Is Quicken for Mac 2007 (QM2007) Compatible with High Sierra (macOS 10.13)?

smayer97

This discussion thread is to capture user's experiences with running QM2007 on High Sierra (macOS 10.13). Please record your info below, indicating what issues or successes you are having.

(Note that other threads are dealing compatibility with High Sierra and current versions of QMac, e.g. QM2015, QM2016 and QM2017). Please keep this thread for QM2007 ONLY!

To help everyone, please indicate the following:
- are you using the new APFS drive format or the legacy HFS+ (Mac OS Extended format)? Not sure, see the graphics in this post or go to https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208033
- is your data file stored on the APFS or HFS+ formatted drive?

smayer97

So far, early reports suggest that QM2007 works with High Sierra. One exception that has surfaced is backups. 

As reported in this thread and this thread, it seems that QM2007 generates error messages when trying to create an automated backup, refusing to create one. This has only been reported using the new APFS drive format so far. No reports have confirmed if the same problem is occurring with HFS+.

Also, no reports have been made yet regarding manual backups using either the File > Backup to Disk... or the File > Save a Copy... menu option.

(If you find this reply helpful, please be sure to click "Like", so others will know, thanks.)

smayer97

Another user has reported QM2007 is fine...see here. It appears he is using HFS+, but no confirmation yet if automated backups are working for him.

Unknown

Manual backup via File->Backup to Disk successful

smayer97

Poobah17 said:

Manual backup via File->Backup to Disk successful

Thanks for the feedback. And for reference for others reading this, this is using APFS.

:-)

Les100

smayer97 (QM2007, CDN user since '92) said:

Another user has reported QM2007 is fine...see here. It appears he is using HFS+, but no confirmation yet if automated backups are working for him.

Hi... Yes automated backups working to my Mac HD. running QM2007 with High Sierra.  Mac HD is HFS+.

smayer97

smayer97 (QM2007, CDN user since '92) said:

Another user has reported QM2007 is fine...see here. It appears he is using HFS+, but no confirmation yet if automated backups are working for him.

Great. Thx for confirming.

Frank Almond

smayer97 (QM2007, CDN user since '92) said:

So far, early reports suggest that QM2007 works with High Sierra. One exception that has surfaced is backups. 

As reported in this thread and this thread, it seems that QM2007 generates error messages when trying to create an automated backup, refusing to create one. This has only been reported using the new APFS drive format so far. No reports have confirmed if the same problem is occurring with HFS+.

Also, no reports have been made yet regarding manual backups using either the File > Backup to Disk... or the File > Save a Copy... menu option.

(If you find this reply helpful, please be sure to click "Like", so others will know, thanks.)

Yes, correct ; with my 2007 it will no longer backup automatically but I can manually save a copy.  Following this manual backup, I cannot get the app to quit without forcing it.  All other features of the app- printing checks, reconciling, etc.  work presently.

Frank Almond

smayer97 (QM2007, CDN user since '92) said:

So far, early reports suggest that QM2007 works with High Sierra. One exception that has surfaced is backups. 

As reported in this thread and this thread, it seems that QM2007 generates error messages when trying to create an automated backup, refusing to create one. This has only been reported using the new APFS drive format so far. No reports have confirmed if the same problem is occurring with HFS+.

Also, no reports have been made yet regarding manual backups using either the File > Backup to Disk... or the File > Save a Copy... menu option.

(If you find this reply helpful, please be sure to click "Like", so others will know, thanks.)

I should add that my Mac is APFS, not HFS+

smayer97

smayer97 (QM2007, CDN user since '92) said:

So far, early reports suggest that QM2007 works with High Sierra. One exception that has surfaced is backups. 

As reported in this thread and this thread, it seems that QM2007 generates error messages when trying to create an automated backup, refusing to create one. This has only been reported using the new APFS drive format so far. No reports have confirmed if the same problem is occurring with HFS+.

Also, no reports have been made yet regarding manual backups using either the File > Backup to Disk... or the File > Save a Copy... menu option.

(If you find this reply helpful, please be sure to click "Like", so others will know, thanks.)

Good feedback. :-)

Les100

smayer97 (QM2007, CDN user since '92) said:

Another user has reported QM2007 is fine...see here. It appears he is using HFS+, but no confirmation yet if automated backups are working for him.

Ok.   HS on my laptop with solid state drive is configured for APFS.  Ony manual backup of a QM2007 is working.  Auto back-up is not.

smayer97

Ok, so far the pattern I see is that QM2007 does not like APFS for automated backups but seems ok with HFS+.

Frank Almond

Yep!

Unknown

Do we have any feedback from users doing automated backups to external volumes formatted differently (e.g. NTFS)? 

Matthew Caswell

Just installed High Sierra yesterday and now I can't do automatic backups or save a copy.  Manual backup, even with running from HFS+ drive says "Unable to erase partly-nual backups copied files" during save a copy.  Was able to do manual backup running from HFS+ drive not my SSD with the APFS file system.
   Looking at moving to Quicken Mac 2017 but previous releases beyond 2007 really sucked.

