two accounts merge when I try to switch from one to the other

Unknown

Just purchased Quicken for Mac 2017. Running Mac OS 10.13.3.

I have one Quicken file on the hard drive of my computer with personal accounts. I also have a QDF file of accounts for an organization that I have become treasurer of. When I try to open the QDF file from the flash drive, it merges the all the data from that organization file with the data from the personal file I already had on the hard drive, then does an autosave using the name of the personal file which overwrites the data on my hard drive causing me to lose that file. I've never had this problem with Quicken previously. Tried contacting tech support, but after being on hold for 1hr 11 minutes with a person who barely spoke English, the call was disconnected. Quicken has fallen a long way downhill in the 10+ years I've been using it, beginning with the 3-yr expiration policy.

Quicken_Tyka

Hey William,

Sorry you're experiencing this difficulty. 

Is the file on the flashdrive a QFX?  A QDF file is a windows format or do you have both a Windows and a Mac product?

If it's a QFX that is a transfer file and isn't the actual file.

-Quicken Tyka

UKR

The problem is: When you have a data file open in Quicken and you select to import / convert another data file it will go into the currently open data file, merging the two together as best as it can.

Before you import / convert the second data file create a NEW EMPTY Quicken data file: File Menu / New data file (with a proper new file name). Now you can import / convert your second file.

Unknown

Thank you. That was the answer I've been looking for. I had previously tried Close Window when the first file was open, but that didn't help.

I've now successfully imported the QDF file (yes, it was created by Quicken for Windows) and saved the newly created file on my Mac with a new name. So, do I need to do anything special when I want to switch between the personal file and the organization file? Will File>Open Recent successfully close the file that's open and switch to another one without merging data between them?

volvogirl

William Moyes said:

Thank you. That was the answer I've been looking for. I had previously tried Close Window when the first file was open, but that didn't help.

I've now successfully imported the QDF file (yes, it was created by Quicken for Windows) and saved the newly created file on my Mac with a new name. So, do I need to do anything special when I want to switch between the personal file and the organization file? Will File>Open Recent successfully close the file that's open and switch to another one without merging data between them?

Yes.

smayer97

Just be aware that the Windows and Mac products are quite different. So some data may not have transferred over into the new Mac file. 

NOTE: Be aware that at this time, it is very difficult to convert back from Mac to Windows, as there are many problems with the reverse conversion process.

I also suggest that you make sure that Quicken 2017 for Mac will meet your needs, since it was re-written from the ground up (starting in 2010 with Quicken Essentials) and is not the same product as the Windows version, 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, some investment performance reports and stats  (therefore some data may not carry over). You can start here:
http://www.quicken.com/mac/compare
https://www.quicken.com/whats-new-quicken

*NOTE: Support for fixed rate loans has been released as of  QM2017 v4.5.x but there is no announced timing for support for variable rate or simple daily interest loans.

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
(A couple more things to note: historical currency rates are not migrated AND currency conversions of transactions are not migrated).

Then look at the updates since the original release of 2017 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

Note that there are many differences that are rather subtle, that are not necessarily identifiable via documentation, for example, the 12-month budget feature does not allow including transfers, including investment income, selecting specific accounts,  or have rollover capability.

If you find that QM2017 does not meet your needs, the alternative is to run Quicken for Windows in a virtual machine on your Mac. There are 5 popular products you can use: Parallels, VMWare Fusion, Oracle VirtualBox, Bootcamp or CrossOver. The first 4 require you to also buy a copy of Windows. The first 2 cost $50-80, the third and forth are free. CrossOver also costs about $50-$80 but does NOT require you to buy Windows.

If you plan to keep your PC & Mac, you could also run Quicken on the PC and use remote access (several free options, e.g. NoMachine and Teamviewer) to access Quicken from your Mac  (or even a tablet or phone) (see this great article for complete review of many options (most are free): http://machow2.com/rdp-for-mac/ ).

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