Hi... When replying to messages on the GnuCash-User list, please copy the list so everyone can benefit from the discussion. The easy way is to use "reply-all" in your email program.
I'll go through a couple of things: You do not need a password to see the archives of the email list: <https://lists.gnucash.org/pipermail/gnucash-user/> If you are having trouble activating your subscription to the list, try reading the information here, and trying again: <https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user> And check your email spam folder to make sure the subscription confirmation messages are not getting lost. As for the application not launching on your Mac, I'll have to defer to others on the list. My ancient Macs (no longer in use) had either a Motorola processor or an Intel processor, but the newer Macs use an Apple processor. I believe you need to choose the download to match the processor on your Mac. I don't know why GnuCash might sometimes work and sometimes not, unless you have downloaded multiple versions of the GnuCash app since you first asked your question. In years past, you could choose "About This Macintosh" in the Finder to display some information about the operating system, the computer, and (hopefully) its processor. But it's been so long since I used a Mac maybe that menu isn't the right place to look anymore. You will also want to look and confirm on the Mac (or which external drive) where you saved your GnuCash data. As I mentioned in my earlier message, it's probably still wherever you saved it, you just need to launch GnuCash and THEN use GnuCash's file menu to open it. I am copying the list, and hopefully someone can copy you and advise you which version of GnuCash to download, and from where. It might help if you can reply-all to this message with the model Mac you are using, including its processor if you can discover it. On March 2, 2026 3:16:45 PM CST, Jens Ingemann Jensen <[email protected]> wrote: >Dear Tommy, >Thank you for your email. >Unfortunately I am unable to see any replies to my question on the mailing >list, because I have been unable to log into the mailing list even if I had >username and password stored in my keychain. Then I tried to create.a new >subscription, but it would not let me. This is the reason that I have to >resort to writing back to you directly. My apologies. I appreciate any help >I can get. >I wanted to try out your potential solution, but when I opened GnuCash on my >iMac I was met with the message that the application is unable to run on this >Mac. I started an older version (4.1) which would run, but it could not >open the latest files (need newer version of GnuCash). It still launches on >my PowerBook, but the solution did not work on that, so I am as stuck as I >have been before. Only the standard expense list shows and it is still ><read-only> with zero balances. >Now I have three problems; >To get GnuCash to run on my iMac (has the best keyboard) >To get into the mailing list >To retrieve my data. >Kind regards >Jens > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Tommy Trussell <[email protected]> >Sent: Feb 28, 2026 11:12 PM >To: Jens Ingemann Jensen <[email protected]> >Cc: [email protected] <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [GNC] Fwd: All data gone > >Greetings -- I did not see a reply to David Carlson's question, but I might >have missed the response. > >It occurs to me that Jens Jensen is using a Mac, and may not be aware that >when one double-clicks a GnuCash file on a Mac, GnuCash will launch, but >stubbornly attempt to re-open the previously opened file, even if the file has >moved, and regardless of which GnuCash file one double-clicked. It has been a >long-standing issue. > >SO on a Macintosh, my understanding is that one must launch GnuCash and then >use the File--> Open command to navigate to the file. > >This could explain the "missing" data -- GnuCash might just be looking for the >data in its old location rather than opening whatever file you double-clicked. > >If this could explain your situation, please respond to the list (using either >reply-all or reply-to-list in your email program). Since I have not used a Mac >in recent decades, current Mac-using folks on the list can advise. > > >On Sat, Feb 21, 2026 at 7:32 AM David Carlson <[email protected] >(mailto:[email protected])> wrote: >Jens, >Please reply to the group, not to individuals. >How can you tell that your data is corrupted? > >---------- Forwarded message --------- >From: Jens Ingemann Jensen <[email protected] >(mailto:[email protected])> >Date: Fri, Feb 20, 2026 at 11:40 AM >Subject: Re: [GNC] All data gone >To: David Carlson <[email protected] >(mailto:[email protected])> > > >Dear David. > > > >Thank you for offering to help. > > > >I have used GnuCash for years without problems and been happy with it as it >gives me a feeling of control of my finances. > > > >I have used it on a Mac Intel silicon desktop running MacOS 13.7.8, but >also wanted to use it on my portable MacBook Pro with Apple silicon running >MacOS 26.3 and I wonder if that is the reason for my problems. For >portability I kept the files on a USB stick, but I had forgotten that >another USB stick was connected at the back of the computer (out of sight >out of...) and both of them had current files on them. The same problem >showed up whichever stick I tried. Every time I moved the stick I had to >close the file, so now there are a whole lot of inaccessible files on the >sticks. Trying to open an older file resulted in that one being corrupted >too, so I stopped that practice. > > > >I used to be computer literate in the days of Teletypes, paper tape, punch >cards and DOS, but I have not kept up now that everything is hidden behind >windows and ikons. I have a quite limited exrerience with Unux on DEC >systems (I wrote my thesis on such a system) which the research lab I >worked in ran those systems, but I know about permissions and the like. > > > >If you can help me get years of data back I shall be very happy. > > > >Kind regards > > > >Jens > > > > > > > > > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: David Carlson <[email protected] >(mailto:[email protected])> >Sent: Feb 16, 2026 4:05 PM >To: Jens Ingemann Jensen <[email protected] >(mailto:[email protected])> >Cc: <[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])> >Subject: Re: [GNC] All data gone > > >Jens, >Hopefully the transactions aren't actually gone. Did you verify that you >opened the correct data file on the correct USB stick when you went back to >the old computer? >Also, if both computers are not running the same operating systems there >may be differences in methods to open files, etc. to be aware of. > >On Mon, Feb 16, 2026 at 2:48 PM Jens Ingemann Jensen < >[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])> wrote: > >> I wanted to transfer Gnucash to another computer and had the file on a USB >> stick. When I opened it on the new computer I received the message >> “expense account is read only”. I checked and it the >> “placeholder” box was >> not checked. I then tried the old computer again but now all the >> transactions were gone. Thank you for any help. You can give. >> T >> _______________________________________________ >> gnucash-user mailing list >> [email protected] (mailto:[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 Carlson > > > > >-- >David Carlson >_______________________________________________ >gnucash-user mailing list >[email protected] (mailto:[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.
