Overview
When you back up your Quicken data, you preserve your financial information(including reports, passwords, accounts, and attachments). This isa way to safeguard your records in case of computer failure or as a means of moving your data from one computer to another.
Please note, aQuicken data file has the extension .QDFwhile a Quicken backup file has the extension.QDF-Backup (or quicken.backup in Mac).
Important: Quicken Cloud
Syncing to the Quicken Clouddoes not create a backup; you can't restore Quicken data from the Quicken Cloud, and you can't access the Quicken Cloud from anywhere except the desktop and mobile Quicken products.A cloud backup is not automatically created when you back up your data file. However, the Subscription Release of Quicken includes 5GB of online storage with Dropbox that you can use for your Quicken backup files.
Instructions
Back up in Quicken for Windows
- Select File> Copy orBackup File...
- You'll have two options for backing up your data: you can back up to your computer or an external drive (like a USB thumb drive),or, you can use Dropbox.
- To help identify your latest backup, you can put a check next to Add date to backup file name.
- Quicken will display the location where your backup will be saved inalong with the name of the backup file (this is typically your Quicken file name followed by .QDF-backup).
- The default save location for backup files is C:\Users\[your name]\Documents\Quicken\BACKUP and we recommend to leave this unchanged.
- If you want to change this location, clickChange...then select a folder to save the backup to. After making your selection, click Save.
- Click Back up Now.
Back up to a USB thumb drive, CD, DVD, etc.
- Insert the CD/DVD or attach the flash drive you want to use for your backup.
- Open Quicken.
- Select the File > Backup or Restore > Backup Quicken File.
- Select Back up on my computer or hard drive (CD, hard drive, thumb drive), then if necessary click Change... to select where you would like to save your backup. This is where you'll select your CD/DVD drive or flash drive.
- Click Back up Now to start the backup process.
Restore Quicken data
- Select the File> Backup and Restore > Restore from Backup File....
- Select Restore from your backup, then click Browse.
- Browse your computer or external media to find the backup file you want to restore. The Quicken backup file has the extension .QDF-Backup.
- Select the file to restore and click OpenthenRestore Backup.
- On the following prompt you will be given the option to overwrite the file you have open or to create a copy of the backup you're restoring.
- If you Create a copy, you will need to select a location to save the copy to and you will also need to give the copy a unique file name. After naming the file and selecting the location, click Save, then clickYesto open the restored file.
- If you are restoring a file over the current file, click OK to overwrite the current file then clickYesto open the restored file.
What does it mean to overwrite a file?: Restoring a backup file replaces your current data with the data stored on the backup disk. Be aware that you'll lose any changes you made since the backup was created. If you want to preserve the current file, you must rename the current file or the file you are restoring.We recommend to avoid overwriting files.
Restore an automatic backup
Quicken creates a historical copy of your data every seven days and stores five of these copies in a BACKUP folder. If the backup file you've created becomes damaged, you may be able to restore an automatic backup and save yourself the need to reenter some data.
Check to see if automatic backups are turned on (this is on by default)
- In Quicken, select Edit> Preferences.
- Under Setup on the left, chooseBackup.
- Make sure there is a check mark next to Automatic Backups.
- Next to Automatic Backups, there is an Open backup directory link that links directly to your BACKUP folder - a good way of finding them fast.
- Choose to back up your Quicken data file after running Quicken X times (between 1 - 99).
- Choose how many backup data files you would like to save (between 1 - 99 copies).
Restore an automatic backup
- In Quicken, select File>Backup and Restore > Restore from Backup File....
- SelectRestore from automatic backups.
- Select the file to restore.
- Click Restore Backup.
- On the following prompt you will be given the option to overwrite the file you have open or to create a copy of the backup you're restoring.
- If youCreate a copy, you will need to select a location to save the copy to and you will also need to give the copy a unique file name. After naming the file and selecting the location, clickSave, thenclickYesto open the restored file.
- If you are restoring a file over the current file, clickOKto overwrite the current file then clickYesto open the restored file.
What does it mean to overwrite a file?: Restoring a backup file replaces your current data with the data stored on the backup disk. Be aware that you'll lose any changes you made since the backup was created. If you want to preserve the current file, you must rename the current file or the file you are restoring. We recommend to avoid overwriting files.
Back up and Restoreusing Dropbox
For backup instructions, see How do I backup my Quicken file using Dropbox on Windows?
For information on restoring data using Dropbox, seeHow do I restore backup files from Dropbox?
Troubleshooting
- If you restore and open a backup file and the file is empty, you may have opened the wrong file. For assistance locating Quicken files, click here.
- In order to move a backup file from Quicken for Mac to Quicken for Windows (or vice versa), you will first need to restore the backup file in the original program then convert it to the new one. For conversion steps, click here.
- If you receive a "File not backed up" error, click here.
- After restoring a data file, you may be prompted for a data file password. For more information about data file passwords, click here.
- For Dropbox errors, click here.
