New Install of Older Version of Quicken?

TomC1950

TL;DR - If I buy a new, unused version of an older Quicken that is no longer supported - like 2016 or 2017 - but I have never had a Quicken ID before, will I be able to get an ID and install it? Or will I not be able to get an ID on a discontinued product?

Story - We had been using Quicken 2012 for some years. I was having trouble with that laptop, and had to get a new one. We had just moved and things were so topsy turvy for so long that we just set the laptop aside to deal with later. (Big mistake!)

I have had to go without organizing our expenses for ages and it's been driving me crazy. Now it's "later" and we are unable to get the older laptop working, but even more upsetting than losing the old data, my husband cannot find the original disk for us to reinstall. It wasn't with the rest of our software like it should be. That said, moving sucked and though I tried to be really organized, there was some last minute "just get it in a box and GO" happening with our office stuff. I'm sure it is somewhere in storage, but the idea of hunting for it is very unappealing right now.

I was thinking of buying a new old version of Quicken, preferably H&B, Deluxe if I have to. I see them out there, a bit overpriced of course but better than having to buy a subscription for features I don't use. I don't need online services at all - I basically use Quicken as a checkbook to track and categorize expenses. I don't need to download, I have always manually entered transactions. I've never used bill pay.

My concern is I have read that there is some kind of ID you now need to have? Quicken 2012 didn't have this. If I buy a new, unused 2016 or 2017 Quicken, am I going to be able to install it? Or will it not let me install because I'll be needing a new ID on a discontinued product?

I was really looking forward to getting everything organized again, but I hate to find out I've paid for something I can't use. If I can't get a new ID on an older software version, am I just stuck with paying for a subscription?

Thanks for your help!

volvogirl

If you don't want to download or use any online features just get Quicken 2013.   It doesn't use a ID.  I'm still using Q2013.  You can download 2013 Deluxe for free using this how to convert article.  It’s under Converting from Quicken 2004-2009.

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

Do you have a copy or backup of your 2012 file?

Ps56k2

Just download Quicken 2013 - as mentioned above - @volvogirl hit Enter while I was still typing

TomC1950

No, volvogirl, sadly I don't have any copies of the datafile. Everything was on the laptop, except for a backup on an external drive that isn't working. I might bring that to Geek Squad to see if they can pull anything off of it, because I can't get it to work at all.

Ps56k2

TomC1950 said:  

No, volvogirl, sadly I don't have any copies of the datafile. 

With no Quicken data file… what did you expect to use with any installed version ? 

All the data is in that file … 

UKR

If the old laptop's hard drive still works, your Quicken data file, your documents, pictures, music, etc. should still be recoverable. I'd take both laptop and the old external drive to Geek Squad and see what kind of magic they can do.

With that in mind, you can use Quicken 2013 Deluxe on your new computer to either resume working with your recovered data file or get started from scratch with a new, empty data file.
Just be sure to backup everything you do to a new external drive AND one of the cloud backup services like MS One Drive, Dropbox, etc. ... belt and suspenders, you know!