Frank Almond

Yep, my experience with Quicken post-2007 has also been poor, so I'm sticking.

smayer97

Matthew Caswell said:

Just installed High Sierra yesterday and now I can't do automatic backups or save a copy.  Manual backup, even with running from HFS+ drive says "Unable to erase partly-nual backups copied files" during save a copy.  Was able to do manual backup running from HFS+ drive not my SSD with the APFS file system.
   Looking at moving to Quicken Mac 2017 but previous releases beyond 2007 really sucked.

Should you choose to venture there, I suggest that you make sure that Quicken 2017 for Mac will meet your needs, since it is not an upgrade from QM2007 but rather from Quicken Essentials (which was re-written from the ground up, starting in 2010), so there are some features that are still not there e.g. full loan amortization*, 2-line display, QuickMath, or are not as fully developed yet, e.g. Customized Reports, investment lot management, performance reports and stats (therefore some data may not carry over). You can start here:
http://www.quicken.com/mac/compare

*NOTE: Support for fixed rate loans has been released in v4.5.x but there is no announced timing for support for variable rate or simple daily interest loans.

Currently, the main advantages of QM2017 over QM2007 include the ability to sync cash, bank, and credit card accounts using Quicken Mobile for mobile devices (iOS and Android) and the ability to save receipts with transactions via computer or mobile device. There are a few other minor features that QM2007 does not have. Note that QM2017 is being supported until April 30, 2020 whereas it has been announced that security fixes have ceased for QM2007 since QM2017 is released...see http://www.quicken.com/support/update-quicken-mac-2007-support-policies-may-2016 yet online access will continue as long as the FI/Bank supports it and their security updates don't prevent it.

You may want to review the List of Obstacles and Hindrances for Migrating from QM2007 or QWin to Quicken for Mac. Add your vote to any features that are missing for you. Your VOTES Matter!

Be aware of data that will and will not carry forward: 
https://www.quicken.com/support/what-data-gets-carried-over
Then look at the updates since the original release here:
https://www.quicken.com/support/quicken-2017-mac-release-notes
You will also want to look at a more detailed comparison done by a SuperUser which also identifies nuances not mentioned elsewhere (and read on for comments from other users too on that same discussion thread): 
https://getsatisfaction.com/quickencommunity/topics/can-anyone-who-has-switched-from-2007-to-2015-he...
Take a look at the following videos to give you a better idea:
https://www.youtube.com/user/QuickenMac

If you find that QM2017 does not meet your needs, the alternative is to continue to run QM2007 Lion Compatible (LC). 

(If you find this reply helpful, please be sure to click "Like", so others will know, thanks.)

George Chapman

When I close Quicken 2007  all my changes are recorded just as they are with other programs like Pages, Numbers etc. I assume this will continue with HFS, but does this also occur with the new file system? I very seldom if ever use Save A Copy. Also I drag my file to a Thumb Drive for backup. Will this work with the new file system. I guess I also wonder if my Thumbdrive will work as it is or if it will need reformatting.

pbuck

This issue appears to be automatic backup to new filesystem (APFS). Automatic backups are compressed and APFS does not support the compression scheme requested by Quicken 2007. Console log reports:

Quicken 2007[3148]: /BuildRoot/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/AppleFSCompression/AppleFSCompression-96.1.1/Common/ChunkCompression.cpp:50: Error: unsupported compressor 8

Automatic backups to non APFS filesystems have a similar error.

When you manually backup to disk, it does not appear to attempt the same compression & therefore does not issue an error.

tmplee

I just upgraded my MacBookPro to HighSierra (it has a SSD).  I can report the same problem others are having. Automated backups in QM2007 don't work to either APFS or HFS+.  The auto backup didn't work after the upgrade.  I tried creating an HFS+ formatted disk image and using that as a place for the backup, but that didn't work (a couple of levels of folders were created, but that was it.)  I also attached an external HFS+ formatted drive and tried using that for backups and that didn't work either (again, a couple of folders were created, so Quicken was trying to backup to the place I intended.)  Manual backup does seem to work, although that's not terribly helpful (I'm assuming Quicken isn't scriptable enough to be able to write a script to do that.)  No big loss since I have Time Machine turned on backing everything up on it's usual schedule.  I haven't put Quicken through very many of its paces, but it seems OK otherwise.

tmplee

smayer97 (QM2007, CDN user since '92) said:

Ok, so far the pattern I see is that QM2007 does not like APFS for automated backups but seems ok with HFS+.

I suspect that ("seems ok with HFS+") is only true if the boot drive is HFS+.  As I note farther down, I upgraded to High Sierra on an SSD system and couldn't get automated backup to work with an HFS-formatted disk, either as a disk image or to an external physical HFS+ drive.  I wasn't given any option in the upgrade not to have the SSD converted to APFS.

smayer97

pbuck said:

This issue appears to be automatic backup to new filesystem (APFS). Automatic backups are compressed and APFS does not support the compression scheme requested by Quicken 2007. Console log reports:

Quicken 2007[3148]: /BuildRoot/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/AppleFSCompression/AppleFSCompression-96.1.1/Common/ChunkCompression.cpp:50: Error: unsupported compressor 8

Automatic backups to non APFS filesystems have a similar error.

