David C., It looks like you are linking to outdated documentation. The current version of the chapter you cited is https://www.gnucash.org/docs/v5/C/gnucash-guide/chapter_basics.html
David T. On Nov 22, 2025, 1:58 AM, at 1:58 AM, David Cousens <[email protected]> wrote: >Jan, > >The creation oof Backup lock and log files in the sme directory as your >data file is explained here >https://code.gnucash.org/website/docs/v1.8/C/gnucash-guide/basics_backup1.html >however I noticed that this may be out of date as at least on Linux >systems the formatof the backup a files no longer has the extension >".xac" but uses the extension ".gnucash", the same as the main data >file but preceded by the date time format extension. > >So if your main data file is > >myfile.gnucash > >then the backup files will be > >myfile.yyyymmddhhmmss.gnucash > >where yyyymmddhhmmss is the date timestamp created when the main data >file was saved. Similarly the log file > >myfile.yyyymmddhhmmss.log > >will have a record of any new transactions entered during the session. > >You can use these files to recover from data crashes during a session. > >If GnuCash exits improperly there will be a file >myfile.LCK created in the directory with the main data file. It is >created when you start a session with GnuCash and is normally deleted >when GnuCash is exited properly. > >You can also clear it with the "Open Anyway" option in the popup >dialogue which comes up when you restart GnuCash after it has exited >incorrectly. > >It also serves to indicate that an instance of GnuCash has the data >file open for read/write access while you have a session open and >serves to warn a user trying to open another instance operating on the >same data file. > > >On Fri, 2025-11-21 at 10:41 -0500, Jan via gnucash-user wrote: >> Hi guys! >> >> For a few days now, I have a persistent problem with my gnucash file >> that's being stored on my iCloud Drive (GunCash 4.13 on Win11; file >> size is 498 KB): Instead of ABC.gnucash, ABC xx.gnucash is being >> stored and "rebuilt" automatically when I manually remove the "xx" in >> the filename. I've had this before every once in a while, usually >> after an improper computer shutdown, but the manual fix removing "xx" >> always worked. Now GnuCash regularly starts up with the "... >> ABC.gnucash could not be found" error which makes sense as the >> ABC.gnucash file is still in "sync pending", not the normal >> "available on this device". It seems this delayed sync is limited to >> my GnuCash folder on the iCloud Drive, i.e. if I copy ABC xx.gnucash >> to a different folder and remove the "xx", it syncs right away. When >> I move ABC.gnucash from that different folder to the GnuCash folder, >> the long and often unsuccessful syncing starts, often leaving me with >> another ABC xx.gnucash in the end. Same with copying ABC.gnu >> cash from that different folder to the GnuCash folder. My temporary >> solution is to create a new GnuCash folder on my ICloud drive, copy >> ABC xx.gnucash to that folder and remove the "xx". If I start GnuCash >> from there, all is good again - for now. >> >> What could be going on here? >> >> Thanks for any help, Jan >> >> _______________________________________________ >> gnucash-user mailing list >> [email protected] >> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: >> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user >> ----- >> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. >> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. > >-- >David Cousens >_______________________________________________ >gnucash-user mailing list >[email protected] >To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: >https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user >----- >Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. >You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. _______________________________________________ gnucash-user mailing list [email protected] To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user ----- Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
