Is there an off line quicken?

Ka4nmx

I have been using quicken sense 1994. My current version is 2016 Deluxe. I stopped upgrading when they moved to a yearly fee. I was wondering if there was an quicken off line package that could be purchased as a one time purchase (like it use to be). I don't need nor want my quicken to be online. I simply want a check book register and don't want my data to be hi-jacked if I don't pay yearly. Thanks.

Boatnmaniac

No, the only thing Quicken now offers are subscription options.  But a couple of things you might want to take note of:

1. Quicken is not an online product.  The subscription product is still a PC-based program that resides on your computer and the data resides on your computer.  It does have an option for some data to be made available on your mobile device or on the web but those are add-on options (no additional cost) and do not need to be activated.
   
2. If you subscribe to Quicken you can do it for 1 year and then not resubscribe if you do not want to.  When your subscription expires you will still be able to use Quicken manually for as long as your operating system supports it (except for Starter edition which will become read-only) but you will lose all online services (such as downloading of transactions, securities price updates and product updates).  In addition, there will be a banner reminding you to renew your subscription that will take up about 20% of your screen and this banner cannot be turned off without renewing the subscription. 
   
3. If you look around you might be able find a new CD of Quicken 2017 somewhere which is the last non-subscription Quicken.
   

I guess the question is:  Why do you feel the need to or want to upgrade your Quicken 2016?  If it is working well for you then why not simply continue using it?

jacobs

@Ka4nmx I applaud you for taking steps to make sure your data doesn't become too old to be updated to a future version. It's always painful when I read of users who are trying to access data from a file which is more than a decade old, and for which the upgrade path is either complex or impossible. Quicken 2016 hasn't yet reached that level, but as it becomes closer to a decade old, it's wise to not sit on it indefinitely.

@Boatnmaniac described your options well above. If you would be okay dealing with Quicken stealing 20% of the right side of your screen for an annoying message to upgrade, then getting a subscription for one year and then continuing with the lapsed subscription would accomplish what you're aiming to do. If you'd find that annoying (as many Quicken users would), you have the choice of either continuing with your current Quicken 2016, making a minor update to Quicken 2017 if you can find a copy on the used market, or committing yourself to purchasing an annual subscription to continue to use the up-to-date Quicken into the future. 

Chris_QPW

P.S. If all I was doing is manual entry, I would probably have stopped at Quicken 2013.  That is the last version that needs no Quicken Id.

Anything from Quicken 2014 and beyond needs the Quicken Id.  From Quicken 2014 to 2017 the Id is needed for installing, but after that is "standalone".  But that implies that if Quicken Inc goes out of business, no more installs since signing in with a Quicken Id needs the Quicken Inc servers to still be around.

There really isn't much difference in compatibility between Quicken 2004 all the way to Quicken Subscription, with the exceptions being in the help and printer areas.

If Windows ever changes enough that Quicken 2004 won't run on it, I think you will be looking at the end of Quicken.  People ask for rewrites of Quicken all the time, not realizing that it is next to impossible for Quicken Windows.  That would basically play into the same reason I doubt it would survive such a change.
For instance, if Windows went the way of Mac and stopped supporting 32-bit programs, Quicken Windows would be dead.

Greg_the_Geek

Ka4nmx said:

@jacobs Thank you for all of the info. That was very helpful. I still have my original Quicken 2013. If I were to install Quicken 2013, would it read my data that the quicken 2016 R19.5 has created?

No, Quicken 2013 will not read a Quicken 2016 data file. Only Quicken 2016, 2017 and Subscription are compatible. You would need to export all your Quicken 2016 data as QIF and import into Quicken 2013. It's not an easy job.

Chris_QPW

Ka4nmx said:

@jacobs Thank you for all of the info. That was very helpful. I still have my original Quicken 2013. If I were to install Quicken 2013, would it read my data that the quicken 2016 R19.5 has created?

Note @jacobs is a Mac user, and Quicken Mac is different than Quicken Windows.

Quicken Windows 2013 can't read a data file written by Quicken Windows 2014 and later.

Every year Intuit owned Quicken they changed the database format in a way that it isn't backwards compatible (which is still true for Quicken Mac).  Starting in Quicken 2016, Quicken Inc has been keeping the database format backwards compatible for Quicken Windows.  So, Quicken Windows 2016 can read Quicken 2017 and Quicken Subscription data files, but you can't go any farther back without doing something like a QIF export/import, which can be difficult and will lose a lot of information.

Quicken Windows 2016 "OK", it will still need a Quicken Id to install, but that is it.  So, the Quicken Inc servers have to be around, but you don't have to maintain a subscription for manual entry.  Note that with Quicken Deluxe (or higher edition) Subscription you can allow the subscription to lapse and still do manual entry, but 20% of the window is taken up by an ad to renew.

Boatnmaniac

No, the only thing Quicken now offers are subscription options.  But a couple of things you might want to take note of:

1. Quicken is not an online product.  The subscription product is still a PC-based program that resides on your computer and the data resides on your computer.  It does have an option for some data to be made available on your mobile device or on the web but those are add-on options (no additional cost) and do not need to be activated.
   
