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

jacobs · December 2017

They do have an upgrade path for Quicken 2007: it's Quicken 2018. It's not cloud based (or no more so than Quicken 2007).

The "subscription" simply means there is a time limit on download services. There have been such time limits on Windows versions of Quicken for a decade, but it may seem new to Mac users who stuck with Quicken 2007 al this time. There are costs to provide servers and maintain connectivity interfaces to thousands of financial institutions, and this is Quicken's way of having users pay for these services. (For any users who enter their transactions manually, there is no need to pay for ongoing subscriptions -- if you don't mind not getting the latest bug fixes and new features.)

Back to the original issue: you absolutely *can* continue to run Quicken 2007 on macOS High Sierra. The only feature which doesn't work is automated backups on some Macs which have had their hard drives converted to the new APFS file system, so you can simply do manual backups and carry on.

(The moderators on this site tend to disallow posts about alternatives to Quicken, so you might need to find some other Internet site to pursue that if you wish.)

smayer97 · December 2017

Or you can read up in this thread on the work-arounds that enable this feature to work. In summary...save your main data file AND your automated backup files onto a HFS+ volume, whether it be a separate partition or a separate new drive.

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Unknown · January 2018

I have no idea what an APFS drive is - my mac is 5 years old and with high sierra quicken will not back up automatically.
what is happening?? HELP??!!!

jacobs · January 2018

Llani: APFS is Apple's new file format for hard drives. It replaces a format called HFS+ (which you may also see called Mac OS Extended) which has been used for the past 20 years. When you upgraded your Mac to the High Sierra operating system, that update also changed the file format from HFS+ to APFS for many -- but not all -- users' hard drives. (It did not convert spinning hard drives or "fusion" drives, which are a hybrid of a spinning hard drive and a solid state drive; it only converted solid state drives. Apple has said the other drives will be changed to APFS at some unknown point in the future. If you want a good explainer article on all of this, read this.)

Quicken 2007 is software that is more than a decade old, and no longer supported by Quicken. So when Apple changes something in their operating system, it can break things in Quicken 2007. In this case, only a small piece of Quicken 2007 was broken by High Sierra. It's likely that future updates to macOS -- maybe this fall, maybe the year after -- will render Quicken 2007 unable to run.

So what do you do? There are a lot of options because, fortunately, the only thing that's broken is Quicken 2007's feature to optionally create data file backups when you quit Quicken.

The simplest thing to do is to turn off this feature in Quicken 2007, and create backups manually. To do this pull down the Quicken 2007 menu to Preferences, click on File Backup at the bottom of the list, and uncheck the box for "Automatically back up the data file to disk". This will prevent you from getting error messages that the backup could not run. Then, after every time or two or three that you quit Quicken, go to your Quicken data file in the Finder and press Command-D (or File > Duplicate) to make a copy of your data file. What I like to do is then rename the file with the date -- e.g. if my file is named "My Quicken Data copy", I rename it "My Quicken Data 2018-01-11" -- and manually move it to a Quicken Backups folder. Every so often, I delete some of the oldest backups so I don't have hundreds of backup files. This is an entirely manual process, but it's safe and reliable -- the only trick being that you need to remember to do it.

There are a variety of other strategies people discuss elsewhere in this thread. You could, for instance, have an external disk attached to your Mac which is formatted as HFS+ (Mac OS Extended), place your Quicken data file there, and then the auto-backup feature of Quicken 2007 will still work. You can create a partition of your hard drive and format it as HFS+, and put your Quicken data file there, but that's a little more technically involved to set-up. You could upgrade to the current Quicken 2018, but of course that entails many, many other changes (some good, some bad) from Quicken 2007 that you can read about elsewhere on this forum if you wish.

In my opinion, for a user who is running a Mac updated to High Sierra and still running Quicken 2007, this is not a big deal. Make manual copies of your data file and carry on as before. (And know that before you upgrade to the next macOS next fall, wait and check to read if it finally cripples Quicken 2007. Hopefully by then, the modern Quicken will be getting close enough to the features we've been lacking since Quicken 2007 that it will be easier to decide to upgrade.)

tmplee · January 2018

You write hopefully that “modern” Quicken will soon catch up (my words, not yours) with QM2007. Other than things that should be counted as cosmetic, could you summarize what things are still missing? There may have been a list here, but it’s been awhile since I stumbled on it, and, in any case I don’t remember having seen any recent update if it.

Unknown · January 2018

Llani. Keep it simple. Find a USB Drive. Plug it in, Open Quicken and save files to it. No more problems.... for now.

jacobs · January 2018

@tmplee, the best such list currently is probably this Idea thread by @smayer97: List of Obstacles and Hindrances for Migrating from QM2007 or QWin to Quicken for Mac. Not everything on that list will be of interest or concern to everyone, but everything on there is a concern for some Quicken users.

