import of quicken file = accounts wrong and not opening balance
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I followed the instructions to export the .qif file from quicken and that seemed to work fine.
After importing to Moneydance I find all accounts incorrect. Some with Major differences. (like over $300,000 in one and that is way beyond my finances ;-) I checked the opening balances per you instructions and they are correct. So check down the dates and the errors start as the dates progress.
Thinking about deleting and trying again but do not see where to delete the new file it opened?
Any other ideas??
Really would like to make the change to your program. Roy
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1
derekkent23
on 11 May, 2018 06:35 PM
I am not support just a user.
You can set up as many data sets a you like.
Either via FILE - NEW or via WINDOW - WELCOME TO MONEYDANCE.
To delete a unwonted data set HELP - SHOW DOCUMENT FOLDER which will open a file finder at the default location for data sets. A data set has the naming convention yourdatasetname.moneydance and is a folder not a file containing other folders and files. Close Moneydance and deleted the unwonted data set folder.
Hope this helps.
2
roy
on 11 May, 2018 07:12 PM
thank you.
deleted that one and started over with a new export from Qicken.
Unfotunatly that did not dothe trick. I am going entry by entry in one of
the accounts and finding some duplicate entrid in Moneydance. But only a
few month in and a long way to go.
I am looking for a replacement for Quicken but need to know this will be a
good and stable change?
Roy
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From: derekkent23 [mailto:[email blocked]]
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2018 11:35 AM
To: [email blocked]
Subject: Re: import of quicken file = accounts wrong and not opening balance
[Switching to Moneydance #9554]
3
roy
on 11 May, 2018 07:32 PM
AS I go forward I see where the import has duplicated transfers that had
been made between two of the accounts in the file. LIke a saving account to
checking, or investment account to checking.
So not sure at this point if it will work for me?
Roy
_____
From: derekkent23 [mailto:[email blocked]]
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2018 11:35 AM
To: [email blocked]
Subject: Re: import of quicken file = accounts wrong and not opening balance
[Switching to Moneydance #9554]
4
derekkent23
on 11 May, 2018 07:59 PM
I am not support staff, just a user.
I am not a convert from Quicken my move was from MS Money.
Reading on this site there are many people who have moved from Quicken and I don’t think any have regretted it. Some have found the transfer easy, other had to work at it, apparently Quick don’t always follow their own QIF rules, probably to make it difficult to jump ship.
Perhaps another convert for Quicken or support can step in.
Persevere, it will be worth it in the long run.
Good luck,
5
dwg
on 11 May, 2018 10:01 PM
I'm a fellow user.
Transfer can be problematic because the QIF format does not have any linkage between the transfers, they actually appear as separate transactions in each accounts transaction list but there is nothing that ties them together.
Are you importing a single QIF file or are you importing a separate QIF file for each account?
6
roy
on 11 May, 2018 10:31 PM
Hi, thanks for the responses. I am hopeful to get this working eventually. Was a happy Quicken user since the mid 90's. But do not want to go to the online stuff and annual subscription they are going to. Stopped upgrading at the 2015 because there so many reports of problems since then.
Anyway, It sounds like you have it working and it could be good if I find all the problems. Will take a while going entry by entry for the last three years on the account I am trying first. The account going back to 1990's should not have many transfers so hope it will be easier.
To answer your question. I exported the account as it was in Quicken into one .qif file. And imported that as a new one. It has four bank and three investment accounts. in it.
Appreciate the user comments from you folks. Sounds like Moneydance could work.
So hopeful for now, R
7
dwg
on 11 May, 2018 11:01 PM
I came from Reckon (think of it as an Australianized version of Quicken) While it worked well I was completely dissatisfied with the company, a complete failure of the computer (MLB failed) and not wishing to try to deal with Reckon to get my license reset for a new machine (their first question is always what is your credit card # and in those days they charged $4.95 per minute to talk to you) led me to change programs. I was also sick of the ever increasing yearly charge. I was lucky in that I had a little warning of the failure and was able to quickly export as much data as I could before shutting the computer down. The version of Reckon I had did not support QIF files just a sort of CSV files with an inconsistent format.
