With the increased capacity and power of today’s computers, two years of data can easily be kept in the data file while adding the third year’s transactions. For instance, data from 2000 and 2001 can be kept in the same file while transactions for 2002 are being added. Keeping several years of data in the same file allows you to make comparison reports, graphs, etc. It is also makes it easier to go back to find an earlier income or expense transaction.
Make sure that your current file is backed up before beginning any year-end file management.
Three options can be used to manage Quicken data files at year’s end. Click File, Click File Operations, Click Year-End Copy to open the YEAR-END COPY window for two of these options.
Copies the earlier years’ transactions in the current data file to another file. The current file will still contain all transactions including the transactions archived to the new data file. This year-end procedure will allow the user to create a new data file with transactions for a specific year or time period while accumulating several years of transactions in the current data file.
Example of Archive
If the current data file, EXFARM, contains transactions for 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and part of 2002, the archive function is set to automatically include transactions up through 12/31/2001 into an archive file named EXFARM01. The program will put EXFARM01 in the same folder containing EXFARM. If you want to name the archive file differently, e.g., EXFARM98-01, to be more descriptive of its contents, you can do this when the ARCHIVE FILE window is open. Also, while the ARCHIVE FILE window is open you can change the ending date for the transaction to be archived. For example, you want to archive transactions for 1998 and 1999 in a file named EXFARM98-99, you would specify to archive transactions up to and including 12/31/1999. After creating an archived file, EXFARM will still contain the transactions for 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and part of 2002. You can continue to use EXFARM for the remainder of your 2002 transactions.
Using the data file, EXFARM, Archive cannot be used to create a file that contains 1999 data only. To create EXFARM99 from EXFARM, see Copy later in this section.
