I don't need Budgets, but I do have Questions; Phone or Chat is unavailable.

jani

Even though my Quicken Account is now renewed, I cannot contact CS in any way - and I'm apparently being held up at the door by Budgets!

I haven't "budgeted" in decades; do not need it or reminders, since all of bills are on Auto, so I don't need Budgets or Bill Pay. However, it seems I'm forced to do it before accessing my accounts as usual.

How can I forget about Budget for now (maybe later), and get to the Quicken:
1. WITHOUT altering any of my Categories or Reports?
2. And without assuming I used any "budget" or "reports" I might have set up but never used?

I have many other peculiar questions I doubt I'll find in Topics, but I will try. I really need a private phone or chat. I think they will be able to answer my questions much quicker than I can read through the Guide.

Thanks!

jacobs

I would just drop Dropbox, at least for now. Get your Quicken situation stable and working well. I don't know what you mean that you wish you could go back but then you wouldn't get updates. Software updates? Transaction downloads? Both will work fine with Quicken Mac. Just leave Dropbox out of the equation until sometime in th future, if the combination is causing you problems or confusion. 

NotACPA

I'm confused.  Why did you post here if you'll only talk privately?

UKR

About contacting Quicken Support:

• To contact Quicken Support, please use this link only:
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  Support is only available during posted hours of operation

• The phone number can be found at the support website.

• To start Chat or see the support phone number, your browser must allow popup windows from https://www.quicken.com
  See https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7870684/faq-talk-to-support-does-not-respond#latest

• If you are eligible for Premium Support (purchased separately or included as part of your subscription to Quicken 2018+ Premier or HB&R) call the number that can be found at the top of your My Account page at https://www.quicken.com/my-account  (US) or https://www.quicken.com/canada/my-account (Canada) next to "Quicken Premium Support"  when you log in with your Quicken ID.

• Other links or phone numbers found elsewhere on the Internet, even in some posts or emails received from other Community members, may not be from Quicken or may not be up-to-date. Use those at your own risk.

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jacobs

I don't understand what you're trying to do or encountering. Budgets in Quicken Mac are completely separate from your accounts and registers, and no budget need to exist to use other features in Quicken. 

I don't need Budgets or Bill Pay. However, it seems I'm forced to do it before accessing my accounts as usual. 

I don't understand; that's not how Quicken works. Can you please describe exactly what you're doing when you launch Quicken? What happens if you click on an account in the left sidebar? Or Reports in the menu bar? 

jani

Thank you, Jacobs, UKR, and notACPA, I was doing things out of order. I was officially re-subscribed to Quicken, but had not yet redeemed the Dropbox code. I thought that was easy, but then found I opened up a whole new set of problems I'll try to address one by one.
I admit it...I should have read both Quicken and Dropbox Manuals cover to cover, since I've only been working with Quicken offline since the late 90s, and it's now a whole new ballgame!
In searching for answers this weekend, I found that many had the same problems, so my problems discussed here might help others.
Thanks for your help. I'll be back.

jacobs

One thing to note about Dropbox: it's fine to use as a destination for your Quicken backup folder, but it is not a suitable location for your live Quicken Mac data file. Your data file should live on your local hard drive; you would likely experience problems if you put the data file on Dropbox.

jani

I'm finding that out, Jacobs! It's driving me nuts (short trip). I was going to try to attack one problem at a time, but I think the history has to be included so as not to botch anything even further.

I do NOW understand about the Web info and the Desktop info, but having to choose at the beginning blindsided me (nothing in the Quicken DL instructions about that; same for Dropbox (hereafter DB) and later, the question re: “admitting downloads*).

FYI: Safari saved ID/PW from 2016, and Q changed it when they billed my CC June’20; however, I don’t think it mattered since DB has everything by now.

*I didn’t know “allow downloads” meant every tiny detail, finding and probably attempting to dl my accounts. I haven’t viewed Q to see exactly what they did, but it’s highly unlikely that the accounts themselves would allow that. Incidentally, although I KNOW I downloaded Q, kept that info, now when I click Q, it goes to my Account Page; when I “Access App”, it downloads a dmg file to download it again. Is that an UPDATE, or does it want me to access from computer?

