Dark Mode for Quicken for Windows (6 Merged Votes)

Chris_QPW

dagwoodg said:

I get dark mode will be difficult, but it's needed. Would having Windows High Contrast settings apply to Quicken be another approach or will the same issues still apply?

After you mentioned it, I decided to see what would happen if I used the Windows 11 Accessibility options for high contrast themes and other than changing some scrollbars and a few pulldown menus, it didn't change Quicken's GUI.

Rocket J Squirrel

This hack works for me in Windows 10 Pro and should also work in Windows 11:

1. Start in normal (not dark) mode.
2. Press the Windows logo key and the = key to open Magnifier.
3. Press Ctrl+Alt+I to invert colors.
4. Press the Windows logo key and the - key several times to reduce the magnification to normal size.
5. If it's not already open, open Quicken using its now-inverted icon.

FlyerFran

Neat!  It works.  Thanks.

UKR

Wow! It even works on my old Windows 8.1 ... not that I'm going to use it routinely, though ...

What took us, the entire Quicken Community, so long to come up with this "hack"?
Where are all the Windows experts, when you really, really need them?

Fletch200

@Rocket J Squirrel - Genius! That post should be a sticky. Very nice workaround until they finally get dark mode implemented. I have another app that runs in full screen that also blinds me. They too are working on dark mode but this trick makes that one look beautiful too.

For me, I stay in dark mode, skipping step 1 - just starting the magnifier, step 4 to get size back to normal, then minimize it. Afterwards when I run Quicken or the other app I just toggle with step 3 when needed.

Thanks!!!

Isomeme

I mentioned up-thread that I'm doing something similar on Windows 11. Go to "Settings > Accessibility > Color filters", toggle on color filters so you can select what mode you want to be able to activate (mine is "Inverted", toggle it off again, then just below that toggle on the keyboard shortcut to toggle the filter. My shortcut is windows+ctrl+C; I don't recall whether that is configurable.

Again, the problem is that this toggles everything in the UI, so if you need to hop between e.g. your dark-themed bank web page and Quicken, you have to toggle the filter each time, and suffer blinding white pain along the way.

Fletch200

@Isomeme - equally Genius! I initially overlooked that since I'm not on Win11 yet.

Your method works on Windows 10 also! No need for the magnifier in this method. Leaving this intact. I just hover the mouse, look down at the keyboard, left click, Win+Ctrl+C, then look up to avoid the light

It's an annoying workaround since I'm usually switching between browsers and Quicken when paying bills. But it's allot better than NOTHING and REALLY nice for times when I'm just poking around in ONLY Quicken, running reports or looking for money

This makes sorting through all the off-topic stuff worth while - glad I stuck around!

Isomeme

@Fletch200 , thanks! I'm really glad I could help out. And thanks also for pointing out that this trick works on Windows 10 as well. Hopefully we've made life a teeny bit better for a bunch of people.

Rocket J Squirrel

Isomeme said:

I mentioned up-thread that I'm doing something similar on Windows 11. Go to "Settings > Accessibility > Color filters", toggle on color filters so you can select what mode you want to be able to activate (mine is "Inverted", toggle it off again, then just below that toggle on the keyboard shortcut to toggle the filter. My shortcut is windows+ctrl+C; I don't recall whether that is configurable.

That's a better solution than what I posted. If only you had posted the actual steps to achieve it earlier.

Fletch200 said:

Your method works on Windows 10 also! No need for the magnifier in this method. Leaving this intact. I just hover the mouse, look down at the keyboard, left click, Win+Ctrl+C, then look up to avoid the light 

Confirmed on Win10, where it's under "Settings > Ease of Access > Color filters". Much better. The key combo is not configurable in Win10, can't say about Win11. But it's mnemonic: "Control Windows Colors".