2. If you subscribe to Quicken you can do it for 1 year and then not resubscribe if you do not want to.  When your subscription expires you will still be able to use Quicken manually for as long as your operating system supports it (except for Starter edition which will become read-only) but you will lose all online services (such as downloading of transactions, securities price updates and product updates).  In addition, there will be a banner reminding you to renew your subscription that will take up about 20% of your screen and this banner cannot be turned off without renewing the subscription. 
   
3. If you look around you might be able find a new CD of Quicken 2017 somewhere which is the last non-subscription Quicken.
   

I guess the question is:  Why do you feel the need to or want to upgrade your Quicken 2016?  If it is working well for you then why not simply continue using it?

Ka4nmx

Thank you for the information. Especially #2 above. The reason I am asking about upgrading is so my data doesn't get so old that it will no longer be compatible with the new software. This happened once back in early 2000. My 2016 is working fine with Win10, but at some point I know the 2016 will no longer work with newer Windows. I have an older computer I can keep forever if I have to. My data goes back to 1994 and I just don't want to loose this.

Thank you with your help.

jacobs

@Ka4nmx I applaud you for taking steps to make sure your data doesn't become too old to be updated to a future version. It's always painful when I read of users who are trying to access data from a file which is more than a decade old, and for which the upgrade path is either complex or impossible. Quicken 2016 hasn't yet reached that level, but as it becomes closer to a decade old, it's wise to not sit on it indefinitely.

@Boatnmaniac described your options well above. If you would be okay dealing with Quicken stealing 20% of the right side of your screen for an annoying message to upgrade, then getting a subscription for one year and then continuing with the lapsed subscription would accomplish what you're aiming to do. If you'd find that annoying (as many Quicken users would), you have the choice of either continuing with your current Quicken 2016, making a minor update to Quicken 2017 if you can find a copy on the used market, or committing yourself to purchasing an annual subscription to continue to use the up-to-date Quicken into the future. 

Chris_QPW

Boatnmaniac said:

No, the only thing Quicken now offers are subscription options.  But a couple of things you might want to take note of:

1. Quicken is not an online product.  The subscription product is still a PC-based program that resides on your computer and the data resides on your computer.  It does have an option for some data to be made available on your mobile device or on the web but those are add-on options (no additional cost) and do not need to be activated.
   
2. If you subscribe to Quicken you can do it for 1 year and then not resubscribe if you do not want to.  When your subscription expires you will still be able to use Quicken manually for as long as your operating system supports it (except for Starter edition which will become read-only) but you will lose all online services (such as downloading of transactions, securities price updates and product updates).  In addition, there will be a banner reminding you to renew your subscription that will take up about 20% of your screen and this banner cannot be turned off without renewing the subscription. 
   
3. If you look around you might be able find a new CD of Quicken 2017 somewhere which is the last non-subscription Quicken.
   

I guess the question is:  Why do you feel the need to or want to upgrade your Quicken 2016?  If it is working well for you then why not simply continue using it?

You missed a point in #3.  The backwards compatibility is to Quicken 2016, not just to Quicken 2017. Either one will work. So, as long as @Ka4nmx has the install for Quicken 2016, and the last Mondo patch install for Quicken 2016, he/she should be able to fallback to this version and open a data file written by Quicken Subscription.  Note you can get the latest Mondo patch from my website.  This is needed to change from the Intuit Id to the Quicken Id.
http://www.quicknperlwiz.com/quicken-2016-patches.html

Chris_QPW

P.S. If all I was doing is manual entry, I would probably have stopped at Quicken 2013.  That is the last version that needs no Quicken Id.

Anything from Quicken 2014 and beyond needs the Quicken Id.  From Quicken 2014 to 2017 the Id is needed for installing, but after that is "standalone".  But that implies that if Quicken Inc goes out of business, no more installs since signing in with a Quicken Id needs the Quicken Inc servers to still be around.

There really isn't much difference in compatibility between Quicken 2004 all the way to Quicken Subscription, with the exceptions being in the help and printer areas.

If Windows ever changes enough that Quicken 2004 won't run on it, I think you will be looking at the end of Quicken.  People ask for rewrites of Quicken all the time, not realizing that it is next to impossible for Quicken Windows.  That would basically play into the same reason I doubt it would survive such a change.
For instance, if Windows went the way of Mac and stopped supporting 32-bit programs, Quicken Windows would be dead.

jacobs

@Chris_QPW I know this is getting off-topic, but as a Mac-only user, I feel compelled to ask: are you saying that there is nothing at all of value in any of the changes the Quicken Windows developers have made since 2016, or 2013? (You also wrote 2004, but I'm not sure if that was a typo intended to be 2014?) I know Quicken Mac is quite different, because the developers are still adding functionality in the re-created versions of Quicken Mac, so there are compelling reasons to upgrade from older versions. Are useful additions/changes/bug fixes truly completely missing in the Windows product? 

Chris_QPW

@jacobs In my opinion that basically nothing has changed since Quicken 2004 (no not a typo) in using Quicken in a purely manual mode.  The budget system did change in Quicken 2012, but that is more of a toss up whether one would consider the new one better than the old one depending on who you ask.  Past that, everything else is "minor".