To cut to the chase it took me around 3 weeks to migrate the data and that also involved writing some VBA code to manipulate the inconsistent QIF files.
Having duplicates when you have a single QIF file is just something you have to work through. if you have one QIF per account it is sometimes possible to take another approach that can work around the problem.
8
roy
on 11 May, 2018 11:20 PM
If I understand you correctly, do you mean export a separate QIF file for
each account in the group. And then somehow bring them into a master group
in Moneydance?
As you might figure, I am not a computer expert, would not know about coding
etc.
My computer skills are more graphic and sewing as I make the files that run
commercial computer embroidery machines using special software for that.
R
_____
From: dwg [mailto:[email blocked]]
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2018 4:01 PM
To: [email blocked]
Subject: Re: import of quicken file = accounts wrong and not opening balance
[Switching to Moneydance #9554]
9
dwg
on 12 May, 2018 12:15 AM
QIf files were never intended to be used for data migration, however it is the best format we have available for the purpose hence why it is used, no other format can handle the range of transactions along with the level of detail that QIF can.
My personal example was just the show the level you sometimes have to go to and the time it can require.
You are ahead of the game in that regard as you can generate QIF files.
With Moneydance you normally get the best results if you do it all in one QIF file, but not always, recall what I said earlier about thus not being what QIF was designed for. Hence I was think that using individual QIF files may work better for you.
For this approach keep your all-in-one file we will use that as well, but create a separate QIF file for each account so you cold have one for your check account one for a savings account another for a credit card account etc.
Once you have all the QIF files you can start. Create a new data set with the File --> New command. Now you will import you all-in-once file BUT select the option to import account Information only.
Now stop. Go and check the software created all the accounts properly and in their correct category. Check that the categories were created correctly and as an Income or Expense item as appropriate.. Check that Securities have been created correctly and added to the correct Investment account.
Make any corrections as necessary, usually by deleting what is wrong and manually creating the item. Do NOT correct anything that was named or spelt wrongly in Quicken as this time you will cause yourself problems.
Once you have the structure right do yourself a favour and take a backup :)
Now I would normally start with my primary bank account, so import a QIF file into the appropriate account. Now check it! if the balance is wrong look to see if there is an initial; balance etc. check the transactions (if there are duplicates at this stage I would say your import data is rubbish) and get the account balanced.
Take a backup :)
Now go to your next account in Moneydance, if there were transfers from your primary account they will appear, select all and delete them (don't look at your other account you will not like it). Now import the data into this second account.
If you have good QIF files it will re-populate the deleted transactions and your first account balance should again be correct check it and check the second account as well for initial balance etc.
Once correct take a backup :)
and so on through your accounts.
This is a much more long winded approach than the all-in-one QIF file method but does give a little more control to you, it can effectively deal with duplicates caused by transfers between accounts.
If you make a mistake go back to the previous backup and go from there.
Also you have the data set you have already created that you can always go back to and work on the duplicates there.
As I said this is just another approach to importing data and can be useful at times or for some users that only have individual files the only approach.
10
roy
on 12 May, 2018 12:33 AM
dwg
Thank's again for you help and patience.
This actuallly makes sense to me. I just tried it to start importing my
other accounting group. It is the group with the checking account that goes
back to 1993. Amazing it worked! Final ending balance matches!
I did get an Error message = Error reading file!
Java.lang.NullPinterException. But I think this just reffers to a group of
entries at the end of the registere that had zero-0 value and todays date.
They just looked like a description was put in the check number field by
mistake. So was able to delete these and the rgister looks Good!!
In fact this bank was not one that quicken would download from so I may be
able to do that now in Moneydance...
