Is there anyone out there who has experience converting from Quicken 1999 to Quicken 2004 to 2013

Nathan Feiner

Hello. Is there anyone out there who has experience converting from Quicken 1999 to Quicken 2004 to Quicken 2013 to Quicken 2020? When converting from Quicken 1999 to Quicken 2004 to Quicken 2013 is the Quicken 1999 software deleted from my computer? I believe that converting to Quicken 2020 UNINSTALLS my previous version of Quicken. But does converting to 2004 and 2013 also uninstall my previous 1999 Quicken software? In other words ... If the conversion from 1999 to 2004 is not successful, is the 1999 software still on my computer? This is important as i do not have my original Quicken 1999 installation disk.
Thank you very much for all your help.

Rocket J Squirrel

There probably aren't many who have done that exact multi-version conversion process. But here's what info I can provide.

The subscription version, QW2020, will forcibly uninstall all previous versions of Quicken and, as far as I know, there's nothing you can do to stop it.

Each new install of the non-subscription versions will, by default, uninstall the previous version.

But versions prior to the subscription version can coexist if you are careful when you install the newer versions. See this FAQ to learn the secret of holding Ctrl+Shift when clicking the very first prompt you get during install. If you fail to do that at any step, your older version will be removed. So you probably want to create a Windows Restore Point or even a full Windows backup before starting this process. You also need to make sure that each Q version is installed in a separate folder under Program Files (x86).

I always recommend doing a File > File Operations > Copy followed by a File > File Operations > Validate & Repair (on the copy) in each old version before feeding that fresh copy of your data to the new version. This helps ensure clean data is fed to the data converter. I don't remember what features were and were not in QW1999, though.

Rocket J Squirrel

You didn't say what version of Windows you're running. If it's Win10, you'll have to find an older Windows to convert to QW2004.

Quicken 2004 has been tested and will install and run on Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 operating systems (32- or 64-bit for Quicken 2004) through the conversion process. It is not compatible with Windows 10.

https://www.quicken.com/support/how-and-when-use-intermediate-version-convert-older-versions-quicken

Nathan Feiner

Thank you very much for the information. It is very helpful.
I am running Widows 7.
Just to confirm ... If I install 2004 for the conversion, using the CTRL + SHIFT method, will I be able to continue using the 1999 version if the conversion to 2004 is not successful?

Rocket J Squirrel

Nathan Feiner said:

Just to confirm ... If I install 2004 for the conversion, using the CTRL + SHIFT method, will I be able to continue using the 1999 version if the conversion to 2004 is not successful?

This is hard to answer. When you have 2 versions of Q running on the same machine, they will unknowingly share common configuration files and step on each other's toes, so to speak. So 1999 might have problems after 2004 is installed. To be really safe, you'd want to run the conversion to 2004 in a virtual machine or on a different computer.

Redlats

Nathan, Have you got anywhere with converting older Quicken? I am in a similar position - trying to convert Q2004 to Q2013. When I do what Quicken Support tells me to do, it does not work.

My first question - is there a difference in Q2013 between a US version and a Canadian version? Is the Q2013 I downloaded an American version, and that is why it doesn't work to load my Canadian Q2004 data?

Redlats

BTW Rocket, your comment about Q2004 not working on Windows 10 isn't correct. I've been running Q2004 since 2004 and running it without issue on Windows 10 for the past three or four years.

smayer97

@Redlats did you install QW2004 onto Win10 or did you upgrade to Win10 when QW2004 was already installed?

Rocket J Squirrel

Redlats said:

BTW Rocket, your comment about Q2004 not working on Windows 10 isn't correct. I've been running Q2004 since 2004 and running it without issue on Windows 10 for the past three or four years.

Thanks, that's good to know. I was quoting from an "official" Quicken page and taking it at its word.

