[GNC] ABC.gnucash iCloud availability status "excluded not synced"
Kalpesh Patel
kalpesh.patel at usa.net
Thu Dec 4 15:40:06 EST 2025
I think I know what is going on here ... and it's not GNUCash at fault.
TL;DR
It -- iCloud Drive for Windows that is -- is basically numbering away because it is trying to resolve a conflict between where local side is updated in its folder BEFORE sync process can get to bringing its metadata up to date from what is in their foggy cloud. The sync process renumbers the file that it brings from remote in order not to clobber the file that it found is newer on the local folder -- it wouldn't be good to clobber the only available source in the system. It needs to bring down the remote one in order to bring itself up-to date so everything is from one consistent reference point of view from where it can pick up to continue processing. This is the fundamental problem due to lag in an eventual consistence in the way iCloud sync works ... my belief is that on Windows it doesn't cache where it left off and continue, but it starts from scratch from first file when iCloud for Windows is started up. I don’t see this issue on a MAC machine.
-----Original Message-----
From: Derek Atkins <derek at ihtfp.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2025 8:52 AM
To: jhoeter at googlemail.com
Cc: gnucash-user at gnucash.org
Subject: Re: [GNC] ABC.gnucash iCloud availability status "excluded not synced"
That is.... interesting.
I honestly have no idea what's going on. All I can imagine is that there is a timing issue in the way iCloud Drive works on Windows and you're hitting something that is GnuCash/Windows/iCloud-specific.
I don't know if any of the devs have access to that combination in order to perform any testing.
Do you have any iCloud logs?
Anything "interesting" in the GnuCash logs? (I doubt this -- it sounds like it's an iCloud thing, not necessarily a GnuCash thing).
Thanks,
-derek
On Thu, December 4, 2025 8:35 am, jhoeter at googlemail.com wrote:
> Screenshot of file explorer just now after removing compression:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jhoeter at googlemail.com <jhoeter at googlemail.com>
> Sent: Thursday, December 4, 2025 8:34 AM
> To: 'Derek Atkins' <derek at ihtfp.com>; jhoeter at googlemail.com
> Cc: sunfish62 at yahoo.com; gnucash-user at gnucash.org
> Subject: RE: [GNC] ABC.gnucash iCloud availability status "excluded
> not synced"
>
>
>
> Hi Derek: Yes, consecutive numbers as in "1", "2", "3" - I have it all
> the way up to "18" in my original GnuCash file folder. The full
> filename without " xx" is "Created20250822.gnucash". Turning off
> compression changed the size from 504 to 6409 KB, but I still have the same issue.
> Thanks for checking, Jan
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: Derek Atkins < <mailto:derek at ihtfp.com> derek at ihtfp.com>
>
> Sent: Thursday, December 4, 2025 8:16 AM
>
> To: <mailto:jhoeter at googlemail.com> jhoeter at googlemail.com
>
> Cc: <mailto:sunfish62 at yahoo.com> sunfish62 at yahoo.com;
> <mailto:gnucash-user at gnucash.org> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>
> Subject: Re: [GNC] ABC.gnucash iCloud availability status "excluded
> not synced"
>
>
>
> Hi,
>
>
>
> Can you please give us the exact "xx" here. You say "consecutive
> numbers", but does that mean "1", "2", "3", or something else? Please
> share the full name(s), including the numbers, because that will help
> us debug it.
>
>
>
> My guess is that your iCloud drive is not properly syncing. I think
> it is unlikely GnuCash, but it is possible due to the way GnuCash uses
> a combination of Create and Rename operations.
>
>
>
> One option is to turn off compression and see if that fixes the problem?
>
> The files will be 10x larger, but it's POSSIBLE that iCloud is not
> enjoying the gzipped data.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> -derek
>
>
>
> On Thu, December 4, 2025 7:54 am, Jan via gnucash-user wrote:
>
>> Well, it seems to have been a temporary fix, only. Even in a new
>
>> iCloud folder, I again have "ABC.gnucash" not being saved properly on
>
>> iCloud and instead "ABC xx.gnucash" (xx = consecutive numbers) being
>
>> created, which results at the next start of GnuCash to "ABC.gnucash
>
>> could not be found", of course. This happens also when I manually
>
>> remove the " xx" but I had some luck doing the removal in a different
>
>> folder and copying the resulting "ABC.gnucash" back to the normal
>
>> GnuCash file folder, but not consistent.
