In microsoft.public.money, anmari wrote:

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Sorry to hear you don't have a working file. I guess I should have
figured that you would not have checked out your backups unless
there was a problem with the main file.

Search your drives for *.mbf, *.mny files.


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By default, Money Plus keeps the four most recent backups, that
include the date+time in the filename. That number can be increased
as high as 99.

I guess you mean in moving forward. ie once we has a working file again ?

(Just in case, I went through the whole restore process again, running as
admin and going to a temp directory under my user - same story - file is
empty.)

I am still wondering how it was possible that the software would create
empty backup files without giving an indication of any error?

How is she to trust the backup process ever again?

In microsoft.public.money, anmari wrote:

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To amplify, in Tools-> Options-> Backup, change your backup path from
"C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\" to
"C:\Users\username\Documents\"

In microsoft.public.money, anmari wrote:

- quote -

Be sure that your Money and backup files are moved to a spot that
you will have full privileges to, such as within the user's
Documents folder. If they are in ProgramFiles, Vista will create
an impermanent copy of the file for the user to use, unless the
user explicitly right-clicks at launch and choose
RunAsAdministrator that time.

Also change your backup path from
"C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\" to
"C:\Users\username\Documents\"

"Cal Learner-- MVP" wrote:

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Thanks for quick reply - I had already tried that, restoring to a temp
location. have also tried repairing it.

(There is also the complication that her old pC was XP I think and the new
one vista. I am loading her backup files onto my vista to test,.
Apparently when she does it on her new pc apparently they cannot change the
location to restore it and the one that it has is invalid (new pc)).

(We both have Ms Money 2004)

In microsoft.public.money, anmari wrote:

- quote -

Test one of the suspected backups, if you have not done so, with
File-> Restore of the backup. Do *not* restore to the "default
location". Instead Browse to the Documents folder, and chose a new
filename for the test.

The list at the bottom of the File menu can be used to switch back
to the regular file.

I am wondering if the real backups are compressed, but the new ones
are not.

A family member appears to have been backing up her money file and creating
empty backup files - they are about 3.2 Mb. If I create a new file, create
one account and save it and back it up - the backup is about that size!

How is it possible for her to have been backing up and yet creating this
empty backup file - it knows the password etc - it just has absolutely no
data!