@Scott Kruer and @Llani, yes, you can get a flash drive to store your Quicken data file and all its backups on. I would just encourage extra care if you decide to go that way. Aside from the fact that flash drives are much easier to lose, most flash memory sticks are cheaply made and aren't designed to survive the many thousands of data re-writes that occur when you're using it for a database rather than storing simple files. It will work for awhile, but then disaster could strike. So I'd suggest for anyone who wants to use a flash drive for Quicken 2007 data files, get 2 or 3 and periodically copy the files from one to the other(s) and use them in rotation. And keep a copy periodically on your Mac's hard drive as well, just to have multiple generations and locations of your important data. It's just my preference, but I'd prefer to get a portable hard drive for under $100 than to deal with multiple USB flash drives which together might not cost much less.

Unknown · January 2018

I have read all the way through this thread and find it very helpful, though sometimes confusing to a non-techie person. One question I didn't see anyone ask: can automatic backups be directed to a cloud-based service like Dropbox or iCloud? Would that solve the back-up problem for QM 2007 under High Sierra? Like many others, I don't want to give up 2007, but an Apple advisor urged me to upgrade to High Sierra for security reasons. (I'm still running Yosemite but am feeling like I should move up, just am not sure how far.)

smayer97 · January 2018

I always take upgrade recommendations with a grain of salt and assess for myself...that is just me...
As for cloud storage, understand that you rarely ever store directly to the cloud...you typically store to folder on your drive that then syncs to the cloud...therefore all the caveats of storing QM2007 backup data files on an APFS format drive still apply...

Bottom line, if you want to use the automated backup in QM2007 you do have to store the data file and backups on an HFS+ formatted drive or partition. Then, if you want, you can sync that to a cloud storage.

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tmplee · January 2018

Yes, I'd seen that list of lists of lists earlier and unfortunately found it very difficult to follow. I had kind of hoped somebody (somebody who???) had compiled something more concise and indicating more clearly and systematically what was missing. To be honest, I'm not sure how to describe what I'm looking for, and I apologize for not doing so. I'm beginning to think the only way to tell is to buy a copy and see if I can (easily) figure out how to do everything important I do now and ask for my money back if what's important to me ends up being missing; I suspect from what I've read the biggest deficiencies will be in reporting, and without trying it I'm not sure I could tell what aspects of what is in QM2007 I use and which I don't!. (There are, for instance, some of the selection fields that I use frequently; others never!)

RickO · January 2018

Perhaps not the only way, but probably the easiest way to tell if it will work for you is to buy and try. Everyone's usage is a little different and everyone has different tolerance for missing features and workarounds. You have 30 days to get your money back if you don't like it.

That's what I did. I got the new version and ran them both in parallel for a while. I quickly found that I could get done what I needed to in the new version and while I liked some things and disliked others, on balance, I was glad not to be relying on software that was no longer supported. I have long since forgotten about features from 07 that I missed.

IMO, Tax time is the perfect time to do it. Yes, more work. But this time of year puts the most "stress" on reporting needs.

Unknown · January 2018

Here's a snippet:

1 No support for transfer categories in reports or budgets. If you want to account for transfers such as mortgage principal amounts or income from retirement/investment accounts in a report, you'll have to jump through some hoops to get it to work for you.

If you jump through those hoops, you still can't get them to appear in your budget as an expense or income item.

2 Reporting is pre-historic, at best. I have found that using New Reports gets me about 90% of what I need.

3 Quicken 2018 Mac's Download Bills is an almost useless feature. Bills don't download correctly and the .pdf's are almost non-existent for my billers.

4 The assorted bugs and workarounds that Quicken is famous for. For example, under Banking, I use the Expenses graph. I have four accounts I want to include. I have those four checked. The graph appears correctly. When I start Quicken, I see those four accounts are included...yet the graph reports on all five of my banking accounts. I then have to reset the accounts to include, even though they are selected correctly.

Just one of a handful of annoyances that requires users to know the pitfalls and escapes to work.

smayer97 · January 2018

Yup...if the voting lists do not work for you (this forum does not have the best configuration to accommodate this well), give it a 30-day spin...then come back and add your vote to those items that are an issue for you.

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jacobs · January 2018

@tmplee: One of the largest areas of complaint with Quicken 2018 is the reports. It's something the product manager has acknowledged as their top priority, and they have *started* making changes to move to a new report engine that debuted partway through the Quicken 2017 product year. It's still a bit of a hodgepodge, with some "old" reports that are minimally configurable (which carried over from the old Quicken Essentials product that serves as the basis for this new generation of Quicken for Mac), and some "New Reports" which are built on the code for the new reports engine. Some types of reports can be generated from either old or new reports, so it's a bit confusing currently; other reports users relied on in Quicken 2007 can't be generated at all. I believe that over the course of this year, we'll see them make significant refinements to the reports. I say all this to let you know that if you take Quicken 2018 for a test drive today, you may find yourself frustrated with the reports -- but it''s one area we have reasonable expectation to improve in the near future.

