Quicken 2002, XG, 2004

How do I find an existing Quicken data file?

Background: If you are unable to find your Quicken data file, check the following:

Solution: Check the most recent files used:

At the bottom of the File menu in Quicken, there is a numbered list of the most recently used Quicken files. Click any of these file names to open them in Quicken. Normally if the file was one of the last four files used, then it will be on this numbered list.

Note: It is a good idea to make a note of the files on this list before trying the steps below, as the list updates each time a file is opened in Quicken.

Try opening any existing Quicken data files.

From the Quicken File menu, choose Open and open any Quicken data files that you see listed in the Open Quicken File dialogue box. One of these files may be the one you're looking for.

Are you in the right directory?

From the File menu, choose Open to make sure you're in the right directory. If you're not in the right directory, change to the directory that contains your files. If you're not sure of the directory, search for your file on your hard drive.

Did you delete any files?

If you deleted files with .qxx (ie. file.qdf) file extensions, restore a backup copy of your data. Files with .qxx extensions are Quicken data files.

Do you have a backup file?

If you cannot find your data, restore a backup copy of your data file. If you don't have a backup copy of your data on a floppy disk, you can restore a copy of your file from the QUICKENW\BACKUP directory.

Every seven days, Quicken automatically backs up your data and puts it into the QUICKENW\BACKUP directory. Quicken maintains rotating copies, naming the latest copy filename1.

Organize your files.

Quicken automatically puts your data files into Quicken's program directory on your hard drive, since that's easiest for many users. If you prefer to keep your data in a separate directory, create a directory for your data and using Windows® Explorer, move your data files to that directory.