FYI: DB has been on ALL my computers, but I only used it a few times transferring a doc or pic. A few weeks ago, they asked me to update. Did, viewed , moved a few items, but that was it....until NOW.

Worse, I noticed duplicates of most things DB took from my computer; maybe because I mostly work on the iCloud Desktop? Also, there’s a file on desktop which is a duplicate of only the most important info, so it’s not only duplicating, but quadrupling many items? I can’t think of any other reason.

I have several Clouds, and now DropBox Cloud and Quicken Cloud. Will Q try to auto-save to it’s Cloud, to Apple, all 3, or what?

You mentioned it best to keep Q on my desktop, and I agree. Please tell me how I can just start over with DB - without losing ANYTHING originally on my Desktop? I read something along these lines; that undoing might cause loss of items on my Desktop. I cannot afford for that to happen under any circumstance. I need to disallow their accessing ANYTHING, on or off my computer, until I get it straightened out. Can I just store it on a Thumbdrive, and backup versions that way?

Meanwhile, I have temporarily PAUSED the DB access, per their instructions, but how to fix it permanently?

Later, I think I might want to start using SOME of the Download Features, but:
1. Is it all or nothing, and
2. What will that do to older entries? The past 6 months were haphazard (fixing that now). Will Q correct those items and Categories, or duplicate them?

Just found a folder on my old 2012 MacBook Pro (MBP) desktop showing 27 Quicken Data Files, the last of which is titled same as present Q Register, but with .qdfm at the end. The whole folder is under 8 MB. I'm wondering if I might add the first one of those files to the current Q without killing it? It goes back to Feb 2001 that I've found so far (offline computer). It would be helpful with older info or trivia like “hotel in Memphis” or “yellowstone date”.

That oldest file probably contains even older info, late 80s - 90s when software came in boxes (first dialup in 1994), like Q2 or 03, Q07. Anyone else this old?

jacobs

@jani I don't use Dropbox, so I will defer to someone else who does to answer your questions about Dropbox. I only know that putting your Quicken data file on Dropbox (or iCloud) is likely to produce problems eventually, if not immediately. Just store your data file in a location which you do not have Dropbox storing. 

As for those old .qdfm files, they are your data files from Quicken 2007. Did you not import your Quicken 2007 data file when you started using modern Quicken Mac? If not, you could import one now into a separate "historical" data file. You can switch back and forth between your current file and the historical file in the File menu (Open Recent). You could also import your Quicken 2007 data into your current file, but you'll likely have a bit of work to do to get the account balances correct with he mix of old and current transactions. 

In terms of downloading data into Quicken, it is not all or nothing; it's something you enable on an account by account basis. So if you want to try it, pick one of your simpler accounts and give it a try. What is available for download depends on each financial institution provides, but most often it's the past 90 days. You will likely have to clean up some duplicate transactions between what it downloads and what you've previously entered, but that's a one-time thing. You can either delete one of the duplicates or you can drag duplicates over each other and Quicken will merge them. 

jani

Thanks for the info! I will try sending the problems to Q Support (Dropbox, too). Really, just the Quicken alone worked for me before. Wish I could go back to it, but then I wouldn’t get updates. We’ll figure it out. I’m copying yours and UKR’s info to have handy on the Mac.

jacobs

I would just drop Dropbox, at least for now. Get your Quicken situation stable and working well. I don't know what you mean that you wish you could go back but then you wouldn't get updates. Software updates? Transaction downloads? Both will work fine with Quicken Mac. Just leave Dropbox out of the equation until sometime in th future, if the combination is causing you problems or confusion. 

jani

Still working some issues, but Quicken itself is working fine, and my account goes back to 1996, and without accessing any of the old computers!
Thanks again, you have been exceptionally kind, patient, and very knowledgeable. And the Phone Assistance has been equally as helpful in untangling some pretty horrible messes. I'll probably be back. When I have some time, I'll try to show some of the answers here, for anyone else who might have the same quirky problems.
THANKS!

jacobs

Glad to hear you're making progress! It can be a process -- straightening out old data in the new software, learning the new software -- but the good thing is one you make it up the learning curve, you will hopefully find a smooth path ahead.