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Moneydance 2012 "upgrade" lost my settings and moved by data file

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Geoff Burnett

27 Sep, 2012 09:10 PM

I spent a lot of time customising the home screen, setting colours and re-ordering/removing items. Now I've upgraded to 2012, not only do I find that my data file has been removed from my dropbox folder so that I cannot sync across macs anymore (without a convoluted work around, but that you have also not bothered to retain my preferences.

I do not find this acceptable.

1. 1 Dana on 27 Sep, 2012 09:22 PM

   I experienced the same problems with my home screen settings and also don't like the data file being forced into a specific location, especially a hidden folder. I kept the data file on a SAMBA share and accessed it from multiple machines running Windows and Linux.

2. 2 rock.house on 27 Sep, 2012 09:27 PM

   I am getting this when trying to sort out my home page after "updating"

   Error saving preferences: C:\Users\Colin_.moneydance\config.dict

3. 3 james f on 27 Sep, 2012 11:19 PM

   Geooff,
   When the new release migrated your data to the new name, it moved the old .md data file to ~/ User / yourusername /Library / Containers / com.infinitekind.MoneydanceOSX / Data / Library / Application Support / Moneydance / archive .

4. 4 Dana on 28 Sep, 2012 01:55 AM

   Upon additional reading in the forums, I am coming to understand that the data file mandatory location change is perhaps due to conforming with Apple requirements for their OS. I could not possibly care less where Apple says files should be saved. When I used various Windows OS's I also didn't conform to their expectations. It's my data I'll save it where I damn well please. I now use Linux (Fedora 17, specifically) and I absolutely do not want my data saved several levels deep in some obscure hidden directory. I fully understand the symlink option and reject it as asinine. I, the user, will choose where to save MY data. Unless that is again made possible I will discontinue my use of Moneydance and will no longer promote it as a superior alternative to Quicken. At least Quicken lets me choose the data file location!

5. 5 jonlamon on 28 Sep, 2012 02:45 AM

   Symbolic links are your friend. After the initial import, use your favorite tool to move the .moneydance directory wherever you want it.

   Then from a command prompt in windows you can type:

   mklink /D [userhomedirectory]/.moneydance [favoritelocation]/.moneydance

   from linux or mac osx you can type

   ln -s [favoritelocation]/.moneydance [userhomedirectory]/.moneydance

6. 6 Paul Howland on 28 Sep, 2012 06:19 AM

   Just to be completely clear here: if you update to Moneydance 2012, using the sandboxed version, then computer-to-computer syncing is now completely broken. Is this correct? The stuff about symbolic links above refers (I guess) to non-sandboxed versions, as the new moneydance file doesn't even exist in the place the symbolic link refers to....

   If syncing is broken, then I think this should be made absolutely clear to people before they download this version. As far as I can see, I've now screwed up my Moneydance installation with no obvious other benefits to the new release.

7. 7 james f on 28 Sep, 2012 11:24 AM

   Paul,
   You are absolutely correct.

   I pray that you haven't messed things up too bad that you can't recover from it.

8. 8 Dana on 28 Sep, 2012 11:31 AM

   @Jonathon Lamon - thanks for the detailed instructions, but as I stated I understand the symlink process quite well and use symlinks regularly. I simply refuse to do that to fix broken software that was functioning fine until it was intentionally broken.

9. 9 boreham on 28 Sep, 2012 12:37 PM

   I have two computers which sync three different sets of accounts via Dropbox. I open the set of accounts I want to use by clicking on the appropriate file in Dropbox. This has worked perfectly for years.

   Can I still do this? The reply to Paul in Post #8 implies not. This would be a disaster!

   Can Moneydance 2012 handle three different sets of accounts? How would I select the required set? How does the other computer get synced? What about the iphone and iPad syncing with the dropbox file?

   Help please! (sorry for hysterical tone, this is how I feel at the moment!)

10. 10 james f on 28 Sep, 2012 01:00 PM

    Mike,
    It isn't so much that the new realease can't handle three different sets of accounts, it's that connectivity to your local Dropbox folder has been intentionally severed by the developers of Moneydance. They feel it is too much of a security risk for the average user.

    Centralized access to our data files has been eliminated from the program.

    They believe that a "Closed In" environment is better for us. This is the direction that Apple has gone in, and the developers of Moneydance are mirroring Apple's direction.

