[GNC] Copy and paste account into a new account

[R Losey]

On my iMac, the .gcm file is in $HOME/Library/Application
Support/GnuCash/books


On Sun, Sep 7, 2025 at 3:03 PM Edwin Booth <elybeedle at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thank you so much!!! Not sure if I’m savvy enough to do that but I shall
> try.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Edwin
>
> On Sun, Sep 7, 2025 at 2:01 PM Stephen M. Butler <kg7je at arrl.net> wrote:
>
> > Looks like the Down Arrow is only on the ACCOUNTS register -- sorry about
> > that.  My mistake.
> >
> > You need to located GNC_DATA_HOME for your box and edit the file in
> > books/your-book-name.gnucash.gcm.  For me on Ubuntu that is in
> > $HOME/.local/share/gnucash/books.
> >
> > Look  for a liine:  balance_width=0 and change that to something like
> > balance_width=94.
> >
> > You can find this info at:
> >
> https://money.stackexchange.com/questions/151095/gnucash-checkbook-columns-shrunk-too-far-cannot-get-them-back
> >
> > I did a search for:  gnucash zero width column
> >
> > Following info came from
> > https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#GNC_DATA_HOME
> > (while looking for GNC_DATA_DIR referenced in above article).
> > GNC_DATA_HOME
> >
> > *Versions:* 3.x and more recent
> >
> > This is the subdirectory in USER_DATA_HOME
> > <
> https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#USER_DATA_HOME>
> > that GnuCash uses exclusively for its *user specific* data. The default
> > locations:
> > Linux pristine USER_DATA_HOME
> > <
> https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#USER_DATA_HOME>
> > /gnucash Flatpak $HOME
> > <https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#HOME>
> > /.var/app/org.gnucash.GnuCash/data/gnucash Windows %APPDATA%
> > <
> https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#Environment_variables_LOCALAPPDATA_and_APPDATA
> >
> > \GnuCash macOS HOME
> > <https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#HOME
> >/Library/Application
> > Support/GnuCash
> >
> > Note that on Windows the base directory is *APPDATA
> > <
> https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#Environment_variables_LOCALAPPDATA_and_APPDATA
> >*
> > and on macOS this is *HOME
> > <https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#HOME
> >/Library/Application
> > Support*. The base directories will be different for the next relevant
> > directory:
> >
> > USER_DATA_HOME
> >
> > This directory can be used by *applications* to store data that can't be
> > stored in the user's data file for some reason. For example gnucash will
> > store saved reports here, or some metadata such as which register tabs
> were
> > open for your books last time you closed them. The default locations:
> > Linux pristine $HOME
> > <https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#HOME>
> > /.local/share Flatpak <https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Flatpak> $HOME
> > <https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#HOME>
> > /.var/app/org.gnucash.GnuCash/data Windows On this platform there are
> > actually two directories for this kind of data: Local—machine specific
> >
> >    - The machine is no member of a Windows domain *or*
> >    - the user has choosen a (machine) local profile on login:
> >
> > HOME <https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#HOME>
> > \AppData\Local, often referred to as %LOCALAPPDATA%
> > <
> https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#Environment_variables_LOCALAPPDATA_and_:APPDATA>
> Roaming—domain
> > wide
> >
> >    - The machine is member of a Windows domain *and*
> >    - the user has choosen a domain wide profile on login:
> >
> > HOME <https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#HOME>
> > \AppData\Roaming, often referred to as %APPDATA%
> > <
> https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#Environment_variables_LOCALAPPDATA_and_APPDATA
> >
> > macOS On this platform there are actually two directories for this kind
> > of data: native current HOME
> > <https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#HOME
> >/Library/Application
> > Support OS X 10.6 and older HOME/Library/Applications Defaults by ported
> > software HOME
> > <https://www.wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Configuration_Locations#HOME>
> > /.local/share The former is native to macOS (and will be used by
> > GnuCash), the latter is often used by software that's ported from linux
> > (like GTK3). The difference will get clearer further down.
> >
> > It's important to understand this directory is shared by all applications
> > you run on your system. So aside from GnuCash, applications like Firefox,
> > Microsoft Office, LibreOffice and so on will also write here. To avoid
> > clutter, most applications have the courtesy to create their own
> > subdirectory here and only write in that subdirectory. This leads
> > seamlessly to the next couple of important directories:
> >
> >
> > On 9/7/25 11:38, Edwin Booth wrote:
> >
> > Thank you! I have tried your No. 2 suggestion countless times and just
> > does not reappear. I’m not sure what you mean by the down arrow on the
> > column headers (I’m using a MacBook). I only get the side-to-side arrows
> as
> > well as the regular cursor. I’m keen to try your No. 3 but have no idea
> how
> > to do that.
> >
> > Thanks so much for the reply!
> >
> > Edwin
> >
> > On Sun, Sep 7, 2025 at 1:17 PM Steve Butler <
> stephen.m.butler51 at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Create the new account.
> >>
> >> Delete the old account and check the box to transfer all transactions to
> >> the new account.
> >>
> >> It may be that your balance column was either:
> >> 1.  Turned off -- check the down arrow on the column headers.
> >> 2.  Pushed off the page by wider columns.  Double click the Description
> >> column headers to see if columns suddenly appear(and description column
> >> shrinks)
> >> 3.  Width of Balance column set to zero pixels.  There is a file you
> need
> >> to edit to fix that.  Not sure which one nor where it is located.
> >>
> >> On Sun, Sep 7, 2025, 11:11 Edwin Booth <elybeedle at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Hi. I’m having trouble with one of my accounts. I have lost the Balance
> >>> column and I think I need to make a new account. Is it possible to copy
> >>> and
> >>> paste a whole account into a new account window?
> >>>
> >>> Thanks, Edwin
> >>>
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> >
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-- 
_________________________________
Richard Losey
rlosey at gmail.com
Micah 6:8