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Quicken.dmg

rbw111

Do I keep the quicken.dmg after I install on a Mac?

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John_in_NC

Yes, you will want to keep the ,dmg (disk image) in case you ever have to reinstall the application or if you move to another computer.

.dmg files are a common way to distribute software on Macs. I prefer to keep a folder with all my installer .dmg files so that they are stored in a single location.

Jon

As long as your subscription is current, you can log in to your account at Quicken.com and download the latest software (or maybe it's an installer, I don't recall). I don't know if it still lets you do that if you let your subscription lapse but I wouldn't count on it, so it's probably a good idea to keep the .dmg just in case.

jacobs

Just to offer a different point of view, I do not retain the .dmg file. As @Jon says, so long as you maintain your subscription, you can always log into Quicken.com and download the current version.

Additionally, if you re-install today's .dmg file sometime in the future, your then-current Quicken data file won't open with the older version of Quicken Mac installed by that older .dmg file. So you'll need to create a temporary new data file, then download and install the current version of Quicken, and then use that to open your real data file.

Even if you let your subscription lapse and you find you need to re-install the program, Quicken maintains a web page with older versions of Quicken Mac, and you can download the latest version prior to your subscription expiration.

So I just don't see any usefulness in keeping an old Quicken .dmg file around permanently. On the other hand, it's one small file, so if it gives you any "just in case…" comfort in having it, keep it.

smayer97

Personally, I do not trust ANY company to retain anything long term. I always keep my own backups of versions of software to which I want to guarantee access.

Even the current web page that Quicken "maintains" has fallen behind and does not have any of the current versions for the past 6 months.

There are a number of reasons to keep older versions of software around (the newest version is buggy, removal of a feature (whether temporarily or permanently), you need to reinstall but do not have internet access for a time, the company does not maintain all versions, problems with company website at the most inopportune time, intermediate version for conversion of older backups, etc). It depends on how important you think they are to you in the near or distant future.

Of course, it does not have to be in a .dmg format. That is just a common distribution format but there is nothing special about it for Quicken.

jacobs

smayer97 said:

Personally, I do not trust ANY company to retain anything long term. I always keep my own backups of versions of software to which I want to guarantee access.

I agree 110% percent about having backups of both data and applications. I was only pointing out there may be limited value in holding onto an old .dmg of the application installer.

If Quicken were to suddenly vanish overnight and without warning a year from now (which, just to be clear, is extremely unlikely) and if you need to get Quicken Mac running on a new computer, the year-old .dmg file would install an old version of the application which would be unable to open a data file which had been used with a later version. (For that matter, the installer likely requires authentication with the Quicken mothership, so if the servers were gone, it might not install at all.) Whereas having a backup copy of the actual Quicken.app would give you a fighting chance.

rbw111

I backup everything (database & Applications) on my Mac on the Time Machine.

John_in_NC

rbw111 said:

I backup everything (database & Applications) on my Mac on the Time Machine.

You're a wise individual.

My apologies that this turned into a verbose debate. It is your choice if you keep the .dmg, but I suggest you do. It certainly won't hurt anything.

Jon

@jacobs point is well made, though - if you're going to keep a .dmg it needs to keep pace with your data file or it won't do you any good.