Can't open .qdf file

Ge0rg1e

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Dec 6, 2002, 5:45:01 PM12/6/02

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Hi everyone, hope someone can help with this...

Recently, I reformatted my drive and did a clean install of Windows
2000. After reinstalling Quicken 2002 Home & Business, I tried to open
my .qdf file which I had backed up. All I get is "Can't open file" and
"Can't validate" errors. Previously, I was running Quicken on
WindowsME. Could this have anything to do with it?

Georgie

Ge0rg1e

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Dec 6, 2002, 9:15:37 PM12/6/02

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After formatting my drive and doing a clean install of Windows 2000
and all my apps, I found that I was unable to open my backed up .qdf
file from my previous Quicken install. Before, I was using Quicken on

R. C. White

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Dec 7, 2002, 10:26:04 AM12/7/02

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Hi, Georgie.

What was your previous version of Quicken? And your new version?

Backup/restore programs usually are designed as matched sets. Many backup
programs encrypt or compress files, choosing from among the many algorithms
to do this; the restore program must be able to recognize and handle the
same algorithms. Therefore, Restore99 (fictitious program names just for
illustration) will restore files backed up with Backup99, but it probably
won't work with files backed up with Backup98. :>(

Quicken will, though, simply Open .qdf, etc., files created by an earlier
Quicken version, so long as it's not too many versions earlier.

So, if you still have the actual .qdf files, copy those to your new hard
drive and help your new Quicken find those and Open them. It will make any
needed conversions, and then you can save them wherever you want on your new
computer, to be opened automatically every time you start Quicken.

In fact, my recent upgrades of Quicken (to Q2002D on WinXP Pro) found my old
.qdf files without even asking me where they were on my hard drive, then
converted them automatically. If you copy your old files (not the backups)
onto your new hard drive before installing your Quicken there, the
reinstallation should go smoothly. I think. ;<)

Otherwise, you may have to reinstall your earlier Quicken version so that
you can use ITS recovery program. Then you can update to the newer Quicken
version, which should automatically handle any conversions.

Oh, one other thought. If your backup is on CD, it may be marked as
Read-only. You might need to copy that to your hard drive and restore it
from there.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
(Retired - no longer licensed to practice)
San Marcos, TX
r...@corridor.net

"Ge0rg1e" <ge0...@rogers.com> wrote in message
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Ge0rg1e

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Dec 8, 2002, 11:11:07 PM12/8/02

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> What was your previous version of Quicken? And your new version?

It's the same version.

> Oh, one other thought. If your backup is on CD, it may be marked as
> Read-only. You might need to copy that to your hard drive and restore it
> from there.

From reading previous posts, I knew about this and tried it too.
Didn't work. Any other ideas? Actually, I followed another thread that
was posted by a Liz Hill back in May and it looks like she had the
same problem as me and was not able to solve it.

Thanks anyway.

Ingo Pakleppa

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Dec 9, 2002, 9:21:02 PM12/9/02

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You may have to try and update Quicken to the latest patch level. Maybe
that will help. I wouldn't rule out that Intuit makes slight file format
changes from one release to the next without telling you.

Michael J. Budwey

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Dec 9, 2002, 10:21:56 PM12/9/02

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I also remember something about the archive bit. If it is cleared,
Quicken cannot open the file. Try setting the archive bit and see if
that fixes your problem.

Hope that helps,

Mike Budwey