[GNC] Copy and paste account into a new account

Mon Sep 8 14:18:23 EDT 2025

BTW, I understand the fact that somehow reduced the column width to zero.
And, in the past, I’ve been able to grab it back. But now I can’t seem to
undo the reduced size. I’d really like to try going to the $HOME file and
see if I am able to fix it there, but this gnu-be needs some instruction.

Thanks so much!

Edwin

On Mon, Sep 8, 2025 at 1:13 PM Edwin Booth <elybeedle at gmail.com> wrote:

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