11. 11 boreham on 28 Sep, 2012 01:06 PM

    Thanks James.

    I am seeing two distinct problems at the moment...

    One is the syncing between computers using Dropbox, which you discussed.

    The other is whether and how the program can store three different sets of accounts internally, and how I would select the set I wanted. Your reply implies that this is not a problem. Have you tried multiple accounts?

12. 12 Jon Hoover on 28 Sep, 2012 01:23 PM

    Hi Mike,
    Sorry for the confusion. We are working right now on a release of Moneydance 2012 for OSX that has desktop-to-desktop syncing restored. It will be set up to avoid some of the issues we had with the prior incarnation, including the ability to overwrite files if multiple users are accessing the file at the same time. We are also working on implementing a feature that will let non-osx users specify their file location.
    If you are using OSX I would suggest you hold off for now. If you are not you could go either way, it will require a little futzing in the short term if you upgrade, so you could wait until we get everything implemented.
    The iphone and ipad syncing still work and are now fully integrated into the program and do not use extensions.
    Moneydance 2012 continues to allow you to use multiple accounts/files. You can select which one you want by going to File->Open.
    Please let us know if you have any more questions.
    Sincerely,
    Jon Hoover, Moneydance Support

13. 13 stephen Rinker on 28 Sep, 2012 01:24 PM

    This comment was split into a new discussion: Moneydance 2012 "upgrade" lost my settings and moved by data file

    Like everyone else I only got Moneydance 2012 to work by using 10.5 However its a disaster as I've lost my data file which was stored via a dropbox account. My mobile devices still sync with it so it must be there. Help please. The file/open command doesnt work.

    Stephen

14. 14 boreham on 28 Sep, 2012 01:32 PM

    Thanks for the clarification, Jon.

    On the multiple data files issue, are you saying that if I import all three data files into Moneydance 2012, then I can select which I want by opening the Money dance app and then File->open will show all three datafiles and I can simple chose which? That will be fine, but I won't switch to 2012 until the OSX Dropbox syncing is fixed.

    I might suggest that OSX Dropbox syncing is so widely used that it is feels a bit premature to release this version with no warning that it is not supported.

15. 15 stephen on 28 Sep, 2012 01:52 PM

    Premature is perhaps a bit of an understatement. I would use a lot stronger language. I've just wasted an hour or so trying to get to bloody thing to work. am I psychic mr moneydance? why release software thats not fully functional? I bet over a quarter of mac moneydance users use the dropbox option.

16. 16 Geoff Burnett on 28 Sep, 2012 03:44 PM

    Mike,

    With multiple files, Moneydance automatically remembers the last one you used. If, like me, you have your file password-protected, then hit cancel at the password prompt. This will bring up the "Getting Started With Moneydance" window and you can then choose your file from the list shown there.

    Stephen,

    If you're using the Sandboxed version of Moneydance 2012, your old file should be here:

    ~/Library/Containers/com.infinitekind.MoneydanceOSX/Data/Library/Application Support/Moneydance/archive

    Hope this helps

17. 17 bigboy99 on 28 Sep, 2012 04:09 PM

    Okay, I "updated" to 2012 and lost many of my settings including screen colors. I decided that this was very a bad start to an upgrade and restored my previous version of Moneydance with Time Machine. Why on earth would you release a product that cannot keep track of previous preferences?

    How do I restore my previous preference settings, etc?

18. 18 james f on 28 Sep, 2012 04:13 PM

    Mike Boreham,
    Once all of your accounts are set up, you can choose which to open by going to File > Open. A list of all data files will appear. Just choose the one you wish to work on.

19. 19 boreham on 28 Sep, 2012 04:17 PM

    Thanks James.

    I took the plunge and imported all three and it does indeed work as you say.

    I have also set Chronosync and Chronoagent up to sync between my two Macs until Dropbox functionality is restored.

20. 20 bigboy99 on 28 Sep, 2012 04:38 PM

    "When the new release migrated your data to the new name, it moved the old .md data file to ~/ User / yourusername /Library / Containers / com.infinitekind.MoneydanceOSX / Data / Library / Application Support / Moneydance / archive .”

    Okay, so where do I return it to so MD is restored and works again with the previous version? I’m not a tech guy, just trying to keep track of my checkbook.

