Just as you rid your own home of unwanted objects in preparation for the year ahead, it makes sense to clean house with
Quicken as well. So, as we begin a new year with Quicken, take the time now to remove any items that you no longer
need, such as scheduled transactions that are associated with the current year only, or memorized transactions you no
longer plan on using.
To delete a scheduled transaction:
1. Choose Lists + Scheduled Transaction.
2. From the list of scheduled transactions, select the transaction to delete and then click the Delete button.
3. Click OK to confirm the deletion.
To delete a memorized transaction:
1. Choose Lists + Memorized Transaction.
2. From the Memorized Transaction List, select the memorized transaction you no longer need and click the Delete
button.
3. Click OK to confirm the deletion.
Note that deleting these items has no effect on any existing transactions.
TIP: NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON'T
Does the number of slices Quicken creates in your pie charts often overwhelm you? If so, simply hide the items you don't
need to see. Note that Quicken still calculates any hidden values in the graph; it just doesn't display them.
To hide a chart item:
1. Create the pie chart as you normally would. For instance, choose Reports + Graphs + Income & Expense.
2. Hold down the Shift key and then click on the item you want to hide.
3. Quicken removes the item from the chart.
To redisplay the hidden values you'll have to recreate the graph
TIP: BACKING UP ISN'T SO HARD TO DO--PART 1 OF 3
Welcome to 1999. It's a brand new year, full of promise and hope. As we embark on this new adventure, those little
promises we made to ourselves throughout last year come nagging to the forefront: that
this would be the year we would paint the house, quit smoking, or get off our duff and finally get our financial situation
under control. Although we can't help you with the first two broken resolutions, the third we can. Throughout the month
of January, our tips focus on helping you to make and keep your financial resolutions.
First, one chore that you must absolutely adhere to is to regularly back up your Quicken data. What's the sense of
tracking your important finances only to see them go up in smoke if something happens to your file or your hard disk?
You should also maintain two different sets of backup copies so that you don't have to rely on a single backup if
something were to go wrong. To back up your file:
1. Insert a blank floppy disk in drive A or drive B.
2. Choose File + Backup.
3. Click Yes in the resulting dialog box.
4. In the Select Backup Drive dialog box, indicate the drive in which you placed the backup disk.
5. In the File to Back Up section of the dialog box, select Current File and click OK to back up the data.
6. When Quicken has completed the backup, click OK in the resulting dialog box.
7. Remove the backup disk from your floppy drive, label the disk, and then store it in a safe place.
TIP: BACKING UP ISN'T SO HARD TO DO--PART 2 OF 3
In our last tip, we showed you how to use Quicken's File + Backup command to make a safe backup copy of your data
on a floppy disk. The problem is, you still have to remember to actually initiate the Backup command. Or do you?
By default, every third time you exit the program, Quicken displays a dialog box reminding you to back up your data.
You can change this frequency so that the dialog box appears every time you exit the program, or you can shut it off
altogether (of course, we definitely don't recommend that).
This tip shows you how to change the frequency of this backup reminder. Doing so requires that you make modifications
to the Quicken.ini file, which contains all the settings and information regarding the program. Modifying the file is really
very simple, but we don't recommend that you do it often.
Before you modify the Quicken.ini file, you must make a backup copy of the file. (Never mess with the original program
file; you could wreak havoc on your program if you inadvertently change a setting that you shouldn't have.)
To make a backup copy of Quicken.ini:
1. Switch to the Windows desktop and double-click the My Computer icon.
2. Double-click the icon representing your hard drive; locate and double-click the Windows folder to open it.
3. Locate the Quicken.ini file; then click the file once to select it.
4. Choose Edit + Copy, followed immediately by Edit + Paste.
A copy of the file, named Copy of Quicken.ini, is created and stored in the Windows folder.
To change the frequency of the backups:
1. From the Windows folder, select the Quicken.ini file and double-click to open it.
2. Locate the line labeled AutoBackup=3.
3. Replace the numeral 3 with the interval you want to use. For example, enter 1 if you want the dialog box to appear
every time you exit the program; enter 2 if you want it to appear every other time.
4. Choose File + Save; then choose File + Exit.
5. Restart Windows to have your change take effect.
Now, whenever you exit Quicken, the reminder dialog box appears according to the setting you assigned.
