Creating an Archive
The Archive feature (File->Archive) creates a new Moneydance save file (ending in .md just like a normal save file), composed of your account/category structure, securities information, and a selection of your previous transactions (all transactions before a chosen date). This file can be opened independent of your main Moneydance file so you can view, generate reports on, and otherwise interact with your previous Moneydance data, independent of your current data. The Archive options window contains the following options:
-"Archive Transactions Before:"
This lets you choose what the oldest date NOT to be included in the Archive will be. All transactions with dates before the one entered in this field will be added to the archive, and may (depending on your option selections) be removed from the current datafile.
-"Archive File:"
This text field allows you to choose the full name of the new Archive file to be created, and the Browse button beside it allows you to specify the exact location of the new Archive within your filesystem.
-"Only Archive Cleared Transactions"
You can check this box if you want Moneydance to keep uncleared transactions OUT of the Archive file. Leaving this box unchecked will include ALL transactions before a certain date, regardless of Cleared status.
-"Keep Archived Transactions"
You can choose whether all transactions added to the Archive are also removed from your regular datafile by unchecking this option box. If you choose NOT to have your current file retain Archived transactions, Moneydance will update all your accounts' Starting Balances to reflect the new contents of each account. If Archived transactions are removed from your main file, they will not be available for reporting, graphing, etc. except by opening the Archive to view and process them separately. For this reason, typically the Archive function should be used to separate your information along fiscal-year or other significant boundaries; otherwise it may be more sensible to leave "Keep Archived Transactions" checked.
As a "sanity check," if you have checked "Only Archive Cleared Transactions" and unchecked "Keep Archived Transactions," then the new Starting Balance in your Account->Edit window will be *exactly* equal to the account's Cleared Balance.