Chris_QPW

Rocket J Squirrel said:

Isomeme said:

I mentioned up-thread that I'm doing something similar on Windows 11. Go to "Settings > Accessibility > Color filters", toggle on color filters so you can select what mode you want to be able to activate (mine is "Inverted", toggle it off again, then just below that toggle on the keyboard shortcut to toggle the filter. My shortcut is windows+ctrl+C; I don't recall whether that is configurable.

That's a better solution than what I posted. If only you had posted the actual steps to achieve it earlier.

Fletch200 said:

Your method works on Windows 10 also! No need for the magnifier in this method. Leaving this intact. I just hover the mouse, look down at the keyboard, left click, Win+Ctrl+C, then look up to avoid the light 

Confirmed on Win10, where it's under "Settings > Ease of Access > Color filters". Much better. The key combo is not configurable in Win10, can't say about Win11. But it's mnemonic: "Control Windows Colors".

You can't change the shortcut in Windows 11 either, and it is the same key combination.
I missed this one at first because I was trying to do it in Contrast filters, which changes almost nothing in Quicken.

Rocket J Squirrel

I've attempted to mention everyone who posted to this thread to see whether we can get a consensus. Obviously, it would be easier for everyone to use @Isomeme's solution than for the Quicken developers to have to go through every module to implement true Dark Mode. Personally, I'd rather have the devs work on getting the program to work right rather than spending a lot of time pursuing Dark Mode.

So the question is: Is this "invert colors" solution, available now, good enough? Or do you insist on true Dark Mode, which will take much longer if, indeed, it ever gets implemented?

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[EDIT: It appears that for an at-sign to turn into a mention, it must be typed from the keyboard. All the above at-signs were pasted in and I don't feel like overtyping all of them. Sigh.]

FlyerFran

I agree that "invert colors" solution is all we need.

drventure

I'm gonna have to disagree on this. Using the Windows accessibility functionality to invert colors is a sledgehammer approach to inverts colors for EVERY APP you run under windows, which means apps that DO have a dark mode suddenly all end up with white backgrounds.

While this is a perfectly fine solution for some users, for many, it's far from ideal.

I hope the quicken team keeps this on their radar

Fletch200

I'd have to see the code to be convinced the task is insurmountable and Quicken isn't going to do that. I GET the age of the code base is an issue, but still.

In reality though, they don't have to do this at all unless they start loosing subscription revenue because of it. If they maintain a monopoly in this arena, we're just along for the ride.

Like I said earlier, the workaround is better than nothing and the two of you should get 1 or 2 years added to your sub as a thank you from Quicken. Personally that's improved usability for me more than ANY of the changes they've made in the past 24 months. Even if the UI is like molasses - WITH h/w acceleration enabled. I'm just driving it like a worn out car that I can't find a replacement for and am glad I don't have to use it daily.

Regarding "work right". Is there a list that contains the items pending to make the product work right in your view?

Quicken management certainly has their own list, and I'd hope that interoperability with other financial institutions gets the most resources.

Chris_QPW

Fletch200 said:

I'd have to see the code to be convinced the task is insurmountable and Quicken isn't going to do that. I GET the age of the code base is an issue, but still.

I don't have to look at the code to know that it would be a nightmare.  I'm mostly retired, but I do maintain some pretty old programs for a company I contract with, and I was asked for the very same thing.  I looked into it and it would go like this.  A large part you would be able to change in just a few places, but for rest you would be in almost every control changing the code/colors.

I might add something that a lot of people might not realize about how GUIs are developed.
A lot of what you see can be setup with just changing settings in the properties of controls in the GUI editor.  I would say for a lot of programs this is the lion share of how it is done.

You can also write code that changes setting for a given control.

No one is requesting Quicken to be changed to Dark Mode only.  Therefore, the changing back and forth has to be done in code, not in the settings in the GUI editor.

And basically, none of that code would exist before one started such a project.

With the most modern APIs Dark Mode (change of the colors) was in the design and as such it would be much easier to change (but usually still not trivial).

I'm on the fence, on the subject of forgetting it though.

