[GNC] Identify error transaction in QIF import

Sun Apr 28 12:50:36 EDT 2024

While this is not specific to the problem at hand (which others have provided work around - namely fall back to GNC 5.5 which likely is to have better success), given that I went through the migration while back (circa GNC v4.3) to import data since at least 1993, these are the lessons I've learned:

Don't try to export as a one giant file from Quicken and import into GNC. I highly recommend you do one account per export file and then import. If it succeeds, make a backup copy of GNC file and go onto next one. The order of import I suggest your perform is first the investment accounts with greatest number of transactions as the very first one going down to least number of transactions. Then do banking account, credit card accounts and finally any other ones if you have. Optionally, once import is done, download transactions from your banks, etc., as an OFX and import them.  Not sure if you are in the States or not but some of the large financial institutions allow you to go back up to 10 years of downloads.  You are NOT likely to succeed if you try to do so in one leap...

Quicken's 'File-Operations'->'Validate and  Repair' is not likely to help you fix Quicken export errors. Sadly there is good deal of ambiguity in qif spec which causes headaches. These sort of exceptions requires manual fixes. QIF file is a text file and can be edited easily if you find the transactions that is causing the issue (format can be found at https://www.w3.org/2000/10/swap/pim/qif-doc/QIF-doc.htm#:~:text=A%3A%20The%20Quicken%20interchange%20format,that%20supports%20the%20QIF%20format.). Divide and conquer is going to be the operations to find the transaction that is an issue in the exported file - break up file into two; import one and if it succeeds then the error is in the other file; divide that problematic one into two again and continue to this path until transaction that is causing the problem is found.

If anything, what is recommended be done in Quicken is to 'File-Operations'->'Validate and  Repair', followed by 'File-Operations'->'Copy'. Perform this at least three times but each time open the new copy created by previous step. After the last iteration, you can rename the '...CpyCpyCpy...' file to original name and then perform export one account at a time as previously mentioned. 

Before doing all this, export out the account tree from the Quicken. You can do this in the QIF Export window by just selecting 'Account list' only and then import it into GNC before importing any accounts and related transactions.

Also I suggest you look at the messages archive of this list and review past messages on this specific topic. There is wealth of that info. 

Hope this helps. 

-----Original Message-----
From: hh8923 at gmail.com <hh8923 at gmail.com> 
Sent: Sunday, April 28, 2024 7:43 AM
To: 'Joseph Keithley' <joeyiii57 at gmail.com>
Cc: gnucash-user at gnucash.org
Subject: Re: [GNC] Identify error transaction in QIF import

Hi,

Thanks for the advice.  I run Quicken -> Validate and Repair File and it reported a few errors that I fixed.

However, I still get the same error message

Missing QIF investment action for transaction dated 9/19/2019

I opened the QIF in text editor and searched for 9/19’19.  There are about 10 instances in a few banking accounts.  Then all others are !Type:Prices

I have more than 20 years of records and more than 100 accounts.  It will be very difficult to do this one by one.

Is it possible for the error message to be more specific and pointing to exact transaction?

Thanks

From: Joseph Keithley <joeyiii57 at gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2024 11:47 AM
To: hh8923 at gmail.com
Cc: gnucash-user at gnucash.org
Subject: Re: [GNC] Identify error transaction in QIF import

The first thing I did before I exported my 150mb Quicken file to a qif was to run the Validate and Repair in the File menu under File Operations.  Sometimes the Quicken data file gets corrupted and you have to repair transactions.  That may help you track down if the issue is with your Quicken file or GnuCash.

I tried to export my Quicken file as a single qif and then import it into GnuCash.  That approach was a complete disaster.  I assume that since my Quicken file was so large, GnuCash couldn't really handle the conversion directly.  

In order for me to finally get my Quicken file imported into GnuCash, after ten different attempts, I exported one account at a time, one year at a time, until I had all the data exported. Then I imported each into GnuCash.  I then had to make a number of manual edits and corrections to the GnuCash file but that was largely due to my unfamiliarity with GnuCash.

The bottom line is, one way to make the import easier is to stick to exporting/importing one account at a time.  When you then import the next account, matching up transactions will be much easier.  I also found that having the account structure already setup in GnuCash, mimicing the same account names and categories in Quicken, made the import task much easier.  Otherwise each time you import a file that wants to add a new account or category to GnuCash for any undefined transaction account/category gets extremely confusing.

On Sun, Apr 21, 2024 at 8:49 AM <hh8923 at gmail.com <mailto:hh8923 at gmail.com> > wrote:

One more thing.  In Quicken, I can't find any investment transaction on that date.  They are credit card or banking transactions.

From: hh8923 at gmail.com <mailto:hh8923 at gmail.com>  <hh8923 at gmail.com <mailto:hh8923 at gmail.com> >
Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2024 8:37 AM
To: gnucash-user at gnucash.org <mailto:gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
Subject: Identify error transaction in QIF import

Hi,

I'm a long time Quicken user and trying to migrate to GnuCash.  I've exported my entire Quicken file to QIF and then try to import into GnuCash.
Here is what I noted during the attempt.

Load QIF files

Line 627318: Could not parse price line: "#C093280",," 5/ 4'21"

Match payees/memos to GnuCash accounts

It listed about 10 that maps to Unspecified and I kept them as New selected

Tradable commodities

There are many and I did not review them.  Exchange or abbreviation type appear to be NONCURRENCY for all of them

New Book Options

I did not change any settings

QIF Import - Failed

Missing QIF investment action for transaction dated 9/19/2019

I have many accounts and many transactions.  Searching the QIF file find many with this date.  How can I get the details on what to fix?  Is there a log file of import?

Thanks

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iii