[GNC] Trouble opening ancient files

[Adrien Monteleone]

That first 2002 file is indeed ancient. (the 2005 file is no spring chicken either)

For both cases, you’d have to find the ’newest’ version of GnuCash that will open each file, then upgrade GnuCash in steps (possibly some leaps skipping bug-fix releases) and open each file with each version. At some point, file conversions will be done so they are readable by newer versions, and not backwards compatible.

Eventually you’ll arrive at the 3.x series and then you can jump to 3.10.

You’ll have to start this further back for the 2002 file and then eventually you’ll be able to open up each with the same version.

You might get lucky and only have to make 2 or three steps.

Sorry I can’t help pinpoint a version to target to get started, or help with which versions you can skip.

The wiki may provide some help if you dig, (as in reading old change logs) otherwise maybe someone familiar with those older files can help with specifics.

Regards,
Adrien

> On Jun 15, 2020 w25d167, at 3:49 PM, Thomas Klausner <tk at giga.or.at> wrote:
> 
> Hi!
> 
> I have been using gnucash for a very long time, and recently I tried
> opening some of my first files -- but couldn't. Many old files worked,
> but not these two and their related .xac files.
> 
> I see two different symptoms.
> 
> One file has an timestamp from 2002. I don't recognize the file
> format, it's a binary format, but gzip cannot unpack it
> The error I get from gnucash (3.10) is:
> 
> "No suitable backend was found for /path/to/file."
> 
> A hexdump of the file starts with:
> 
> 00000000  00 00 00 0a 00 00 00 04  00 00 00 ab 00 08 00 00  |................|
> 00000010  00 09 41 75 73 67 61 62  65 6e 00 00 00 00 04 31  |..Ausgaben.....1|
> 00000020  30 30 00 00 00 00 01 00  00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00  |00..............|
> 00000030  04 46 52 46 00 00 00 00  01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |.FRF............|
> 00000040  00 01 00 00 00 05 00 00  00 d6 00 08 00 00 00 06  |................|
> 00000050  45 73 73 65 6e 00 00 00  00 04 31 31 30 00 00 00  |Essen.....110...|
> 
> where I'm quite sure that "Ausgaben" is an account name and FRF is a
> unit of currency, so probably Account number 100 in the Unit of FRF.
> 
> 
> The second file has a timestamp from 2005. It is plaintext XML. The
> error from gnucash is:
> 
> "This file/URL appears to be from a newer version of GnuCash. You must
> upgrade your version of GnuCash to work with this data."
> 
> The file starts with:
> 
> --- begin quote ---
> <?xml version="1.0"?>
> <gnc-v2>
> <gnc:count-data cd:type="book">1</gnc:count-data>
> <gnc:book version="2.0.0">
> <book:id type="guid">61535f2d2589fccc34164e57b1255f25</book:id>
> <gnc:count-data cd:type="commodity">1</gnc:count-data>
> <gnc:count-data cd:type="account">38</gnc:count-data>
> <gnc:count-data cd:type="transaction">1023</gnc:count-data>
> <gnc:commodity version="2.0.0">
>  <cmdty:space>NASDAQ</cmdty:space>
>  <cmdty:id>Fond</cmdty:id>
>  <cmdty:name>Fond</cmdty:name>
>  <cmdty:fraction>100000</cmdty:fraction>
> </gnc:commodity>
> --- end quote ---
> 
> Then follows a gnc:pricedb and some accounts like
> 
> --- begin quote ---
> <gnc:account version="2.0.0">
>  <act:name>Ausgaben</act:name>
>  <act:id type="guid">be0508dcdbc39e35f677dd6f334d36e5</act:id>
>  <act:type>EXPENSE</act:type>
>  <act:commodity>
>    <cmdty:space>ISO4217</cmdty:space>
>    <cmdty:id>ATS</cmdty:id>
>  </act:commodity>
>  <act:commodity-scu>100</act:commodity-scu>
>  <act:code>100</act:code>
>  <act:description>Ausgaben</act:description>
> </gnc:account>
> --- end quote ---
> 
> Any suggestions on how to get versions of these files that could be
> opened by gnucash 3.10?
> 
> Thank you,
> Thomas