Correcting Data File Corruption - Basic Troubleshooting

Corruption in Quicken data files may occur for a variety of reasons. Corruption generally occurs when the information stored on your computer's hard drive or on diskettes becomes damaged. Improperly shutting down the computer, general protection faults, software conflicts, and voltage fluctuations are typical causes of file damage. In circumstances where a hard disk is not regularly maintained using Windows utilities (such as ScanDisk or Disk Defragmenter), files can lose integrity and become cross-linked, a situation where two or more files occupy the same physical space on the hard disk.

Symptoms of a corrupt data file may include:

  • Categories and/or numbers wrongly associated in reports when all report settings are correct
  • Dates missing from reports when all report settings are correct
  • Missing categories or classes
  • Inability to assign categories in split transactions
  • File backups that cannot be restored
  • Inability to reconcile your current bank statement when all numbers are otherwise correct

Follow these procedures to regain file integrity:

  1. When possible, the easiest solution is often to restore a backup of your Quicken file that was made before the damage occurred.
  2. Use Windows to make a copy of your Quicken data files. Open the copied file in Quicken and check if any of the above symptoms exist. In some cases, when the file is located on a bad or corrupted location on a hard disk or diskette, copying a file to a new location will solve the problem.

    Note: If this procedure solves the problem, or if an error occurs while copying the file, it may be necessary to perform maintenance on the hard disk. For more information on hard disk maintenance, please read the Microsoft Windows Help topics for Scandisk and Disk Defragmenter. If the only copy of the Quicken information is stored on a floppy disk or other external media, Intuit does not recommend the use of Scandisk, Disk Defragmenter, or any other information recovery tool on the original media; use of these tools may lessen the ability of Intuit's Data Recovery Servce to rebuild your data should that become necessary.
  3. Make a copy of your file using Quicken's copy feature.
  4. Use Quicken's Validate utility to check the copy of the file for damage. From the File menu, select File Operations, then Validate. In the window, select the copy of your Quicken file, and click OK.

    Note: Intuit does not recommend using the Validate utility on your original data file, as in some cases damaged information may be removed from a file during the repair process. For this reason, the Validate utility is not recommended for regular use on a Quicken data file.
    If the Validate utility detects damage within the file, you will receive a prompt to view the Data_Log.txt file in Notepad. This file is a record of which parts of your data were repaired. Quicken saves a backup copy of this file before you validate; this file is located in the Validate folder in the same location as your Quicken file on your hard disk.
  5. Use Quicken's Super Validate utility to check the copy of your file for damage only if evidence of corruption persists after performing Validate on the file copy. Super Validate will rebuild the Quicken file regardless of whether damage is detected in the file.

    Note: Intuit does not recommend using the Super Validate utility on your original data file, as in some cases damaged information may be removed from a file during the repair process. For this reason, the Super Validate utility is not recommended for regular use on a Quicken data file.
    Do not use Super Validate in release 1 of Quicken 6. Upgrade to release 4 (6.0c) and then use the Super Validate utility. To run Super Validate on a copy of your Quicken file:
    1. While in the Quicken program, hold down the CTRL and SHIFT keys; you must keep these keys held down throughout this procedure.
    2. From the File menu, point to File Operations, then click Validate.
    3. Select the file to validate from the Validate Quicken File box.
    4. A progress indicator will appear, with the message "Super validating file..."
    5. Release the CTRL+SHIFT keys when the Super Validate process is complete.

    If the Super Validate utility detects damage within the file, you will receive a prompt to view the Data_Log.txt file in Notepad. This file is a record of which parts of your data were repaired. Quicken saves a backup copy of this file before you validate; this file is located in the Validate folder in the same location as your Quicken file on your hard disk.

  6. For troubleshooting specific data corruption issues, see How can I use advanced troubleshooting to correct data file corruption?

  7. Intuit also offers data recovery services for damaged files.