[GNC] Copy and paste account into a new account

Mon Sep 8 14:13:18 EDT 2025

Thank you for the iMac info. I’d like to know how to get to that screen
level on my MacBook. I’ve only recently switched from a PC to this MacBook
and I don’t yet know how to get down to the level where I am able to get to
the $HOME file. Sorta basic I know, but… Google isn’t helping me right now
because I guess I don’t even know the right questions to ask.

On Mon, Sep 8, 2025 at 1:05 PM R Losey <rlosey at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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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>
>
> --
> _________________________________
> Richard Losey
> rlosey at gmail.com
> Micah 6:8
>