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

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.

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

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!)

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.

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

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!

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

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?

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.

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

jacobs · January 2018

"10.7 Lion" is what you want. But...

If it says "application must be updated to the latest build 16.2.4", it sounds like it might be a CD of the original Quicken 2017 For Lion release, which was version 16.1.4 (or 16.1.x). It used to be that if you had this version, you could just do "Check for Updates" and it would update to the latest version, which is 16.2.4. (There were various bugs and issues with some of the earlier 16.2 releases.)

But here's my concern: I'm not certain whether the update server where Quicken 16.1 would check for an update is a now-defunct Intuit server, and the attempt to update to Quicken 16.2.4 would fail. I don't know this for certain, and I have no way to test it.

When I launch Quicken 16.2.4 and run "Check for Updates", it does display a box saying I'm up-to-date with the latest version -- which suggests it's "phoning home" successfully. I just don't know if a 16.1 version would update successfully or not.

If this is something on eBay, I'd suggest contacting the seller and asking if they would refund your money in full if you buy it and if the update to 16.2.4 is not available online. Hopefully, if it's a reputable seller, they'd agree. If it's no risk, and you can return it if it doesn't work, then you're in business. If it's being sold "as is" with no guarantee it can be updated to the current version, then I might look elsewhere. (Unless any other Quicken 2007 experts here are convinced it will definitively work.)

Unknown · January 2018

Thank you so much for your reply, I really appreciate it. Yes, it is on eBay and the seller said it contained the free upgrade which to me sounds like something that is not available at all anywhere now. I did find a friend in Florida that has this 16.2.4 version of Quicken. So maybe I can update from that in 2 months when he gets back. It's nerve racking to have so much riding on keeping this going. You are so great with your helpful comments.

jacobs · January 2018

Great, I'm glad you were able to find a source for the updated version of Quicken 2007 so you can set it up on your newer Mac.

Now, that said, let's look ahead a little. It's great you're able to find a way to keep your Quicken 2007 going longer, but you need to know it's not a long-term solution. This software is more than 11 years old. It will very likely fail under future updates to the Mac operating system. As long as you don't upgrade your macOS, your Quicken 2007 should continue to work. But your macOS won't be getting security updates, and eventually you'll want to update. Hopefully you've bought yourself enough time for the development of the current Quicken 2018 to add some of the reports and other features which Quicken 2007 users are waiting for.

I am concerned that you said you attempted to upgrade to Quicken 2018 and your data didn't import correctly. We didn't delve into what didn't work right, and don't need to do so now, but there's a good chance that whenever you eventually do upgrade from Quicken 2007, you're going to have to deal with those problems.

Meanwhile, one more word of caution: since your Quicken data is clearly so critical for you, make sure you have multiple levels of backup of your data. Quicken 2007's auto backup gives you a small number of copies from recent days -- but that's not enough. You could experience file corruption with Quicken 2007 and not know it immediately, and later discover you require access to an older version of your file. Or your Mac's hard drive could die. There are lots of viable backup strategies, including an external drive using the Mac's included Time Machine software, copying backup files to iCloud or Dropbox, automated cloud backup like BackBlaze, or manually copying backup files periodically to an external drive you keep offsite -- or a combination of these approaches (which is what I do and recommend). If your data is critical to you, then don't neglect backups; sooner or later you'll likely need one.

smayer97 · January 2018

BTW, to the issue of security updates...if/when it comes time that QM2007 no longer works on the latest version of Mac OS, the alternative is to create a VM (Virtual Machine) and install a compatible macOS version but only use the VM to run QM2007 and not access the internet. Then there is little risk of issues regarding security. So there are alternatives for those willing and able to go there.

BUT all that is for another time...as long as you keep your Mac OS at or below macOS 10.13 High Sierra, QM2007 LC still works.

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

smayer97 · January 2018

Also, do get the eBay software, especially if your friend has v16.2.4 because if you try to perform the internal update and it fails, you would not be violating any license to get his updated version.

BUT do try the built-in update and report back so we can all know what the current status is regarding this.

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

smayer97 · January 2018

Actually GOOD NEWS!!!. I decided to pull out an old copy of v16.1.4 and tried the Check for Updates menu...this is what I got:

And when I click Install Update, it does (to v16.2.4)! So the update process still works.

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

jacobs · January 2018

It's beyond remarkable that whatever server Quicken 2007 connects to is still running and still at the same address, and that the update for 16.2.4 is still available to download!

Editing to add: Note that this will will only work for people who have the 16.1.4 Quicken Lion Compatible version. It will NOT upgrade people with 16.0 (the original Power PC version) to 16.2.4. But it does mean if you can find the Quicken for Lion version on Ebay or elsewhere, you can be updated to the latest version that still works on the modern macOS.

smayer97 · January 2018

Which also raises the question as to whether or not Quicken Support still have access to the software to make available as needed. I still think, if one finds the right listening ear, it would still be able to be obtained.

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

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