TIP: BACKING UP ISN'T SO HARD TO DO--PART 3 OF 3
Our last two tips explained how and why you should remind yourself to create backup copies of your Quicken files.
Even if you never remember (or bother) to back up your data file, Quicken is determined to save
that information for you anyway. Every seven days, Quicken generates its own backup copy of the data file so that, even
if you never back up your files yourself, you have something to go to if something happens to your original data file. The
automatic backup files that Quicken creates are stored on your hard drive within the Quicken program directory, in a
folder named BACKUP. Quicken creates up to five copies of the file. The most recent copy of the file has the number 1
in the name. For instance, a file named 99DATA would be stored as 99DATA1, 99DATA2, and so on.
If you like the idea of these automatic backup files but think that keeping five successive copies is a bit much, you can
change this setting so that Quicken creates only two copies, for example. To do so, you have to make a simple
modification to the Quicken.ini file.
First make a backup copy of your Quicken.ini file before you make any changes to it:
1. Switch to the Windows desktop and double-click the My Computer icon.
2. Double-click the icon representing your hard drive.
3. Open the Windows folder and click the Quicken.ini file once to select it.
4. Choose Edit + Copy; then choose Edit + Paste.
To change the frequency of Quicken's automatic backups:
1. In the Windows folder on your hard drive, double-click the Quicken.ini file to open it.
2. Locate the line labeled AutoCopy=5.
3. Replace the 5 with the interval you want to use, say 2.
4. Choose File + Save; then choose File + Exit.
5. Restart Windows to have your change take effect.
From now on, Quicken creates the designated number of backup copies for you.
(Tip-in-a-tip: Do not rely on Quicken's automatic backup feature alone. A hard disk failure would wipe out the
automatic backups created by Quicken.)
TIP: RESTORING YOUR BACKUP
Our last three tips discussed how to back up your data on a regular basis. In this tip, we show you how to use the
Restore Backup File command (even though we hope you never have to use this feature). In any case, restoring a
backup file is fairly straightforward. Keep in mind, however, that Quicken overwrites any data in the existing file,
using the data from the backup copy.
To restore a backup file:
1. Insert into your floppy disk drive the disk containing the backup file.
2. Choose File + Restore Backup File.
3. In the Restore Files from Drive list box, indicate the drive letter containing the backup disk and click OK.
4. In the Restore Quicken File dialog box, select the name of the backup file and click OK.
5. Click OK in the resulting dialog box to indicate that you want to overwrite the current file.
6. When you see the File Restored Successfully prompt, click OK.
Quicken imports all the information from the backup file into the current file. Now, aren't you glad you made that
backup copy after all?
TIP: ADDING YOUR TWO CENTS--PART 1 OF
2
Just as you would scribble notes to yourself while reading a book, you
can also annotate a Quicken Help topic. That way, you can then view
your notes along with the information provided by the Help topic.
To annotate a topic:
1. Display the Help topic you want to annotate.
2. Choose Edit + Annotate.
3. Type out the contents of the note and click Save.
A paper clip symbol in the upper left corner of the Help topic window
indicates that the Help topic is annotated. To view the annotation,
simply click the paper clip; a window with your notes appears. Click
Cancel to close the window.
________________________________________________________
TIP: ADDING YOUR TWO CENTS--PART 2 OF
2
In our last tip, we showed you how to annotate a Help topic: Display
the Help topic you want to annotate, choose Edit + Annotate, type the
contents of the note, and click Save. In this tip, we show you how to
remove an annotation from a Help topic:
1. Display the annotated Help topic.
2. Click the paper clip button.
3. Click the Delete button.
Tip-in-a-tip: You may want to bookmark all annotated help topics so
that you are later able to quickly identify them. To bookmark a Help
topic, choose Bookmark + Define, enter a name, and click OK.
____________________________________________
TIP: MEMORIZE A SEASONAL
PAYCHECK
The ability to automate your paycheck deposits is a real time-saver.
But can you do that if you receive paychecks on an inconsistent basis
(for example, you work a part-time job that is also seasonal)? Yep,
you sure can. You use Quicken's Paycheck Setup feature to automate the
paycheck setup, but you simply memorize the transaction rather than
schedule it.
To memorize a paycheck:
1. Choose Features + Banking + Set Up Paycheck.
2. Click the Next button in the Paycheck Setup box to get started,
provide the appropriate information as prompted, and click Next to
continue with each step of the paycheck process.