Beginning to feel like this could work,
Thank you R
_____
From: dwg [mailto:[email blocked]]
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2018 5:15 PM
To: [email blocked]
Subject: Re: import of quicken file = accounts wrong and not opening balance
[Switching to Moneydance #9554]
11
roy
on 13 May, 2018 02:53 PM
Been learning things about the software by trying different things. The old
trial and error method…..
1. Anyway a couple questions for you and or the support team?
2. If I creat a new accounting group and test things. Then delet by going to
the "C:\Users\Me\.moneydance\Documents" folder - Does that get rid of all
that file information in your system? Or are there other files elshwhere
that I need to get rid of to avoid confusion in the future?
3. I keep getting an Error Message when importing different .QIF files into
new accounts. = Error reading file.java.lang.NullPointerException
4. Do you know if there are any consultants or techs certified by the
company that can be hired for help in the USA (not sure where this software
is based)
I think it would be a great alternative to Quicken if I could get a clean
accounting group to begin with. Like the interface and seems stable.
Unfortnatally Quicken is going to a subscription model that would require me
to update again past the 2015 which I stopped at since I read they have
become unreliable and changed to a subscription model.
I have two accounting groups to keep track of and need something I can count
on. R
_____
From: dwg [mailto:[email blocked]]
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2018 5:15 PM
To: [email blocked]
Subject: Re: import of quicken file = accounts wrong and not opening balance
[Switching to Moneydance #9554]
12
derekkent23
on 13 May, 2018 04:31 PM
I am not support staff, just a user.
By deleting the data set folder "C:\Users\Me.moneydance\Documents" you have completely removed that data set.
“Error reading file.java.lang.NullPointerException” I have read that this is due to bad formatting by Quicken, including zeros at the end of the file. Can’t confirm this as I did not import a QIF file from Quicken. However, it seems people just ignore the message and carry on. A QIF file is just a text file, open it a text editor like notepad to check.
The software is global sold worldwide. Support staff in the US and UK.
I don’t know of any consultants or techs certified by the company.
Take a look at the articles at http://help.infinitekind.com/kb
Hope this helps.
13
roy
on 13 May, 2018 08:33 PM
Another observation = question after giving it all another try from your
instructions.
Starting a new data set with File--> NewCommand With a new name to avoid
confusion.
And I did an import of the QIF that included all the accounts as you
instructed.
Selecting Import To: New account
Selecting File Source: From another Program
I also Did place a check in the box to "Import the Account Information
Only" per the instructions.
After it completed -
The standard Checking account in the left hand side bar had a huge value.
And all the other accounts did not show up?
So Clicking on summary I see the different accounts and information/values
in two of the banking and all of the investment accounts there?
Am I doing it incorrectly?
Though I would just see the different accounts with no entries in them so I
could import the account individually...
R
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From: derekkent23 [mailto:[email blocked]]
Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2018 9:32 AM
To: [email blocked]
Subject: Re: import of quicken file = accounts wrong and not opening balance
[Switching to Moneydance #9554]
14
dwg
on 13 May, 2018 08:51 PM
I'm a fellow user.
For the Java error if you have options in Quicken of what to export try selecting only the transactions and see if you still get the error.
Moneydance is $50 personal usage software with no corporate application. Consultants are not going to get involved, it just doesn't make financial sense, the daily rate for a consultant is many times what the software costs, a moneydance consultant would starve waiting for business. Moneydance also does not have the visibility to justify an author writing a book on it either.
15
roy
on 13 May, 2018 10:38 PM
"Moneydance is $50 personal usage software with no corporate application.
Consultants are not going to get involved, it just doesn't make financial
sense, the daily rate for a consultant is many times what the software
costs, a moneydance consultant would starve waiting for business. Moneydance
also does not have the visibility to justify an author writing a book on it
either."
Got that picture but was just reaching for something to help. But time these
days is limited as I am a 24/7 caregiver for a 103 year old elder with
dementia ..... So not a lot of mental energy and time left. But have
stopped upgrading Quickbooks at the 2015 level - read too many problems
after that, etc. So have a couple data sets that I need to get working on
Moneydance somehow. My version sunsetted this month so believe I can keep
entering things in quicken manually but not very convenient.
