Script to run Microsoft Money problems

Question

Script to run Microsoft Money problems

Anonymous

A month or so ago, I wrote in complaining that, when I tried reconciling my Microsoft Money file balance with my bank balances, the reconciled balance was WAY off; thousands of dollars. I wrote in asking if the problem could be that I was storing AND running my data file on/from an SSD attached to my router as network storage. A kind soul replied that, yes, that could very well be the problem and that I should run the data file from local storage and was kind enough to write me a PS1 script that moved the most recent copy of my data file to a working directory on my primary SSD. Worked very well last month; reconciled successfully.

The PS1 file has been modified by Copilot several times as I have switched from the router-attached SSD (never really worked well) to a Beestation NAS. Data file and backups are stored on Beestation.

This month, checking balance was off about $75. Been over it half-dozen times and finally gave up and let Money adjust the balance (took the cowards way out). Went to credit card account. Only 10-12 of the 100 or so transactions from November were left in the data file. Will try to recover

Could someone look at the attached script and see if there is something in it that isn't correct and would cause this?

PS1Script_Page_1.png

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Answer 1

Anonymous

Your best bet is to migrate to a current, supported application to manage your finances.

This Is a common response. Unfortunately, I have used Money since it first came out except for a short hiatus soon after Microsoft quit supporting it, when I tried Quicken. Hated it and quickly returned to Money. Anyway, not likely to change as I am 70 years old and change is getting harder.

I don't know why you did it that way. My initial reason for doing it was I have 2 computer and got tired of trying to keep the data file synced. First, I tried keeping the data file on an SSD on my router. Was disastrous. Spent several weeks conversing with Q&A and TP-Link. Thought it'd be a cheap NAS but it was not well-supported by Microsoft OR TP-Link. NEVER worked. In moments where that set up actually worked, is when I started getting the WAY OFF reconciliation balances. Posted on Q&A and a kind soul told me using the data file on the routers SSD might actually be the problem, took pity on me and wrote me the PS1 script to move the data file so I was always accessing a local file. THAT'S why it came about.

Since I bought the Beestation, I figured the same problem might occur, so I have been using the .PS1 file. That's the whole story. The reconciliation balances were WAY off again this month's statement. I thought something may have gone wrong. THAT'S why I posted.

MotoX80 37,686 Reputation points

2025-12-31T02:01:38.28+00:00

Anyway, not likely to change as I am 70 years old

I too am 70 and have used different finance products over the years. I understand what you're saying about being used to doing things certain ways, but there comes a point where you have to balance pro's and con's. Yes, you like how Money works, but if you depend on it, then you are running a risk that someday you will run into some problem, (maybe like this one), and since Microsoft has dropped support for the product, then you're essentially on your own to fix it. If that is even possible.

If you're willing to take that risk, then keep using Money.

using the data file on the routers SSD might actually be the problem,

The main question that you need to determine is: Is the Money data file corrupt? Does Money have a data file validation utility? Did you run it and did it report any errors?

The reconciliation balances were WAY off again this month's statement.

Does Money connect to your bank or do you import a QIF file?

The balance is just a summarization of the transactions. Manually do the reconciliation math. Make note of your beginning balance and current balance on the account. Make note of the number of transactions in your file. Make note of the "last transaction". Then connect/import/whatever. If it's off, then check the balances. Is the prior "last transaction" still there? Add up the payments and deposits and see if you can find the discrepancy.
Anonymous

2026-01-06T22:52:44.86+00:00

I just download my statement from the bank and compare transactions.

The main question that you need to determine is: Is the Money data file corrupt? Does Money have a data file validation utility?

I have "repaired" my file and balance is still off.

using the data file on the routers SSD might actually be the problem,

At least, according to at least one of your fellow experts, that is a problem.From and earlier post:

What you are seeing is trouble when the working file lives on a network share handled by a consumer router. Money writes a lot of tiny changes and relies on strict file locking. SMB caching and hiccups on a router-attached SSD can drop or reorder some of those writes. The batch wrapper itself is not the problem. Running the .mny file across the network is.
MotoX80 37,686 Reputation points

2026-01-07T15:09:09.81+00:00

using the data file on the routers SSD might actually be the problem,

The key word in that statement is "might". If the author of that comment has used Money himself and experienced the problem, then you can certainly treat that statement with a high value of trust. The main flaw that I see is that he has no way to recreate your environment to verify that it is definitely YOUR problem. He doesn't have your exact same patch level of Windows, the same router, the same NAS device, and most importantly, your .mny data file.

SMB caching and hiccups on a router-attached SSD can drop or reorder some of those writes.

If you have some environment wide problem, then I would expect those hiccups to manifest themselves in other applications. Meaning, if you read/write/update other files like spreadsheets, Access databases, and pictures, then data corruption should show up there as well. Do .jpg images look garbled? Do you see strange characters in the cells in .xlsx files? Do you have any .mdb files? Is the data in them ok?

In any event, by implementing that .bat file to copy the data file to your C: drive and referencing it from there, you have eliminated network/SMB/NAS as the root of your problem.

I have never used Money, so I can only comment based on my experience with Quicken. In the past I have had problems where my Quicken balance did not match my banks online balance. As I commented the other day, I had to resort to downloading a transaction list from my bank and comparing that to a transaction list that I exported out of Quicken.

My problems tend to be related to transfers. I have several checking and savings accounts defined and on occasion Quicken processes a transfer into the wrong account or even back into the same account.

I would expect that your .mny data file is similar to my .qdf file in that it is in some proprietary database format. When I look at a qdf file, I see that it is just binary data. It appears encrypted or compressed or both.

If the file I/O to your .mny file is getting shuffled like a deck of cards, then the hiccups should be visible somewhere. In your ledger, the payeee names should be incorrect. The payment/deposit/balance values should be way off or even alpha characters. You should be missing transactions. Quicken shows me the number of transactions in the ledger and that my local balance matches my online balance.

How do you update Money? Do you manually enter transactions? Does Money connect to your banks web site and download updates directly? Do you download a .QIF or some other format file from your bank and import that into Money?

It sounds like you have a data problem. About the only way that I think that we can help you is if you import a QIF file and your bank is now transmitting that data in some new format that Money cannot process. Microsoft isn't going to fix Money. You may need to edit the .QIF file before you run the import. (If that's how you do an update.)

Answer 2

You've got a .bat file that copies the data files to your local drive, runs Money, and then copies them back. There does not appear to be anything functionally wrong with what it does.

I don't know why you did it that way. I would have just left my data files on my C:\ drive and used the NAS strictly for backup. That way you have your data on 2 different devices and if one of them malfunctions, you still have another copy of the data.

I don't use Money. I use Quicken. The premise of your questions is that somewhere, something is corrupting the data file. Quicken has an option to "Validate and Repair File" to examine the validity of the file. If Money has that option, then I would recommend that you run that to test its internal data structures.

On occasion, I do encounter a situation where my online balance does not match my Quicken balance. When that happens, I export my Quicken transactions into a spreadsheet. Then I download a spreadsheet of transactions from my bank's web site. Then I compare the 2 spreadsheets and try to determine if I missed a transaction or if I have duplicate transactions or if a transfer (like from checking to credit card) was not properly recorded.

From what I know about Money, it is no longer supported and hasn't been for some time. If you have encountered a bug, then I don't think that there is much that you can do about it.

Your best bet is to migrate to a current, supported application to manage your finances. Quicken is one option.

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Script to run Microsoft Money problems

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