3. When Quicken asks whether you want it to automatically remind you
to enter the paycheck, select No and then click Next.
4. Review the specifics in the Summary screen; if you're satisfied,
click Done.>p>
Quicken memorizes the specifics of your paycheck and records it as a
memorized transaction in your Account Register. The next time you
receive your paycheck, simply select the memorized transaction from
the drop-down list in the Payee field of the Register.
____________________________________________
TIP: CHANGING THE DETAILS OF
A PAYCHECK--PART 1 OF 2
For the most part, you probably receive the same
amount each pay
period. Occasionally, however, your paycheck amount
may be more or
less. Maybe you have an extra deduction one month,
or you worked some
overtime another month. To save time recording this
information, use
Quicken's automated Paycheck Setup to record the
details of your
paycheck, including deductions, taxes, and
whatnot.
When you do,
Quicken stores them as splits in a memorized
transaction. That way,
when you receive a paycheck, you just select the
memorized
transaction; you don't have to reenter all the
information.
If the changes to the amount of your paycheck occur
infrequently,
simply edit the paycheck transaction after it has been
recorded in
your register. The following steps tell you how:
1. In your Account register, locate the specific
paycheck transaction
that you want to edit; then click it once to activate the
transaction.
2. Click the Split button on the second line of the
transaction
record.
3. Make any changes to the amounts as necessary.
4. Click the Adjust button to adjust the total amount
of the deposit
so that it reflects your changes.
5. Click OK.
That's all there is to changing an individual entry.
Each subsequent
deposit of your paycheck uses the appropriate original
amounts stored
with the initial memorized transaction.
When transfering funds from one account to another,after recording the transaction, Hilight the transaction, then press CTRL+X to view the account into which you transferred the funds.
If you lose the "BEEP" when recording a transaction in a BANK ACCOUNT, go to "VIEW", REGISTER OPTIONS, MISCELLANEOUS" and put a check in the box before: "Beep when recording and memorizing".
Three-dimensional graphs take longer to display than two-dimensional graphs. To reduce the time it takes to create a graph on your computer, display a graph, click OPTIONS on the button bar, and then select the "DRAW IN 2D" checkbox.
To rearrange the order of the icons in the iconbar, drag and drop each icon with the mouse to where you want the icon to go.
To quickly find transactions in your register, drag the scroll box in the scroll bar & you'll see a date and check number appear as you scroll. These represent the date and check number of the transaction that will be at the top of the register window when you release the scroll box.
To jump to a specific date in the register quickly, press CTRL+G to go to that date
To receive a FREE subscription to Intuits new Quicken Newsletter, send an E-Mail to: update@news.quicken.com and put in the Subject area: subscribe Quicken-Newsletter
To DELETE a transaction in a register,hilight the transaction & use the SHORTCUT of CTRL+D
When you enter a check number, you can press the "+" key to increase the check number, or the "-" key to decrease the check number. You can use the either "+" and "-" keys on the numeric keypad or on the number bar at the top of the keyboard.
Turning off or changing Quicken's sound effects.
To turn off all sound effects
Choose Edit menu, Options, Register.
Click the Miscellaneous tab.
Clear the Beep When Recording or Memorizing setting.
To change individual sounds (Windows 95 only)
You can substitute your own .WAV files for Quicken's sounds, or you can turn off individual
sounds.
Choose Windows 95 Start menu, Settings, Control Panel.
Double-click the Sounds icon.
Scroll down the Events list until you get to Quicken.
Select one of the words under Quicken.
To play the sound associated with the Quicken action, click the triangle button to the right of the
speaker icon.
To substitute your own sound, click Browse, and then select the .WAV file you want to be
played instead.
To turn off the sound, click the down arrow in the Name list and choose None.
Click OK and then choose Close from the Control Panel File menu.
TIP: CHANGING THE DETAILS OF A
PAYCHECK
In one of our previous tips, I showed you how to change the details of
Quicken's
memorized paycheck amount when these amounts vary on an infrequent
basis. If the changes are permanent--for example, if you get a raise
or increased your retirement deductions--then you have to change the
specifics of the actual memorized paycheck transaction. To make
permanent changes to a paycheck setup:
1. Choose Lists + Memorized Transaction.
2. Locate your paycheck transaction in the list and select it.
3. Click the Padlock icon in the Lck column to unlock the transaction.
4. Click the Edit button.
5. Click the Split button in the Edit Memorized Transaction dialog box.
6. In the resulting Split Transaction window, make the changes as necessary
to the amounts.