FlyerFran

Really, all this stuff for Dark Mode? I, for one, don't like dark mode and have no interest in having Quicken spend any of its resources to add it to the program.  I suggest that we'd all be better off with Quicken's development time being spent in making the program better and better.   Like, let's fix the ongoing problems with BofA, Chase, Citi.  I suggest that the Q' team again compile a list of wants and allow us to rank the list in order of importance for us.  Maybe a better approach would be for Q' to provide a Draft List, allow us to add to it, and then send it out for ranking.  

GeezerGeek

If I only used Quicken then color inversion would be a good option but I often use other apps (Excel, web browsers, etc.) concurrently with Quicken. Having to continuously switch color inversion on/off is a real pain and you still get those blinding flashes of brightness while switching inversion on/off between apps. I don't think that this is a work-around I would use often. Yeah, I'd like all the other problems to be fixed but I don't think dark mode should be deferred. Since I used to work in IT, I understand the problems of maintaining legacy systems but at some point you have to consider the future costs of maintaining legacy code versus the cost of a rewrite to a more manageable system. Legacy systems maintained over a period of time soon resemble the architecture of the Winchester house. Sooner or later, you have to bit the bullet and generally sooner is better than later.

Chris_QPW

GeezerGeek said:

 Legacy systems maintained over a period of time soon resemble the architecture of the Winchester house. Sooner or later, you have to bit the bullet and generally sooner is better than later.

Intuit tried that with Quicken Mac, with Quicken Inc continuing that effort, and it is finished yet.
I don't think Quicken Inc has the resources to fund a 16+ year project on their biggest money maker program (the rewrite started in 2008).  One could argue that several years of that effort the development stalled, but I would state that is part of how things go when they take a long time, the support for the effort comes and goes.

Snowman

I too would rather Quicken devote resources in fixing current problems. Dark mode would be a nightmare to implement. The reality is that at some point Windows will stop supporting 32 bit programs. I have been try to advocate work start on a 64 bit Windows version of Quicken since 2015. It has been 7 years. The longer Quicken delays the more likely that once the requirement hits for only 64 bit programs in Windows they will only have three options; Rewrite the program, write an emulator that will run 32 bit Quicken in 64 bit, or let the program die.

jtemplin

Snowman said:

The reality is that at some point Windows will stop supporting 32 bit programs.

Windows developer here. Perhaps what you say is true. But it will be far, far into the future, if ever. There are so many existing apps (including inhouse apps businesses develop for themselves) that work just fine as 32-bit, that Microsoft would be shooting themselves in the foot if they caused all those businesses to spend resources porting their apps to 64-bit for virtually very little benefit. As said many times in other treads, porting to 64-bit isn't a simple recompile.

And by the way, Windows is already using "emulation" (their words, see the link) to run 32-bit apps under 64-bit Windows. That's very mature technology at this point and works really, really well. 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/winprog64/running-32-bit-applications

Chris_QPW

I agree with @jtemplin it is EXTREMELY unlikely that Windows will drop 32-bit support any time soon.
I think the only way that Microsoft would drop 32-bit support is if it had to support 128-bit programs and that is never going to happen.  Whereas a 32-bit program has a memory address space of 4GB a 64-bit program has the address space of 16 exabytes, which is 16.7 million gigabytes.  Even if you had a supercomputer you wouldn't run into that limit because their address space isn't accessed by one CPU, they have thousands of CPUs.

jacobs

@Rocket J Squirrel I just wanted to note that this Idea is marked as "Planned", which means they are either working on it or have allotted specific time and programmers in their development schedule to implement this. (I primarily read the Mac threads here, but I've only once seen an Idea marked as "Planned" later switch to "Not Planned";  the developers dug in and discovered it was much more complicated to implement than had originally been thought.)

