Error Restoring Quicken Data File From External Media: "Can't open file" or "File not restored"

Before you begin: If you are using external media to move a Quicken data file, you will need to make sure the file is moved from the external media to the new computer. For full instructions, click here. 

Overview

One of the following messages appears when restoring a Quicken data file from external media (thumb/USB drive, external hard drive):

• Can't open file 
• File not restored

To resolve this issue

This most often occurs when the properties of your Quicken data file are set to read-only.

To remove the read-only property:

1. Open the File Explorer and copy your Quicken data file to your hard drive.
2. Select the Quicken data file, right-click and select Properties.
3. In the Attributes area, click to clear the Read-only checkbox.
4. Launch Quicken.
5. Open the data file you changed the properties for.

Other possible causes and solutions

• If the data file was created on a different computer, try to create a new backup on the other computer.
• If the data file was created on the same computer, try to restore an earlier backup you made, or an automatic backup made by Quicken.
• In some cases, you might need to check the Quicken file for damage before creating a backup.

If the steps above do not resolve the issue, please contact Quicken Support. 

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