Show Documents Folder does not show my database
I am using MD 2024.4.
For testing purposes I downloaded a Windows ARM version of MD and installed in on my W11 ARM VM (using Parallels on my Mac). I created a folder User Data on the W11 c: drive, with a sub-folder Moneydance. I copied a db from my Mac to this folder, was able to open it and add transactions. Backups go into User Data -> Moneydance -> Backups.
However, when I use the Show Documents Folder from the Help menu, the folder is empty. I would have assumed it shows the folder where I had copied the db into.
is it a problem that I used my own folder for the MD db and should it have gone to the documents folder that currently shows empty?
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Support Staff 1 Posted by Maddy on 03 Oct, 2025 03:59 PM
Hi Gerd,
Thank you for contacting Moneydance support.
Help > Show Document Folder will open the default data file location,.
If your data file/s are stored elsewhere, you should choose File->Open->Open Other then navigate to the location you have moved your data files to.
If you wish to relocate your data file/s to the default location, once you have located them, you should follow the steps outlined here to move your data file to the default location.
Alternatively, in order to relocate your data file using the Toolbox:
- Navigate to Extensions->Manage Extensions and install the Toolbox. - Select the Update function (from within the Toolbox) and navigate to Menu: General Tools->Relocate this dataset back to the default 'internal' location.
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 Stuart Beesley ... on 03 Oct, 2025 04:17 PM
Menu. Help. Show console. Bottom click (…). Files/folders. Click the dataset folder to open.
3 Posted by Gerd on 03 Oct, 2025 04:35 PM
Thanks for your replies, but it did not answer my question about a reason why it should be in the default location and not a "custom" location.
On my Mac I had used the default location from the very beginning of using MD, but on Windows I normally had all my data in my User Data folder.
4 Posted by dwg on 03 Oct, 2025 09:24 PM
That specific command is set to show the default location not the location of the currently opened Account Set, which could be anywhere, that is the design decision the developer took.
To open the folder the currently opened Account set is in, you can use the procedure outlined by Stuart.
Support Staff 5 Posted by Ethan on 04 Oct, 2025 12:19 AM
The default location was created for a few reasons. The main one was that many users didn't understand where their data was being saved, even if it was to a typical place like their main documents folder, and would often move of delete their data. This unfortunately has only increased over time with the 'app-ificatin' of program design that more people are getting used to, where the location of data files are further obscured or managed from within apps themselves, especially on mobile devices. The default location is out of the way and would prevent accidental deletions from happening in most instances. Those who understand things about files and locations can still move their data files to whatever custom location makes sense for them, and presumably those people have a better handle on managing their data files.
Please let me know if I can be of further assistance,
Ethan
Infinite Kind Support
6 Posted by Gerd on 04 Oct, 2025 06:16 AM
Thanks dwg and Ethan for the explanation, which certainly makes sense for users that are not so familiar with Windows and its file/folder system.
I have purchased a regular Windows license for my nephew, who gets started with MD. He is not so familiar with Windows yet.
I have created the initial db on my Mac, entered his very first transactions, and will copy the db over to his Windows PC and have him paste it to the MD default location.
Maddy closed this discussion on 06 Oct, 2025 10:39 AM.