I have set up accounting systems for my businesses in the past so have a
working knowledge of double entry systems. So should be able to eventually
figure what to do.
Is is appropriate to keep asking questions here like this or is there any
other way to get support?
R
_____
From: dwg [mailto:[email blocked]]
Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2018 1:51 PM
To: [email blocked]
Subject: Re: import of quicken file = accounts wrong and not opening balance
[Switching to Moneydance #9554]
16
roy
on 14 May, 2018 12:33 AM
"For the Java error if you have options in Quicken of what to export try
selecting only the transactions and see if you still get the error"
Worked, was able to uncheck all the items and set the dates for one day
after the last entry
Since all the problems seems to come from transfers between accounts how
about this idea?
Save a backup of the quicken file to a safe place.
Delete all but one account in the group to get the register without
transfers, make a QIF file of that and import it to the corresponding
account in Moneydance.
Then restore and repeat for the other accounts one at a time.
Just not sure what happens to the entries that had transfers in quicken.
I realize I will loose the transfer connection for old items but will have
the connected in the future.
? Roy
_____
From: dwg [mailto:[email blocked]]
Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2018 1:51 PM
To: [email blocked]
Subject: Re: import of quicken file = accounts wrong and not opening balance
[Switching to Moneydance #9554]
17
dwg
on 14 May, 2018 05:18 AM
The forums is the appropriate place to ask questions, I was just making the point that consultants are unlikely to get involved with the product.
Quicken certainly used to have the option of just exporting one account, is that option no longer present?
Even if you just have a QIF file of a single account transfers still happen. Part of the QIF specification is that you can have a category in the transaction. A category can be either exactly that or can be another account, the specification does not define how you tell the difference. If it already exists in your Moneydance data set as either a category or an account that will be what it is deemed to be and it will post according. If the object doesn't exist then Moneydance will create most likely as a category but you cannot be 100% certain.
I have a 96 y.o father at home that I look after, but he is not bad for his age.
18
roy
on 14 May, 2018 05:02 PM
dwg,
Glad your able to be there for your dad. 96 was still a good time for
Dorothy here but after 100 years things started to fail physically and then
mentally. We have to enjoy them while we can. I am lucky I can keep them
home.
Back to software...
Yes you can export account from quicken one at a time. Followed the
instructions sent earlier to try it that way. But the transfers still cause
big problems and a lot of them. So I did try the idea I had of deleting all
but one account in Quicken before exporting to QIF. Restoring Quicken and
repeating for all accounts and it worked!
A lot of steps but I end up with all the accounts with all the entries and
correct balances.
Importing each account into Moneydance all the linked entries go to a new
"deleted account" that it creates.
That is no problem as I can remove that from the sidebar (still in summary)
but I can ignore it there. I will have a balanced working data set to go
forward with!
Not sure if I can re-associate or re-link the entries later one at a time to
the correct account instead of the new "deleted account" But doubt I ever
will ;-) Never really needed to use that as I remember...
R
_____
From: dwg [mailto:[email blocked]]
Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2018 10:19 PM
To: [email blocked]
Subject: Re: import of quicken file = accounts wrong and not opening balance
[Switching to Moneydance #9554]
19
roy
on 15 May, 2018 05:09 AM
20
roy
on 15 May, 2018 04:09 PM
dwg,
After trying again I figured it out the download issue.
After disabling the not working account I started over and discovered that
Moneydance or Wells Fargo called the savings accounts something else - Money
Market accounts - but saw the account numbers and choose that in the top
pull down. And then removed the check in the bill pay pull down option and
hit next. It worked!
Liking this software a lot and think eventually will get it working for me.
Just purchased.
R
_____
From: dwg [mailto:[email blocked]]
Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2018 10:19 PM
To: [email blocked]
Subject: Re: import of quicken file = accounts wrong and not opening balance
[Switching to Moneydance #9554]
System closed this discussion on 14 Aug, 2018 04:10 PM.