>
>>
>
>> I looked at the status of a thus copied "ABC.gnucash" file and file
>
>> explorer states the iCloud availability status "excluded not synced"
>
>> which per Apple "indicates that certain files are not being uploaded
>
>> to iCloud Photos due to unsupported file types" which doesn't help as
>
>> the relevant folders are under iCloud Drive, not iCloud Photos.
>
>>
>
>> Ideas anyone?
>
>>
>
>> Thanks, Jan
>
>>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>
>> From: <mailto:sunfish62 at yahoo.com> sunfish62 at yahoo.com <
>> <mailto:sunfish62 at yahoo.com> sunfish62 at yahoo.com>
>
>> Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2025 8:15 AM
>
>> To: <mailto:jhoeter at googlemail.com> jhoeter at googlemail.com
>
>> Cc: David Cousens < <mailto:davidcousens49 at gmail.com>
>> davidcousens49 at gmail.com>; <mailto:gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
>> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>
>> Subject: RE: [GNC] ABC xx.gnucash on iCloud leads to "... ABC.gnucash
>
>> could not be found"
>
>>
>
>> Cloud can be tricky. I have one cloud note app that only works with
>
>> Dropbox and not with my off brand cloud. I'm glad you found a
>> workaround.
>
>>
>
>> David T.
>
>>
>
>> On Nov 22, 2025, 1:46 PM, at 1:46 PM,
>> <mailto:jhoeter at googlemail.com> jhoeter at googlemail.com wrote:
>
>>>Thanks, David C and T. My problem does not seem to be related to
>
>>>backup files. It's the main GnuCash file that is not saved properly
>
>>>(probably more an iCloud than a GnuCash issue, but possibly both have
>
>>>a part in it). As mentioned in my original post, things have been
>
>>>working correctly again after saving the GnuCash files in a new
>
>>>folder, still on iCloud.
>
>>>
>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>
>>>From: <mailto:sunfish62 at yahoo.com> sunfish62 at yahoo.com <
>>><mailto:sunfish62 at yahoo.com> sunfish62 at yahoo.com>
>
>>>Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2025 3:17 AM
>
>>>To: David Cousens < <mailto:davidcousens49 at gmail.com>
>>>davidcousens49 at gmail.com>
>
>>>Cc: <mailto:jhoeter at googlemail.com> jhoeter at googlemail.com;
>>><mailto:gnucash-user at gnucash.org> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>
>>>Subject: Re: [GNC] ABC xx.gnucash on iCloud leads to "... ABC.gnucash
>
>>>could not be found"
>
>>>
>
>>>David C.,
>
>>>
>
>>>It looks like you are linking to outdated documentation. The current
>
>>>version of the chapter you cited is
>
>>> <https://www.gnucash.org/docs/v5/C/gnucash-guide/chapter_basics.html
>>> >
>>> https://www.gnucash.org/docs/v5/C/gnucash-guide/chapter_basics.html
>
>>>
>
>>>David T.
>
>>>
>
>>>On Nov 22, 2025, 1:58 AM, at 1:58 AM, David Cousens
>
>>>< <mailto:davidcousens49 at gmail.com> davidcousens49 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>>>Jan,
>
>>>>
>
>>>>The creation oof Backup lock and log files in the sme directory as
>
>>>your
>
>>>>data file is explained here
>
>>>> <https://code.gnucash.org/website/docs/v1.8/C/gnucash-guide/basics_
>>>> bac>
>>>> https://code.gnucash.org/website/docs/v1.8/C/gnucash-guide/basics_b
>>>> ac
>
>>>>k u p1.html however I noticed that this may be out of date as at
>
>>>>least on Linux systems the formatof the backup a files no longer has
>
>>>>the extension ".xac" but uses the extension ".gnucash", the same as
>
>>>>the main data file but preceded by the date time format extension.
>
>>>>
>
>>>>So if your main data file is
>
>>>>
>
>>>>myfile.gnucash
>
>>>>
>
>>>>then the backup files will be
>
>>>>
>
>>>>myfile.yyyymmddhhmmss.gnucash
>
>>>>
>
>>>>where yyyymmddhhmmss is the date timestamp created when the main
>>>>data
>
>>>>file was saved. Similarly the log file
>
>>>>
>
>>>>myfile.yyyymmddhhmmss.log
>
>>>>
>
>>>>will have a record of any new transactions entered during the
>
>>>session.
