There are a couple of standard places to store Prefs files on OSX: /Users//Library/Application Support or /Users//Library/Preferences I took a quick look in both places and didn’t see any obvious Manager files. Note that to get to those folders, You’ll need to use the Finder Go | Go Too Folder menu option.
I think @lubos will have to enlighten us on this if he’s willing to share that information.
I already checked there, too.
On Windows, deleting the data file gives the same result as @Tut described.
If the path in the data file is modified to point to a NewFolder, Manager will open but will not know where any of the existing businesses are.
If the path in the data file is modified to point to a different user, Manager will produce a warning:
data file, and if that file is not found, Manager knows the default path to the Application Data Folder
/Users/UserName/.local/share/Manager, where UserName is the name of your account on the machine. The folder is normally hidden. But hidden files can be toggled on by pressing Command + Shift + . while in the Finder. (That’s a period at the end of the combination.) Toggle back off the same way.
Here is another little experiment:.
I created a new folder called NewManager. Then I copied all the files except for the data file in the Application Data Folder to NewManager .
Next I modified the path in the data file (that is still in the original Application Data Folder) to point to NewManager.
When I open Manager it uses the NewManager folder.
So over to Mac users having trouble moving the Application Data to Google Drive. Try leaving the data file in its original location (don’t copy) and then change the path in the data file to point to the gDrive folder. Does it help?
(The data file can be opened with a text editor).
I replicated your experiment, @dcVest. It worked as far as getting to a Businesses screen with no businesses. You didn’t say whether, when opening from the NewManager location the first time, you had to add your businesses.
However, armed with your backdoor approach to correcting the path, I got brave and made some pleasant discoveries.
Since the data file didn’t seem to be necessary, I moved it out of the default application data folder.
I copied all files (except the moved data) to a desktop folder named NewManager.
In Preferences, I clicked the data path hyperlink and navigated to NewManager. At this point, Manager created a data file in the default application data folder with the NewManager path.
I instantly had all businesses available, not even having to close and relaunch. So I made some changes in one business.
I went back to Preferences, changed the path back to the default Manager folder and instantly had the businesses available, without the changes made at the NewManager location. In other words, I had the ability to switch back and forth between two sets of businesses, each with distinct data, without restarting, just by changing the application data path. At each stage, the data file in the default Manager folder updated with the new location, even when I wasn’t calling the business files from that folder.
Conclusions:
data file is not necessary as long as you stay with the default location.data file will be generated and updated automatically at the default location, but not at any other location. I suspect that if you had deleted your default folder after moving to another location, Manager would regenerate it, with only the data file in it.So all problems mentioned in this lengthy thread appear to have been resolved. We await only someone brave enough to try moving onto Google Drive. (This means you, @csmb .) 
I’m saying that according to my experiments, this isn’t necessary. This technique only gave me the courage to try the experiment again, knowing it would be easier to regain control if things went badly. But they went well.
My conclusion was that it’s already been tracked down and was fixed at the same time the application data path was moved from About Manager to Preferences.
You’re out of date. Current version is 17.7.38. The change I mentioned for where the application data folder is listed and changed came later than your version.
I also have been having finger/brain misconnects as I type about this subject. Looking back, I realize that at one point I started typing path every time I meant data. I’m going back to edit them all. Sorry, but “data path” in my thought processes triggered path at my fingertips.
To be absolutely clear, in the latest version, the file where the application data path is stored is in the default location. That file is named data.
Forgot to ask - are there release notes somewhere? WOndering what else might have changed since my version.
Major changes are announced under the category - Releases
Housekeeping and other cosmetic changes aren’t announced - generally there is a new release daily but most users won’t notice any changes. Updating bi-monthly is a good policy.
Ok so I took the plunge and it seems to have worked.
What I did was to take back ups of all businesses and I put them on a new Google Drive folder.
I then deleted all files that were in my Manager folder - the folder that Manager was currently pointing to.
I then downloaded the latest version of Manager and imported one of the businesses. In preferences, I noted that my Application Data was pointing to the old location (even though the entire folder had previously been deleted).
So I tried to change it and got the following error message
So I copied the newly created file and put it in my new Google Drive folder, then changed the Preferences to Google Drive and …
Success!
What - no need for the sedatives, the family must be pleased.
Congratulations @clive. I know you have wanted to get this working for a long time. I do wish that you had followed @Tut’s example exactly. Using those steps, you probably would not have gotten a error message, but we can not be sure until someone tries it.
So if there is a Mac user who is brave enough to move their business file onto Google Drive, here is a recap of @Tut’s instructions (make sure you back-up your business before starting):
data out of the default Application Data Folder;data file) from the default Application Data Folder to a new Google Drive folder;Let us know if it works.
To be clear, my experimentation showed this step is not necessary, but harmless. You don’t need the file if you are sticking with the default location. But if you move the application data folder, Manager needs it and will regenerate it if missing. So you might as well leave it in place.
I had better luck. I just repeated the experiment five times, alternating between double-clicking the new destination folder and using the dialog box Open button. I never got an error message and in every case, I was able to verify that changes made in one location stayed in that location.
The only difference in what I did is that I created the new folder on my desktop instead of Google Drive. But I don’t think that should matter.
The only way I can get an error message now is by trying to change to a folder that doesn’t yet have the accounting files in it. But that’s a Manager dialog warning, not an operating system error.
Interesting. I just tried again by selecting the folder, not opening it, and clicking the Open button and this time got a different error message as in this screenshot
Opening the folder to select it still works fine.
It’s sounding like there’s something on my Mac that interferes with the Open Folder Dialog, although I can’t think what that might be.
My application data is pointing to a folder in Google Drive. When I make a change in Manager I can see the ‘live’ file updating.
However, when I try to BACK UP then I get this error message…
This particular file path was the original path BEFORE I changed to Google Drive.
Do I now have to copy the live file and create another folder? Any ideas?
Provide a little more information, please. Exactly what did you click and what did you see at each step?
Presumably, when you click the Backup button, you saw a Finder window and a default file name for the backup, such as Northwind (2017-08-20) or whatever the business name is plus the date. At that stage, you should navigate to the folder where you want the backup to be, then click Save.
There should be no reason for Manager to reference an accounting file, which is what the long, alphanumeric gibberish is.
The error message you posted looks more like something you might get trying to import a backup file via Add Business.
Sure - I clicked BACK UP button, then got the dialog asking me where I wanted to save etc. I chose the Google Drive folder and got the error message that I posted. Next time I tried to save it to my Desktop - same error message.
I also tried changing the name - same problem
