Delete a Quicken Data File From Your System

Before you begin

Deleting a file will permanently remove it from your system, so you may not be able to undo this operation. If you change your mind and are unable to retrieve your Quicken data file, you will have to reenter your data. Before proceeding, consider backing up the data file instead of deleting it. The file can serve as an archive of your financial data. If you no longer use the data file and have started a new one, you can copy the file to another place on your hard drive, or back it up on a flash drive or another type of removable media.

Instructions

You can simply navigate to the location of the data file on your system and delete it. The default location for Quicken data files is C:\Users\[your name]\Documents\Quicken, or you can use the steps below to have Quicken help you find the location of the file you have open.

1. Choose File menu > Show This File on My Computer. Quicken will display the folder containing the current data file (the Quicken folder by default). If you need help determining where another data file is, Quicken can help you find a file.

2. Search the file you want to delete, or enter the name of the file in the Search field.

3. Right-click the file and select Delete.

4. Confirm that you want to delete the file.

5. Click OK.

Once you've deleted a file, the only way you can get the data back is by restoring the data file from the Quicken/BACKUP folder, where Quicken backs up your data every seven days. Do not open a backup file that you have not restored. If you're sure you want to remove all evidence of your file from a hard disk, use the Delete command on the files in your BACKUP folder, too.