    Thanks,
    Stu

21. 21 Jon Hoover on 28 Sep, 2012 04:42 PM

    Hi Stu,
    Sorry for things not working properly.
    I am surprised to hear the preferences didn't migrate, I'm wondering did this come up for other people?
    Stu go to Help->Show Archive Folder. Your old file should be there, copy it back to your documents folder, home folder, or whatever you like and then use Moneydance 2011 to open it.
    Sincerely,
    Jon Hoover, Moneydance Support

22. 22 bigboy99 on 28 Sep, 2012 04:43 PM

    No help to me. I restored the previous version of MD and want to use Time Machine to restore my previous check printing (a nightmare to setup), colors, backup and anything else that has been hosed by this “upgrade.” A simple explanation is required as I don’t enjoy tweaking critical files.

    Thx

23. 23 Jon Hoover on 28 Sep, 2012 04:54 PM

    Hi,
    So do I understand you correctly that you have your data running in 2011 but you lost your preferences?
    Could you please try the following:
    In finder, select the menu Go -> Go to Folder
    Type ~/.moneydance into the box that comes up and press okay.
    Does that folder exist? Does it have a file in it called config.dict?
    Thanks.
    Sincerely,
    Jon Hoover, Moneydance Support

24. 24 boreham on 28 Sep, 2012 04:55 PM

    I feel I have seen several references to prefs not migrating and they didn't for me. Fortunately I don't have many changes from default so easy to re-do.

25. 25 Jon Hoover on 28 Sep, 2012 05:14 PM

    Regarding preferences migration I'm going to file a bug ticket for this. The short term fix for those who ran into this are the following.
    In finder go to Go-> Go to Folder ...
    Enter the following text into the window that comes up:
    ~/.moneydance Click Okay.
    Now once you have that folder open ctrl-click on the file config.dict and select copy.
    While in Moneydance 2012, go to Help-> Show Documents Folder.
    Once you are in there you want to go one directory up and you should see a file called config.dict.
    Rename it oldconfig.dict.
    Paste in the config.dict file you copied.
    Close and open back up Moneydance.
    That is all a bit convoluted so we will work on getting it fixed.

    Those of you who had this problem, were you using a fairly recent version of 2011 prior to the switch?
    Thanks.
    Sincerely,
    Jon Hoover, Moneydance Support

26. 26 bigboy99 on 28 Sep, 2012 05:18 PM

    Where is Help->Show Archive Folder? There is nothing in the Moneydance Help menu item like this.

    Thx

27. 27 bigboy99 on 28 Sep, 2012 05:22 PM

    I was (and still am) using R2(803). Do the instructions below apply when restoring the config.dict file? Would it be easier for me to reinstall 2012 and proceed as detailed below? I don’t use dropbox.

    I need the fastest reliable fix.

    Thx

28. 28 Dana on 28 Sep, 2012 05:54 PM

    I too lost my home screen preferences. I'm on Linux and deleted the .moneydance directory to get the import into 2012 to work. Assuming the .moneydance directory existed before I installed 2012 (I never had a reason to look for a .moneydance folder until now) and that the prefs were stored in it, then removing the folder to get the import to work caused the problem. Yet another way the moving MY data without MY permission has caused havoc.

29. 29 trevor on 28 Sep, 2012 06:17 PM

    I lost my screen preferences, registration key, etc when I ran 2012. I was using v808 of 2011.

    I then tried to run the old copy of 2011, and all the preferences/license key were still gone. So running the 2012 copy really messed that all up.

    I set up the preferences again manually, but do not have a warm fuzzy feeling about the 2012 upgrade....

30. 30 DirectorSD on 28 Sep, 2012 06:45 PM

    I'm confused. On the one hand I though I saw you say that DropBox sync was eliminated, but then I saw a link here on how to set it up in MD2012 ?!? Personally, I don't use DropBox sync (sorry, don't trust sensitive personal info to cloud), but do migrate MD data file from iMac to MacBook when travelling. Simple to do with Bluetooth File Transfer since I know right where the file is. I take it that will not be as easy in the 2012 version. Don't like hidden data files (hear that, Apple?). Have not yet upgraded - when do you expect "fixed" version for OSX to be released? After compare to iBank, etc., I still think MD is best out there for OSX users... please don't muck it up !