>
>>>>
>
>>>>You can use these files to recover from data crashes during a session.
>
>>>>
>
>>>>If GnuCash exits improperly there will be a file myfile.LCK created
>
>>>>in
>
>>>
>
>>>>the directory with the main data file. It is created when you start
>>>>a
>
>>>>session with GnuCash and is normally deleted when GnuCash is exited
>
>>>>properly.
>
>>>>
>
>>>>You can also clear it with the "Open Anyway" option in the popup
>
>>>>dialogue which comes up when you restart GnuCash after it has exited
>
>>>>incorrectly.
>
>>>>
>
>>>>It also serves to indicate that an instance of GnuCash has the data
>
>>>>file open for read/write access while you have a session open and
>
>>>>serves to warn a user trying to open another instance operating on
>
>>>>the
>
>>>
>
>>>>same data file.
>
>>>>
>
>>>>
>
>>>>On Fri, 2025-11-21 at 10:41 -0500, Jan via gnucash-user wrote:
>
>>>>> Hi guys!
>
>>>>>
>
>>>>> For a few days now, I have a persistent problem with my gnucash
>
>>>>> file
>
>>>
>
>>>>> that's being stored on my iCloud Drive (GunCash 4.13 on Win11;
>>>>> file
>
>>>>> size is 498 KB): Instead of ABC.gnucash, ABC xx.gnucash is being
>
>>>>> stored and "rebuilt" automatically when I manually remove the "xx"
>
>>>in
>
>>>>> the filename. I've had this before every once in a while, usually
>
>>>>> after an improper computer shutdown, but the manual fix removing
>
>>>"xx"
>
>>>>> always worked. Now GnuCash regularly starts up with the "...
>
>>>>> ABC.gnucash could not be found" error which makes sense as the
>
>>>>> ABC.gnucash file is still in "sync pending", not the normal
>
>>>>> "available on this device". It seems this delayed sync is limited
>
>>>>> to
>
>>>
>
>>>>> my GnuCash folder on the iCloud Drive, i.e. if I copy ABC
>
>>>>> xx.gnucash
>
>>>
>
>>>>> to a different folder and remove the "xx", it syncs right away.
>
>>>>> When
>
>>>
>
>>>>> I move ABC.gnucash from that different folder to the GnuCash
>
>>>>> folder,
>
>>>
>
>>>>> the long and often unsuccessful syncing starts, often leaving me
>
>>>with
>
>>>>> another ABC xx.gnucash in the end. Same with copying ABC.gnu cash
>
>>>>> from that different folder to the GnuCash folder. My temporary
>
>>>
>
>>>>> solution is to create a new GnuCash folder on my ICloud drive,
>>>>> copy
>
>>>>> ABC xx.gnucash to that folder and remove the "xx". If I start
>
>>>GnuCash
>
>>>>> from there, all is good again - for now.
>
>>>>>
>
>>>>> What could be going on here?
>
>>>>>
>
>>>>> Thanks for any help, Jan
>
>>>>>
>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>
>>>>> gnucash-user mailing list
>
>>>>> <mailto:gnucash-user at gnucash.org> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>
>>>>> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe:
>
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>>>>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
>
>>>>> -----
>
>>>>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
>
>>>>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>
>>>>
>
>>>>--
>
>>>>David Cousens
>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>
>>>>gnucash-user mailing list
>
>>>> <mailto:gnucash-user at gnucash.org> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>
>>>>To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe:
>
>>>> <https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user>
>>>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
>
>>>>-----
>
>>>>Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
>
>>>>You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>
>>
>
>>
>
>> _______________________________________________
>
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>
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>
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>
>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
>
>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>
>>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Derek Atkins 617-623-3745
>
> <mailto:derek at ihtfp.com> derek at ihtfp.com
> <http://www.ihtfp.com> www.ihtfp.com
>
> Computer and Internet Security Consultant
>
>
>
>
>
>
--
Derek Atkins 617-623-3745
derek at ihtfp.com www.ihtfp.com
Computer and Internet Security Consultant
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