Unknown · January 2018

The font in the numeric field must be Arial, which is a requirement for check scanning purposes. https://www.quicken.com/support/how-set-your-printer-print-checks-quicken. All other fields can be whatever we want.

In QM2007 on High Sierra, the font is now printing in Geneva (in my case), and there just isn't a way to change it back to Arial. I've cleared font caches, disabled Suitcase Fusion (I'm a designer so I use Font Management software), turned Arial off and back on in Font Book. Nothing works.

Changing the amount width to 10 works but only to allow the extra digit to appear.

So I've decided to output my checks to PDF, open them in Adobe Illustrator, change the font in the numeric field to Arial 10 pt. and print from there. It's an extra step that I'm already hating, but I refuse to upgrade from Quicken 2007. There are just too many features in 2007 that are missing in all the upgrades.

I'll be reporting the bug to Quicken support, but I doubt they're going to issue a patch. They're not supporting QM2007, even though there's a huge group that refuses to upgrade.

Charlie Catania · January 2018

I agree with you that I also refuse to upgrade until there is an upgrade that mirrors the features in Quicken 2007.

smayer97 · January 2018

Then I highly recommend that you browse through the IDEAS section of this forum and VOTE for the request of each of the missing features to be added back into Quicken for Mac....to help direct the priorities of the developers.

This will help make the transition easier for you when you are ready to upgrade by seeking to have the features you are used to in QM2007 end up in the latest version.

To do that click on this underlined link, following the instructions then VOTE to your heart's content:
Categorized List of IDEAS of Feature Requests and Enhancements to Vote On

Your VOTES matter!

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jacobs · January 2018

@AdamG: It really isn't worth reporting a bug in Quicken 2007 to Quicken. It is discontinued software, and they just aren't going to update it. They do understand that some people are trying to stay with it until they add functionality to the modern product, so they're now focused on trying to do that as quickly as possible. If they were to agree to fix problems with Quicken 2007, it would take programmers away from working on Quicken 2018, which would further delay people moving to the newer software. So they decided a few years ago that they would no longer invest time into trying to keep Quicken 2007 functioning, and they publicized it so Quicken 2007 users would understand their options going forward.

The one thing we Quicken 2007 users can do is not upgrade the operating system, and thus preserving the status quo somewhat indefinitely. Unfortunately, upgrading the OS with this (or other) old software opens you to unexpected glitches like this font issue. (I still have Microsoft Office 2008 on a couple Macs I updated to Sierra, and while it mostly works okay, there are a few glitches that are new since the update from El Capitan to Sierra.) For people who are convinced they need to stick with Quicken 2007 for awhile, an option may be to buy an inexpensive, used older Mac just to run Quicken 2007 on an older OS.

smayer97 · January 2018

Or install a VM (Virtual Machine) to run a version of Mac OS that runs QM2007.

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

Unknown · January 2018

I have been using 2007 for Mac and I need Help! It's running fine on my old Mac, but I need to move it to a newer computer or another program before my old computer fails. Spent 7 hours on tech support yesterday and tranferred data, with orphaned data to the new program only to find out it doesn't run payroll reports. Ugh! Would I be able to run my 2007 program on my 2016 Mac? I run a little historic house with an American craft shop and am at my wits end. Please, will someone give me a direction?

RickO · January 2018

Isma, Did you read this thread before posting? The answer is here. Depends on which version of macOS your 2016 Mac is running, and you didn't tell us which it is.

Unknown · January 2018

OSX El Capitain 10.11.3 is what is on the new computer that I just set up because I finally hit the wall with doing online payroll reporting.

jacobs · January 2018

Quicken 2007 runs fine on El Capitan.

RickO · January 2018

Yes, but he needs the Lion compatible version 16.2.4 and not sure if that's what he's running on the old machine?

Unknown · January 2018

Mine is 2007 16.0-R1 Am I a dead in the water?

jacobs · January 2018

Sorry, Isma, @RickO is right. I was thinking you were on the latest version from something earlier in this thread, but you're not. You would need to find a copy of the updated Quicken 2007 (v16.2). You can sometimes find them for sale on eBay -- just make sure it's the "Lion compatible" version.

Unknown · January 2018

Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.

Unknown · January 2018

I can find a Quicken Mac 2007 10.6-8. Do you think that might work?

Unknown · January 2018

Actually it says 10.7 Lion and then... application must be updated to the latest build 16.2.4. To work with Sierra. That doesn't seems to make sense.

Unknown · January 2018

I called Quicken to plead my case, but they say they don't have access to that update and could only help if I wanted to switch to Windows and upgrade to 2015 and then 2018

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

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