Issues using *both* PC and Mac versions?

cgwaters

The September 2020 newsletter contained this statement: “Whether you use PC, Mac, or both, you’re always welcome to install the latest version of Quicken on more than one machine. It’s one of the benefits of membership!”

I’ve been using Quicken for Windows Home, Business & Rental Property for quite a few years. MacOS has become my platform of choice — so I’ve been running Quicken in a VMware Fusion Windows virtual machine. The process is a bit clumsy but it works. I occasionally use the web and mobile versions of Quicken, too.

Since Quicken data gets synced to the Quicken cloud, will there be any issues if I install the MacOS-native version of Quicken and access my data with it?

jacobs

You just can't use both Quicken Mac and Quicken Windows or sync to the same Quicken cloud data file. The Quicken Cloud account data is linked to a specific data file, and since you can not use the same data file in both the Quicken Windows and Quicken Mac, what you are wishing to do just won't work.

My suggestion is to do an import of your Quicken Windows data into Quicken Mac to see if it imports cleanly. Continue using Quicken Windows as your "live" Quicken, and use the Quicken Mac data to experiment and get familiar with it. Try doing some of the things you do in Quicken Windows on Quicken Mac to see if you can get what you need or run into roadblocks. If, after some time, you determine Quicken Mac is suitable for your needs, then at that time you can re-import your Windows data into a new Mac file and use that going forward.

You may already be aware of this, but I should also mention that if you use any of the Business & Rental Property functionality of Quicken Windows, these don't exist in Quicken Mac. (Maybe in the future? No one outside of Quicken knows, and they haven't said yea or nay to years of questions about it.) 

cgwaters

Typo. I meant to say: “Since Quicken data *can be* synced to the Quicken cloud, will there be any issues if I install the MacOS-native version of Quicken and access my data with it?

jacobs

@cgwaters  No, what you describe is not possible. Quicken Windows and Quicken Mac are more like cousins than siblings, and there are significant differences in their databases. The Quicken cloud is used for a subset of Quicken data, but it's tied to a desktop file. Just as it isn't possible to use the cloud data to create a restored Quicken data in the event you lose your data file, it is also not possible to use it to create and maintain a cross-platform data file.

cgwaters

Thanks for the information. I'm not looking to create/maintain a cross-platform data file; I simply want to know if the 'subset of Quicken data' will become corrupt if I use both the Windows and Mac products and then sync to the Quicken cloud.

My goal is to use both the Windows and Mac products concurrently, for a few months, to see if I can become comfortable-enough switching over to using the Mac product completely.

J_Mike

cgwaters said:

Thanks for the information. I'm not looking to create/maintain a cross-platform data file; I simply want to know if the 'subset of Quicken data' will become corrupt if I use both the Windows and Mac products and then sync to the Quicken cloud.

My goal is to use both the Windows and Mac products concurrently, for a few months, to see if I can become comfortable-enough switching over to using the Mac product completely.

No problem!
I have been running both QWin and QMac side-by-side since QMac2015 first game out. The apps and the data files are totally separate. QWin operates under Parallels/Win10 on my iMac.

The only downside is that it requires duplicate effort in data input. Not really a problem foe as it is one of my "hobbies".     

jacobs

You just can't use both Quicken Mac and Quicken Windows or sync to the same Quicken cloud data file. The Quicken Cloud account data is linked to a specific data file, and since you can not use the same data file in both the Quicken Windows and Quicken Mac, what you are wishing to do just won't work.

My suggestion is to do an import of your Quicken Windows data into Quicken Mac to see if it imports cleanly. Continue using Quicken Windows as your "live" Quicken, and use the Quicken Mac data to experiment and get familiar with it. Try doing some of the things you do in Quicken Windows on Quicken Mac to see if you can get what you need or run into roadblocks. If, after some time, you determine Quicken Mac is suitable for your needs, then at that time you can re-import your Windows data into a new Mac file and use that going forward.

You may already be aware of this, but I should also mention that if you use any of the Business & Rental Property functionality of Quicken Windows, these don't exist in Quicken Mac. (Maybe in the future? No one outside of Quicken knows, and they haven't said yea or nay to years of questions about it.) 

cgwaters

> @J_Mike said:
> No problem!
> I have been running both QWin and QMac side-by-side since QMac2015 first game out. The apps and the data files are totally separate. QWin operates under Parallels/Win10 on my iMac.
>
> The only downside is that it requires duplicate effort in data input. Not really a problem foe as it is one of my "hobbies".     

Thanks for the info. So, based on Jacobs' response, I guess you're not sync'ing to the Quicken cloud? Or, if you *are* sync'ing to the Quicken cloud, you're sync'ing to different cloud accounts?

J_Mike

cgwaters said:
Thanks for the info. So, based on Jacobs' response, I guess you're not sync'ing to the Quicken cloud? Or, if you *are* sync'ing to the Quicken cloud, you're sync'ing to different cloud accounts?

I do not use the web or mobile apps on either versions of Quicken.