7. Click the Adjust button to adjust the total amount of the deposit so that it
reflects your changes.
8. Click OK twice. Back at the Memorized Transaction List window, you can
see that the amount of the transaction has been adjusted to reflect your
changes.
9. Click the Padlock icon again to relock the transaction.
The next time you want to record a paycheck deposit, Quicken uses the
new amount.
_____________________________________________
TIP: THE END OF THE MONTH
BLUES
Howie F. of Brooklyn, NY recently asked if there was a quick way to see whether
any
money is left over at the end of the month. Sure is.
You can use
Quicken's EasyAnswer reports to do just that. When you want to see how
much cash you have on hand at the end of the month, here's what you
do:
1. Choose Reports + EasyAnswer Reports.
2. Select Where Did I Spend My Money? in section 1.
3. Select Last Month in the For the Period box of section 2.
4. Click Show Report.
Quicken generates a cash flow report that details all your cash
inflows (or income) for the month and all your cash outflows (or
expenses). The overall total calculated at the bottom of the report reflects the total
cash that you have on hand at the end of the month.
Sometimes we want to see exactly where our money came from and
where it went. For example, when generating the monthly Cash Flow
report, we prefer to see the names of the restaurants we frequented
and the amount spent at each establishment rather than have them all
lumped together in the Dining category. Fortunately, Quicken can
accommodate our wish. Normally, when you create reports, Quicken
automatically organizes the information by category. But you can
easily change this so that it lists transactions by payee.
To create a payee report:
1. Generate the report as you normally would. For example, choose Reports + Home
+ Cash Flow and then click the Create button in the Create Report dialog box.
2. Click the Customize button to display the Customize Cash Flow Report dialog
box.
3. Select the Display tab, if necessary.
4. Select Payee in the Row field of the Headings section.
5. Click Create.
Quicken redisplays the report, this time organized by Payee. If you
have multiple transactions paid to a single payee, Quicken tallies all
the totals together.
Just as you can change the way Quicken organizes the rows of
information in a report, you can also change the columns. Say, for
example, that you wanted to display your transaction amounts on a
weekly or monthly basis. You can easily change the column headings to
accommodate this.
To change your column headings:
1. Generate the report as you normally would. For example, choose
Reports + Home + Cash Flow and then click the Create button in the
Create Report dialog box.
2. Click the Customize button.
3. Select the Display tab (if necessary) in the Customize Cash Flow Report dialog
box.
4. Select the appropriate choice in the Column field of the Headings section. For
example, if you want your cash flow report to show column totals for two-week
periods, select Two Weeks from the dropdown list.
You can also have the report list your totals by quarters, months, or other time
periods.
5. Click Create.
As the past two tips have demonstrated, you can make a number of
changes to your report settings in order to get just the report you
want. But is there more? For example, a subscriber recently asked
whether it was possible to change the row and column headings used in
a report. In particular, she wanted to remove the lines labeled
Inflows and Outflows. Although you can't edit these particular lines
yourself, you can export the contents of the report to your favorite
word processing or spreadsheet program and then format the report as
you see fit:
1. Generate the report as you normally would. For example, choose
Reports + Home + Cash Flow and then click the Create button in the
Create Report dialog box.
2. Click the Copy button in the Button bar to copy the contents of the
current report to the Clipboard.
3. Switch to your word processing or spreadsheet program.
4. Choose Edit + Paste.
The contents of the Clipboard--in this case, your Quicken report--are
then pasted into the current document. Keep in mind that you lose a
significant amount of formatting when you perform this procedure.
However, your word processing and spreadsheet programs have enough
formatting tools to enable you to design just the report you need.
Want to track your finances by fiscal, rather than calendar, year just
as they do in the business world? You can easily set up Quicken to do
so. What's more, you can also specify the starting month of the new
fiscal year.
To use a fiscal year calendar:
1. Choose Edit + Options + General.
2. Select the Settings tab.
3. Select Fiscal Year in the Working Calendar section.
4. Select the Starting Month of the fiscal year.
5. Click OK.
Now, when Quicken generates reports and performs year-end
calculations, it bases its reports on the new fiscal year you
specified.
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