The main changes in Quicken have be "online services".  And as for bug fixes.  I can't say that there are less bugs in Quicken Subscription than in Quicken 2004, maybe even more.

As for the subject of compatibility with newer versions of Windows.  Parts of Quicken have been rewritten (not always for the better), but mostly they "look different" more than anything else.

And there are definite parts of Quicken like the database, that can't be swapped out, that if they ever become incompatible with Windows, are dead stops for Quicken Windows.

But the truth is unlike the Mac, Windows has a much better backwards compatibility record.
I can install Quicken 6 (1996) on a Windows 10 machine provided it is running the 32-bit version of Windows (which supports 16-bit and 32-bit programs).  By the time you get to Quicken 2004 you are talking a 32-bit installer and program, maybe even Quicken 2000, I'm not sure about that, but since I have Quicken 2004 I know about that for sure.

Starting with Windows 11, Microsoft isn't putting out a 32-bit version of Windows.  So, for that it would be 32-bit and 64-bit only.

Ka4nmx

@jacobs Thank you for all of the info. That was very helpful. I still have my original Quicken 2013. If I were to install Quicken 2013, would it read my data that the quicken 2016 R19.5 has created?

Ka4nmx

Chris_QPW Thank you for all of the info. That was very helpful. I meant to ask you the question above and not jacobs. I typed the wrong user name.

Greg_the_Geek

Ka4nmx said:

@jacobs Thank you for all of the info. That was very helpful. I still have my original Quicken 2013. If I were to install Quicken 2013, would it read my data that the quicken 2016 R19.5 has created?

No, Quicken 2013 will not read a Quicken 2016 data file. Only Quicken 2016, 2017 and Subscription are compatible. You would need to export all your Quicken 2016 data as QIF and import into Quicken 2013. It's not an easy job.

Chris_QPW

Ka4nmx said:

@jacobs Thank you for all of the info. That was very helpful. I still have my original Quicken 2013. If I were to install Quicken 2013, would it read my data that the quicken 2016 R19.5 has created?

Note @jacobs is a Mac user, and Quicken Mac is different than Quicken Windows.

Quicken Windows 2013 can't read a data file written by Quicken Windows 2014 and later.

Every year Intuit owned Quicken they changed the database format in a way that it isn't backwards compatible (which is still true for Quicken Mac).  Starting in Quicken 2016, Quicken Inc has been keeping the database format backwards compatible for Quicken Windows.  So, Quicken Windows 2016 can read Quicken 2017 and Quicken Subscription data files, but you can't go any farther back without doing something like a QIF export/import, which can be difficult and will lose a lot of information.

Quicken Windows 2016 "OK", it will still need a Quicken Id to install, but that is it.  So, the Quicken Inc servers have to be around, but you don't have to maintain a subscription for manual entry.  Note that with Quicken Deluxe (or higher edition) Subscription you can allow the subscription to lapse and still do manual entry, but 20% of the window is taken up by an ad to renew.

Ka4nmx

Thank you both for all of your help. I remember the change over to Intuit very well. Believe it or not, I still have a backup of my 2013 data B4 changing to 2014. Man, would that be a pain to have to catch 2013 data up today.

I will stick with my 2016 as all is working well (except for the annoying update reminder every time I launch Quicken. unchecking the check box for the reminder does not remove the reminder). I don't think I could handle the 20% ad to renew either. :-)

mshiggins

A firewall rule blocking Quicken from accessing the Internet and/or disabling your network adapter before starting Quicken should stop the upgrade reminder. 

jacobs

mshiggins said:

A firewall rule blocking Quicken from accessing the Internet and/or disabling your network adapter before starting Quicken should stop the upgrade reminder. 

@mshiggins Are you sure? If Quicken can't authenticate the user's Quicken ID and verify the user's subscription status (whether current or lapsed), while it may not fail immediately, won't it at some point time-out and refuse to run — or run as unsubscribed — until it can connect? And once it's in lapsed mode, I'd think it would stay in that state until/unless it can log in an authenticate a valid subscription? It's hard for me to imagine Quicken's lapsed subscriber status could be defeated as easily as by turning off the Internet while using Quicken. 

(I can't easily test this. I tried creating a new file in Quicken Mac while logged in using an old Quicken ID with no subscription — and it worked… without the ad or telling me to subscribe. I quit Quicken, disabled Internet access, and launched again; still not in lapsed subscription mode. Go figure.  I don't know if this test would be different on Quicken Windows.) 

mshiggins

Yes I am sure. I've been running QW2017 this way for 2 years since it sunsetted in April 2020. No renewal reminder pop ups. 

jacobs

mshiggins said:

Yes I am sure. I've been running QW2017 this way for 2 years since it sunsetted in April 2020. No renewal reminder pop ups. 

Ah, I see; we were discussing two different things. The reminder notices I thought you were talking about are the ones in a lapsed subscription, where Quicken steals about 20% of the screen for a renewal message. Of course, that's for any version of Quicken after Quicken 2017, not for Quicken 2017 or earlier.