FILES STORED IN VIRTUAL FOLDER

[Toyman]

I tried a Quicken user group, but was directed here.

I've installed Quicken 2008 (Q) on a Vista O/S. After converting old data
from
Q, 2005, I looked for the (Qdata.qdf) files - just to verify where it was.
I
looked in C:\Program Files\Quicken\ ( and other Q sub-folders), but never
found it. After some head-scratching, I finally found them in
C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Quicken\, along
with other Q files, and other Q folders.

I wanted the primary file (Qdata.qdf) in the Quicken folder (C:\Program
Files\Quicken\), and tried to copy it there from the Virtual folder.
Strangely enough, the copy function seemed to work ("one file copied"), but
the file never showed up there (multiple attempts). I WAS able to get the
file copied by creating a Backup location on the desktop, saving the file
(Ctrl+B) there, and then copying the Backup file to a new folder on the
Desktop. From that point I was able to tell Q to open the file on the
Desktop as primary Qdata.qdf.

Incidentally, I have the same problem with the Q\Backup folder. I was able
to create a folder in C:\Program Files\Quicken\, but the Backup function
(Ctrl+B) won't save a file to it. The Backup copy is also in the Virtual
folder).

This lack of control of the file has me uncomfortable. Does anyone have any
idea about:
1) why the Qdata.qdf and Backup files won't copy to C:\Program
Files\Quicken\?
2) Why are the files being stored in the Virtual folder?
3) Is there a work-around?

Toyman
_________________________________

 

[Michael Walraven]

C:\program files is a protected area with Vista. It is generally controlled
by 'trusted installer'. In order to provide compatibility with programs that
insist on storing data in c:\program files\** a bit of magic is performed
and an area that looks like the location that the program is using is
created for each user. This is the virtual store as you have found. Note
that it is different for each user on your system. In this way each user has
his own copy of Qdata.gdf files for instance.

If you open c:\program files\quicken (where you are expecting to see your
files and they are not there) you should see in the tool bar a selection for
'Compatibility Files' selecting that will send you to the files that the
current user is actually using.

The rational is that c:\program files is for storing program files, not user
data.

I do not use quicken so cannot be sure but there may be a way to store the
quicken data into 'documents' for instance instead of c:\program files.

Michael

 

[Don D]

I would not put a Quicken CD in the same room as a Vista PC! Vista and the
stupid "virtualstore" is a DISASTER.

I happily had my Customer Data in c:\program files\yada\yada for months.
Then, by chance, one day happened to use the application to look at the
transaction history information. The history started a long time ago and
went up until March then there was a 3+ month gap and the history
information started again.

I poked around to find there was some new and different data in
\virtualstore\yada\yada. More poking around revealed the 3+ months of
missing information was where it belonged.

MS dreamed up and implemented this disaster over too many late nights in a
tap room somewhere. It is a disaster! Keep your Quicken stuff AWAY from
Vista.

dd

 

[Dave]

Get a Vista compatible version. Vista doesn't want data stored in the
Program files folder.

 

[Wandering]

I would not put a Quicken CD in the same room as a Vista PC! Vista and the
stupid "virtualstore" is a DISASTER.

I happily had my Customer Data in c:\program files\yada\yada for months.
Then, by chance, one day happened to use the application to look at the
transaction history information. The history started a long time ago and
went up until March then there was a 3+ month gap and the history
information started again.

I poked around to find there was some new and different data in
\virtualstore\yada\yada. More poking around revealed the 3+ months of
missing information was where it belonged.

MS dreamed up and implemented this disaster over too many late nights in a
tap room somewhere. It is a disaster! Keep your Quicken stuff AWAY from
Vista.

dd

As another person has indicated, it has always been bad practice to store
data in the program files area. Windows never recommended such a broken
procedure, but many software companies simply ignored it. Vista, like all
modern operating systems today, protects itself far better than any prior
version of Windows. It is not now, and never has been a good practice to
store data in the protected program area, which is now much more protected
than in the past.

Any software that has unrestricted read and write access to program storage
can do nearly anything it wants to to you machine, including destroy the
operating system and even certain system hardware components. Programs need
to store data in data storage, which will never be granted the status of a
running program, so it cannot harm your machine.

In simple terms that is the reason why it is like it is. You will fine
Linux, and Apple systems as well as all major systems enforcing similar
rules to protect the system and hardware. I can understand why you may not
like it, but that is because you are probably smart enough to leave the
operating system alone. Can you say that about any possible piece of
software you may find on your machine intentionally or unintentionally? It
is a simple matter to tell Quicken to store the data elsewhere, and even
before you upgrade to a Vista compatible version, I strongly recommend that
you do at least that.

Good luck with your new learning adventure. It's far more fun, even when a
bit frustrating, to learn to work with Vista than it is to try to restore a
damaged system.

 

[Toyman]

OK, thanks for the insight. I'll keep my data files out of the 'Program
Files' area. I am running a Vista compatible version of Quicken, so all
should be well - at least as far as Vista goes. I'm still seeing the
occasional hiccup, when I open a backed up Q file - several latest
transactions are missing. But that was also an ongoing problem with
previous versions that were run on XP, and I've learned to backup in
multiple locations. Eventually I get to one that displays all known
transactions.

I appreciate the help.

Toyman
______________________________________

I tried a Quicken user group, but was directed here.

I've installed Quicken 2008 (Q) on a Vista O/S. After converting old data
from
Q, 2005, I looked for the (Qdata.qdf) files - just to verify where it was.
I
looked in C:\Program Files\Quicken\ ( and other Q sub-folders), but never
found it. After some head-scratching, I finally found them in
C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Quicken\, along
with other Q files, and other Q folders.

I wanted the primary file (Qdata.qdf) in the Quicken folder (C:\Program
Files\Quicken\), and tried to copy it there from the Virtual folder.
Strangely enough, the copy function seemed to work ("one file copied"), but
the file never showed up there (multiple attempts). I WAS able to get the
file copied by creating a Backup location on the desktop, saving the file
(Ctrl+B) there, and then copying the Backup file to a new folder on the
Desktop. From that point I was able to tell Q to open the file on the
Desktop as primary Qdata.qdf.

Incidentally, I have the same problem with the Q\Backup folder. I was able
to create a folder in C:\Program Files\Quicken\, but the Backup function
(Ctrl+B) won't save a file to it. The Backup copy is also in the Virtual
folder).

This lack of control of the file has me uncomfortable. Does anyone have any
idea about:
1) why the Qdata.qdf and Backup files won't copy to C:\Program
Files\Quicken\?
2) Why are the files being stored in the Virtual folder?
3) Is there a work-around?

Toyman
_________________________________