how to share Quicken for Mac on 2 different desktops

klmeagher

I would like a 2nd person to add to my Quicken file transactions from his own desktop since I am administrator.

jacobs

You have multiple possibilities:

1) You can use the Quicken mobile app or web interface. This allows entry of transactions, but an overall limited subset of full Quicken capabilities. (I'll add the following caveat: while many people use this piece of the Quicken service, the syncing of data from the Quicken cloud to and from your desktop Quicken seems to generate a larger number of problems for users than any other aspect of Quicken. For that reason, I don't use it, and many of the other longtime users here don't.)

2) If the other person can work while you're not at your computer, you can set up screen sharing to allow the other person to access Quicken that's resident on your computer.

3) Pass your file back and forth via a cloud storage service such as iCloud or Dropbox, or even via email. The crucial key is that you either create a backup from within Quicken (a file ending with .quickenbackup) or quit Quicken and in the Finder do File > Compress (a file ending with .zip). Either of these types of files are safe to move between computers. If you use a cloud service as your repository, then whenever either of you wants to use Quicken, you'd copy the backed up file to your computer, use it locally, re-compress it, and copy it back to the cloud service. That way, you're always assured of using the latest version. (You'd need a system between you and the other person to make sure you don't both copy the file to your local computers and work on the files simultaneously. The system could be as simple as deleting the file from the cloud location, or renaming it, while you have it locally.) This may sound like a lot of steps, but it actually only adds a handful of seconds each time you start and stop using Quicken, once you get used to it. This is the approach I would use if I need to share the time on Quicken with someone else.

Quicken Hugh

Hello @klmeagher,
Thank you for posting about your intention of how you would like to use Quicken for Mac.
There are different approaches that may meet your needs. In order of preference:

1) Load the full Quicken software onto both Computer A and Computer B. User B would have to login as User A (from computer B ). You would then have to transfer the main "working file" from computer A to computer B (using a thumb drive or cloud service or some such). Download and run the working file onto the local hard drive. User B completes his tasks, save the file to the external storage device, and transfers the file back to the local hard drive on Computer A for User A to use next.

2) From Computer B, have User B log in at App.Quicken.com to manipulate parts of the data file which has been synced from Computer A. (Using the same login email and password used to create the Quick ID for your Quicken subscription.)

3) You could have Computer B remote into Computer A and manipulate your Quicken data file that way.

There may be other creative ways to achieve your goal, but "sharing" a file simultaneously across multiple computers is not how the personal finance software was envisioned. (Trying to run your Qdata file off a network is not recommended, and not supported.)

Hope that gives you some viable options as to how to move forward with your goal.

jacobs

In theory, you should be able to locate your Quicken data file in a shared location (Macintosh HD > Users > Shared) and have all users able to access it there, but I I've read reports from users of problems with trying to work that way. The problem stems from he fact that the Quicken data file is not just a file; it's what's called a package file, which is a wrapper around a whole group of files and folders to allow it to look like a single file -- and the specific user permissions for all those files and folders gets messed up if the file is moved between different users of the Mac, or different Macs. That's why we say you must compress the data file, which puts an impenetrable outer wrapper on the file, as either a Finder-created compressed .zip or a Quicken-created .backup file.

But you can use that Shared user space for the compressed (.zip or .quickenbackup) file to be passed back and forth between your two users. After each user is done using Quicken, create the compressed file and move it to the Users > Shared folder. The next user to come along (whether it's the same user or the other user) starts by copying the compressed file to their own desktop, and double-clicks on it to launch and use Quicken. And the end of the session, create the .zip or .backup file and copy it back to to Users > Shared, replacing the previous version there. Moving the compressed file in his way will protect the file and folder user permissions inside your Quicken data file so it can be used by ether user.

And, of course, keep extensive backups of your file just in case anything goes wrong. (That advice applies to anyone, not just someone moving a file around like this. )

jacobs

You have multiple possibilities:

1) You can use the Quicken mobile app or web interface. This allows entry of transactions, but an overall limited subset of full Quicken capabilities. (I'll add the following caveat: while many people use this piece of the Quicken service, the syncing of data from the Quicken cloud to and from your desktop Quicken seems to generate a larger number of problems for users than any other aspect of Quicken. For that reason, I don't use it, and many of the other longtime users here don't.)

2) If the other person can work while you're not at your computer, you can set up screen sharing to allow the other person to access Quicken that's resident on your computer.

3) Pass your file back and forth via a cloud storage service such as iCloud or Dropbox, or even via email. The crucial key is that you either create a backup from within Quicken (a file ending with .quickenbackup) or quit Quicken and in the Finder do File > Compress (a file ending with .zip). Either of these types of files are safe to move between computers. If you use a cloud service as your repository, then whenever either of you wants to use Quicken, you'd copy the backed up file to your computer, use it locally, re-compress it, and copy it back to the cloud service. That way, you're always assured of using the latest version. (You'd need a system between you and the other person to make sure you don't both copy the file to your local computers and work on the files simultaneously. The system could be as simple as deleting the file from the cloud location, or renaming it, while you have it locally.) This may sound like a lot of steps, but it actually only adds a handful of seconds each time you start and stop using Quicken, once you get used to it. This is the approach I would use if I need to share the time on Quicken with someone else.

Quicken Hugh

Hello @klmeagher,
Thank you for posting about your intention of how you would like to use Quicken for Mac.
There are different approaches that may meet your needs. In order of preference:

1) Load the full Quicken software onto both Computer A and Computer B. User B would have to login as User A (from computer B ). You would then have to transfer the main "working file" from computer A to computer B (using a thumb drive or cloud service or some such). Download and run the working file onto the local hard drive. User B completes his tasks, save the file to the external storage device, and transfers the file back to the local hard drive on Computer A for User A to use next.

2) From Computer B, have User B log in at App.Quicken.com to manipulate parts of the data file which has been synced from Computer A. (Using the same login email and password used to create the Quick ID for your Quicken subscription.)

3) You could have Computer B remote into Computer A and manipulate your Quicken data file that way.

There may be other creative ways to achieve your goal, but "sharing" a file simultaneously across multiple computers is not how the personal finance software was envisioned. (Trying to run your Qdata file off a network is not recommended, and not supported.)

Hope that gives you some viable options as to how to move forward with your goal.

klmeagher

We are using the same iMac computer with different desktops. I am administrator and worker is only a user who would input quicken transactions onto the file on my desktop.

jacobs

In theory, you should be able to locate your Quicken data file in a shared location (Macintosh HD > Users > Shared) and have all users able to access it there, but I I've read reports from users of problems with trying to work that way. The problem stems from he fact that the Quicken data file is not just a file; it's what's called a package file, which is a wrapper around a whole group of files and folders to allow it to look like a single file -- and the specific user permissions for all those files and folders gets messed up if the file is moved between different users of the Mac, or different Macs. That's why we say you must compress the data file, which puts an impenetrable outer wrapper on the file, as either a Finder-created compressed .zip or a Quicken-created .backup file.

But you can use that Shared user space for the compressed (.zip or .quickenbackup) file to be passed back and forth between your two users. After each user is done using Quicken, create the compressed file and move it to the Users > Shared folder. The next user to come along (whether it's the same user or the other user) starts by copying the compressed file to their own desktop, and double-clicks on it to launch and use Quicken. And the end of the session, create the .zip or .backup file and copy it back to to Users > Shared, replacing the previous version there. Moving the compressed file in his way will protect the file and folder user permissions inside your Quicken data file so it can be used by ether user.

And, of course, keep extensive backups of your file just in case anything goes wrong. (That advice applies to anyone, not just someone moving a file around like this. )