Here's my other thought. If Quicken intends to continue selling the legacy desktop Quicken for Windows for many years, I think they really do have to go through and modernize some of its architecture and features over time to keep the program from feeling archaic. Most other Windows apps have already, or will in the future, adapt to support Dark Mode; if Quicken doesn't, and requires Quicken users to invert their screen colors system-wide, that will surely signal to users that this is old software which will eventually fade away for not keeping up with modern technologies.

I think the invert hack is a brilliant solution for those who really want/need to use Quicken in a dark-like mode right now. But I think it might be a mistake in the long run if they don't modernize the program to support current and future Windows technologies. Just my 2¢…

Chris_QPW

@jacobs I'm much more pessimistic about this getting implemented and don't trust the "Planned".

Quicken Windows developers have been trying to "modernize" Quicken Windows for years.  And most of the time when they do that the results aren't what people would like, not to mention causing extra problems.  I found it extremely ironic that when surveyed "Modernized Quicken" was one of the most requested "features", and then when they did some of that the Quicken users were quick to complain that Quicken Inc's opinion of "modernize" was quite different than theirs.

I think you have been introduced to enough "We have this feature in Quicken Windows, why not Quicken Mac, and then found out that in Quicken Windows that feature hadn't been updated in many years." to understand that Quicken Windows like Quicken Mac are complicated and take years to put features in and in the meantime Microsoft and Apple decide to change things up every few years.  There just isn't enough developer time to go back and fix all this. Not to mention that some things literally can't be fixed without a total rewrite, which isn't practical.

As for Quicken Windows being a dying old dying program, yes that is exactly what I think it is.  And most likely that is in a dying industry of Desktop personal finances software.  Quicken Inc didn't create Simplify because they thought Quicken Windows was the future.

narrqchat

I just tried the tip quoted from top due Rocket J Squirrel, and to be honest, it is Excellent.

I have not the best eyes due to prior diabetes, and this makes Quicken jump out with great clarity, after months/years of staring for the small text so often.

And it's very easy -- much less daunting than reading the words.
Try it, and you'll see.
And you don't have to do the reduce magnification or invert steps except the first time -- Magnifier remembers.

Just Windows logo and =, and then click the box on the Magnifier to regian your non-inverted screen.
You avoid changing other applicaions this easily.

As far as Quicken updating or replacing the code, I would not hold my breath, or wish for the liklly
long period of getting it to work. For what they charge...but no, I'm much more happy to have
Quicken actually working stably for a while....

Give it a try, and I think if you have need or desire for dark screen, you'll like it.

C.


> @Rocket J Squirrel said:
> This hack works for me in Windows 10 Pro and should also work in Windows 11:* Start in normal (not dark) mode.
> * Press the Windows logo key and the = key to open Magnifier.
> * Press Ctrl+Alt+I to invert colors.
> * Press the Windows logo key and the - key several times to reduce the magnification to normal size.
> * If it's not already open, open Quicken using its now-inverted icon.

ALC3

Please. We need dark mode !

UKR

ALC3 said:

Please. We need dark mode !

While we're all waiting for a true Dark Mode for Quicken to happen, have you tried "The Poor Man's Dark Mode for Windows" aka Invert Color Mode, as described earlier in this discussion?
What do you think about it?

Rocket J Squirrel

The "poor man's dark mode" is described here.

Rocket J Squirrel

narrqchat said:

I just tried the tip quoted from top due Rocket J Squirrel, and to be honest, it is Excellent.

The better method is here: https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20313287/#Comment_20313287

Snowman

This method will not work for me. I am a professional photographer and my computer, monitors and printers all have to run from a coordinated color profile. Doing what is suggested messes this all up. I would rather see Quicken fix other issues such as the process for printing checks and other things. Dark mode for Quicken would just be another kludge that may degrade other things in the program.

Nomad

I've been using Quicken since 2003, long before the Mac version existed. I can understand how Mac gets this before Windows, but to fail to prioritize this for such a large and long standing part of your customer base is disturbing.

I've been looking for something to replace Quicken for this very reason.