Opening Old Data Files with Current Program (Q Mac)

AZYudkowsky

I have been using Quicken for Mac since 1991. I have a number of old data files that were created with previous versions of Quicken. Can I open those files with the current version of Quicken?

Quicken Francisco

Hello @AZYudkowsky

Thank you for reaching out on the community and telling us about your issue. You can convert to the newest version but there are some limitation when it comes to converting different times of files as anything prior to 2007 is not supported for conversion. So in short yes you're able to try but there's no support for it. I'll leave a links down below that goes through the process as well.

https://www.quicken.com/support/converting-your-data-quicken-mac

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

Please let us know if this helps resolve the issue for you.

Thanks,

Quicken Francisco

jacobs

Do you know how old these data files are, or what version of Quicken they were last used with?

What version of macOS do you have on your computer(s)?

Do you have any old version(s) of Quicken Mac on your computer(s)?

Sorry for all the questions, but there are a lot of different permutations for dealing with old Mac data files, so these answers might narrow the things to try. The link from Francisco is all Quicken officially states is possible, but there are some additional wrinkles which may lead to success depending on the answers.

AZYudkowsky

Thank you for your responses. I believe the oldest of the files was last accessed with Quicken 2007. I am running 10.14.6 (Mojave). I have Quicken Essentials, 2007, 2015, 2019 and the current version on my computer. I know that if I upgrade the macOS, Quicken 2007 will not work, which is the reason for my question. I would like to convert all of the old data files so that they'll be accessible in the future. And it will allow me to delete these old programs. Thanks again.

AZYudkowsky

Also Quicken 2016.

jacobs

@AZYudkowsky  Thanks for the additional details. The good news is that Quicken 2007, Quicken Essentials, Quicken 2015 and Quicken 2016 data files will all be able to be imported by the current version of Quicken. And it's a smart move to have all your old data in the current format, because one never knows when Quicken will drop support for importing certain types of old files. 

The key is to create each one as a new Quicken data file, by going to File > New. Then tell Quicken which type of file you're starting from, select the file, and let it do its thing to import them. As soon as each one imports, you may want to go to File > Rename to give the file a name that will be meaningful for you in keep these different files straight. (e.g. "Old Quicken 2007 Data" or "Finances from Pre-2015" or whatever works. Then, in Quicken Preference, I'd recommend turning on "Show file name in Title Bar" so you can always see at the top of your screen the name of the file you're currently working on.

Also note that importing these files into new Quicken Mac files will not touch the old files. So you can still keep them around it they have any possible use for you. For instance,e if you open a converted Quicken 2007 file and some balances seem wrong, you can still (while you're still on Mojave) launch Quicken 2007 and view the data in the old and new program side by side. The same goes for Essentials, Quicken 2015, and Quicken 2016 -- you can run any of them at the same time as the current Quicken Mac. 

AZYudkowsky

Thank you very much! This is enormously helpful.

DebK

Will this work the same for Catalina (10.15.7)?

I've heard I would lose many of the best features of Quicken 2007 if I updated but with my new computer I no longer have an option.

Thank you!

jacobs

@DebK  You're not clear on what of the above posts you're asking about. The original post asked if Quicken 2007 and later data files could be opened with the current versions of Quicken, and the answer was yes. That's true if you're running macOS Catalina: the current version of Quicken Mac will run on Catalina, and will import Quicken 2007 data files.

I think it is an incorrect assessment that today's Quicken loses "many of the best features" of Quicken 2007. Modern Quicken Mac does some things better than Quicken 2007, some things the same as Quicken 2007, and some things slightly different but neither better nor worse than Quicken 2007. And yes, there are some features of Quicken 2007 which don't exist in the current version -- but I wouldn't characterize it as "many of the best features."

Most former Quicken 2007 users have moved to the modern Quicken Mac successfully. A small number have stuck with Quicken 2007 because of specific features. Because it's a complex program and we all use it so differently, there's no way to tell you how well it will or won't meet your needs. 

Since you have a newer Mac, my suggestion is to try Quicken Mac for yourself. When you buy it, you can get your money back within 30 days of purchase if you aren't satisfied. So get it, import your data, give yourself some time to adapt to the new design and way of doing things, and find out if there are any things you depend on in Quicken which cannot be accomplished in the new version.