[GNC] Starting from scratch

[Patrick James]

Clint,

I suggest testing on a GnuCash test book.

There are a few options. I generally start by exporting a small amount of data, and import to see the results. Another option is to import everything and take a look at the results.

Preprocessing the data with a CSV editor/spreadsheet is also possible.


> On 04/28/2026 8:02 AM PDT Clint Chaplin <joatmon at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>  
> No database, but it turns out some CSV exports are possible from one of the
> programs; just unsure just how much cleaning up will be necessary when I
> import.
> 
> On Mon, Apr 27, 2026 at 6:41 PM David Cousens <davidcousens49 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
> > Clint,
> >
> > You can certainly reset the starting balances as you work your way
> > through imposrting data. I did that when I shifted from MYOB to GnuCash
> > many years ago now.The starting balances are just a normal
> > transactionbetween the account and an equity account usually named
> > Opening Balances  and can be edited like any other transaction in
> > GnuCash
> >
> > If your previous program can export in CSV format then you should be
> > able to import the data into GnuCash in that format.If it was a
> > database based program you may be able to query the data directly with
> > SQL to export it in  a CSV form.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon, 2026-04-27 at 08:12 -0700, Clint Chaplin wrote:
> > > Hi, (soon to be) new user here.  I have almost 40 years of
> > > transactions, in
> > > programs that are incapable of exporting, so I'll have to start
> > > entering
> > > them in manually.
> > > 28/04/2628/04/26
> > > What strategies have people used in the past when starting up
> > > GnuCash?  I
> > > sorta understand for normal "cash" transactions I can probably just
> > > start
> > > entering in transactions for the current year, but can the starting
> > > balance
> > > be changed as I work my way backwards?
> > >
> > > For stocks and mutual funds, should I start at the beginning and work
> > > my
> > > way forward?  I'm not sure just how clean it is to start entering
> > > current
> > > transactions and then work my way backwards, especially given that
> > > account
> > > fees are taken FIFO from the first purchase in the mutual fund.
> > >
> > > Mortgage may be interesting, or simple.
> > >
> > > BTW, USA user.
> > >
> > > Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.
> >
> > -- 28/04/2628/04/26
> > David Cousens
> >
> 
> 
> -- 
> Clint (JOATMON) Chaplin
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