how MD now works.
When I click on an MD data file it doesn’t necessarily open that file. It either opens the last open file or the splash screen depending on the setting we previously discussed.
Your suggestion below creates a shortcut to the MD data file. It seems like there’s no effective difference to that and what I’m now doing - clicking directly on the file. If you created a shortcut for each of three different data files will it open the data file clicked on or the last one opened?
If it opens the last one, as my system does, then it still won’t work as desired or as it always has in the past.
If it does open the clicked on file regardless of the last one opened then why does it work differently in this case than it does when the data files are stored elsewhere?
Something has changed:
If it was intentional, why was the change made and what’s the overall advantage to either the systems operation or the user? If there was a good reason for the change I’m more than willing to listen.
If it was not intentional, will the designers be willing to restore the previous functionality? I think this is the proper functionality because in all software I’ve ever used over the years, the app has always opened the data file that’s been clicked on. I’ve never had an app on any kind anywhere that opened a different file than the one clicked to open it.
Please raise this issue to the appropriate levels. I don’t need a workaround, I know how to do that. This is truly something that doesn’t work like all the norms of system usage and design.
Thanks,
Don
On Jul 15, 2025, at 2:34 AM, Maddy <[email blocked]> wrote:
6 Posted by djhodapp on 15 Jul, 2025 05:12 PM
Hey, Maddy!
We’ve both been over-thinking, over-analyzing, and making way too much work out of this. We should have gone right to the final answer: It’s a bug! Take it to your systems guys they’ll want to fix it.
There’s not a computer user anywhere who clicks on a data file to open an app that doesn’t expect the app to open that data file. When I click on a pdf I want to look at it! I don’t want Preview (on the Mac) or Adobe Acrobat (if I’ve so designated) to open some other document. That’s just totally basic computer usage and it’s always worked with MD - unfortunately, not now.
Regardless, if it works when the files are stored in the default location or not MD should open the clicked data file. Your guys will want to fix this if that haven’t already.
Thanks for the effort.
Don
On Jul 15, 2025, at 2:34 AM, Maddy <[email blocked]> wrote:
Support Staff 7 Posted by Maddy on 16 Jul, 2025 08:11 AM
To ensure Moneydance functions properly, your data file should be stored in its default location, as described in this Knowledge Base article.
Could you let us know where your data file is currently saved on your computer?
Thank you
--
Maddy, Infinite Kind Support
8 Posted by djhodapp on 16 Jul, 2025 04:04 PM
I’m disappointed. I know all about the default file location. I’ve been through these issues for years. I even know the instructions contained on your website about moving the files to a different location. I’ve never had a problem. Your website does NOT tell you not to move the files.
We’re not communicating (I’d thought we were) please tell me how to get past you to someone who will want to look at this bug?
Thanks you
On Jul 16, 2025, at 3:11 AM, Maddy <[email blocked]> wrote:
9 Posted by djhodapp on 16 Jul, 2025 04:15 PM
Maddy,
If you discussed this issue with all your support staff and this approach is all that’s recommended then forget it. It seems like I’m locked out from any other support. Please let me know if you’re a firewall to everything Moneydance.
On Jul 16, 2025, at 3:11 AM, Maddy <[email blocked]> wrote:
Support Staff 10 Posted by Maddy on 16 Jul, 2025 04:23 PM
Please note: This is a public thread and anyone in the community can contribute/reply to your query.
If this is not what you intended, please let us know and we can set this thread to 'private' and/or escalate it to the development team if you wish.
--
Maddy, Infinite Kind Support
11 Posted by djhodapp on 16 Jul, 2025 06:50 PM
Maddy,
I thought this was a way to communicate with IK’s developers. I don’t mind that it’s public but not my intent. This is not a user issue. I’m convinced this is an unintentional bug and should definitely be communicated to the development team. I”ll be highly surprised and confused if this was intentional. Yes, please send this to the developers.
Don
On Jul 16, 2025, at 11:23 AM, Maddy <[email blocked]> wrote:
System closed this discussion on 15 Oct, 2025 07:00 PM.