When you manually backup to disk, it does not appear to attempt the same compression & therefore does not issue an error.

QM2007 does NOT compress automatic backups, so that is not the issue.

smayer97

smayer97 (QM2007, CDN user since '92) said:

Ok, so far the pattern I see is that QM2007 does not like APFS for automated backups but seems ok with HFS+.

Thanks for sharing. That is an interesting catch...that automatic backups may only work on HFS+ IF it is on the boot drive but not external drives. 

Anyone have 2 internal drives to see if it will work on an internal HFS+ drive that is NOT a boot drive?

I read down below that you went down a couple of folders. What about at the root level? 

pbuck

pbuck said:

This issue appears to be automatic backup to new filesystem (APFS). Automatic backups are compressed and APFS does not support the compression scheme requested by Quicken 2007. Console log reports:

Quicken 2007[3148]: /BuildRoot/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/AppleFSCompression/AppleFSCompression-96.1.1/Common/ChunkCompression.cpp:50: Error: unsupported compressor 8

Automatic backups to non APFS filesystems have a similar error.

When you manually backup to disk, it does not appear to attempt the same compression & therefore does not issue an error.

I'll agree that the Quicken backup result doesn't appear to be compressed, but the software is calling apple compression library for whatever reason. Plus, it doesn't call it when making a manual backup.

tmplee

smayer97 (QM2007, CDN user since '92) said:

Ok, so far the pattern I see is that QM2007 does not like APFS for automated backups but seems ok with HFS+.

My quicken file is named something like AccountsDate.  ("Date" is the date I gave to the file when I created it, for some reason.) When quicken tries to make an automatic backup it looks like it is able to create three folders before giving up (presumably because for some reason we don't understand it tries to invoke that compression routine.)  It creates the folder "1AccountsDate" in the location designated for keeping quicken backups.  Under that it creates a folder "Contents" and under that a folder "Messages".  No other files are created -- the "Contents" folder is empty except for the "Messages" folder, and that folder is empty.  If you open the package for a good backup file you do see two folders with those names (and a lot more, of course.)

And I concur that a good backup does not seem to be compressed -- I opened the package for one and opened several of the data files in it with TextWrangler and you can see that much of the contents is readable text, like financial institution names, payees, categories, etc.  A prize to the first person who figures out why it is trying to compress something!  (In my younger years I'd have tried to search the code to find where it does that and NOP it, but that's now far beyond my skill set!)

smayer97

pbuck said:

This issue appears to be automatic backup to new filesystem (APFS). Automatic backups are compressed and APFS does not support the compression scheme requested by Quicken 2007. Console log reports:

Quicken 2007[3148]: /BuildRoot/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/AppleFSCompression/AppleFSCompression-96.1.1/Common/ChunkCompression.cpp:50: Error: unsupported compressor 8

Automatic backups to non APFS filesystems have a similar error.

When you manually backup to disk, it does not appear to attempt the same compression & therefore does not issue an error.

Very interesting...learn something new all the time  ;-)

smayer97

smayer97 (QM2007, CDN user since '92) said:

Ok, so far the pattern I see is that QM2007 does not like APFS for automated backups but seems ok with HFS+.

Strange about the Contents and Messages folders. I have never heard or seen this before. But I am still on Mac OS X 10.6.8, so is this an anomaly of later versions of Mac OS and QM2007? Have you seen this before or is this new with High Sierra?

Anyone else experience these stray folders too? 

Unknown

Another confirmation that automated backups do NOT work to either APFS or HFS+ volumes. I previously had automated backups both for the last five on the boot drive plus a backup to a USB flash drive. Since updating to High Sierra and converting internal SSD to APFS neither automatic backups work, just produce error messages. I can Save a Copy to manually backup and there are no problems with the main data file so this is just a case of making sure to do manual backups.

George Chapman

Do these Save a Copy open alright?

jacobs

Also remember that one can make a manual backup in the Finder simply by clicking on the data file and doing Command-D (Duplicate). I generally do this periodically after quitting Quicken, rather than "Save A Copy" within the program. I rename the copied file to include the date I backed it up (e.g. "Finances 2017-10-06") and keep them in a folder of backups. Having more backups than the automated ones from Quicken has bailed me out a few times that Quicken 2007 has corrupted and lost some data which I haven't discovered until many months after the fact (and after Quicken's automatic backups would have been replaced). All of us who still use Quicken 2007 know we're on borrowed time, so the more backups, the safer I feel! (And yes, I do this in addition to my Time Machine backups and periodic whole disk backups. One dead hard drive, and a failure of a backup to restore properly, will convince one to do multiple layers of backup.)

George Chapman

But if Automatic copy won't work, the file on the computer won't be current.