JustMeHere

> @Redlats said:
> Nathan, Have you got anywhere with converting older Quicken? I am in a similar position - trying to convert Q2004 to Q2013. When I do what Quicken Support tells me to do, it does not work.
>
> My first question - is there a difference in Q2013 between a US version and a Canadian version? Is the Q2013 I downloaded an American version, and that is why it doesn't work to load my Canadian Q2004 data?

Yes they are different. The US and Canadian versions were split off before even Quicken 2004. The upgrade path for Quicken Canadian is quite different, and I would even bet that at this point Quicken support won't have what is needed to do it.

I just noticed that this question is in the Canadian section. As such I believe that there is a high chance using the US upgrade path suggested will cause problems.

There is a very large overlap between the two versions, so some things might convert fine, and other parts not. One thing that jumps out at me is that the US version only stores the most recent currency exchange rate, but the Canadian version store a history of it. There would also be difference in the tax line assignments, and in the retirement account types and such.

Since about the time when Intuit sold Quicken to Quicken Inc the two versions have been pretty close as far as the data file is concerned so things like the Canadian version reading the US data file (and the other way around) have become much more "successful", but there are still traps in the areas I pointed out above.

The old Canadian Quicken support website is long gone. It use to have instructions on how to do such conversions.

I don't know for sure, but I think the program you need is archive here:
http://www.quicknperlwiz.com/quicken-canadian-xg---2006.html

BTW if I was doing this, and was in the position that I didn't have the old install program for the one that is currently installed, I would definitely do the conversion on a different machine or at least have a full back up of that machine, just in case.

JustMeHere

P.S. Brief history of why Quicken Inc (actually started by Intuit) actually provided Quicken 2013.

Quicken 2004 marked a major change over in the data file format, and as such versions after it didn't allow for converting older versions. On the other hand all versions of Quicken from Quicken 2005 on have the ability to convert data files from Quicken 2004 onward.

I believe it was in early release of Quicken 2012 this compatibility was broken (it couldn't convert from Quicken 2009 down). It was eventually fixed in a later patch, but in an effort to quickly provide an upgrade patch the put up the install for Quicken 2013. And even after the problem got fixed, they just left it (including the documentation on how to do the upgrade).

The result is that in fact in reality the Quicken 2013 isn't really needed for the US upgrade path. Quicken subscription can convert a Quicken 2004 onward data file.

Note this is all US Quicken history. The Canadian version "took another path".

ps56k

Nathan Feiner said:

Hello. Is there anyone out there who has experience converting from Quicken 1999 to Quicken 2004 to Quicken 2013 to Quicken 2020  ?

You have also placed this discussion in the Canada section -

Are you running the Canada versions of Quicken.? ..
Will you be converted using the CANADA versions vs the US versions ?
It might just be another wrinkle -

smayer97

Another SU that used to hang around (QPW) experimented quite a bit with migrating US to CA and CA to US versions of QWin...I vaguely recall that they were much more compatible that was originally thought, but YMMV.

That said, if it just does not work, some have used MS Money as an intermediary to migrate from older non-US versions of QWin to the US version of QWin.

You might be able to find the info about either path in this forum or online elsewhere.

@JustMeHere the history is correct and for the most part subscription QWin can upgrade QW2004 directly but there are always exceptions.

Bruce_K

I was using the Canadian version of Quicken Deluxe 2002 on a Windows 8.1 computer. I upgraded on June 1, 2020 to a subscription. I knew I had to convert from 2002 to 2004 and then to 2013 before installing a new subscription, but I couldn't find Canadian versions of 2004 and 2013. I called support and asked if I could use the US versions for conversion purposes. The CSR said I could, but he couldn't guarantee that data so old would properly convert. I downloaded the US 2004 and 2013 versions and followed the instructions for converting older versions. Everything went smoothly. I checked my balances at each stage. When I finally purchased the current Canadian version, the process went well, I thought, but when I opened Quicken, there was no data. The QDATA.QDF that had been created was less than 600kb, so I converted the backup I had made of the 2013 data file that I had placed in another folder and the conversion worked. It seems that all of my data converted and balances match.