How do I re-convert a QDF file?

Jonnn

I have been running Quicken 2000 for years, but my 2006 Lenovo Thinkpad is dying slowly. My wife bought me a new HP Laptop, but without a CD drive, I can't install it.
The folks at Quicken installed Quicken 2014 onto my Lenovo and we imported the file into Q2014, then saved the QDF file there. Then I downloaded Quicken Deluxe onto the new HP. Then by thumb drive we imported the Q2014 onto the new program on the HP.
I don't like the new Quicken Deluxe, but my working QDF loads and appears.
I bought an external CD reader/writer and will go to SAFE MODE and install Q2000 on this new computer sometime over the weekend.
How do I convert the new QDF file back to a file Quicken 2000 Basic can read?

q_lurker

QW2000 would not open a QDF file used by QW2004, so it appears likely you have really been running QW2004. With the program running, Help / About Quicken should clarify what program is on your older computer. Not real critical but nice to know. 

C:\WINDOWS\QUICKENW\BACKUP\BACKUP 
The …/BACKUP folders are created to hold automatic backups. This folder you cite indicates at one time your folder for your main data file was C:\WINDOWS\QUICKENW and the C:\WINDOWS\QUICKENW/BACKUP folder was created. 
At some point you likely restored a QDF file in that backup folder and the C:\WINDOWS\QUICKENW\BACKUP\BACKUP folder was then created. You can access that folder structure with Windows to clarify when those key events might have happened, if you are interested. 

In that time period there were several files maintained by the program. Conventional wisdom has been to keep all those related files together when moving data around. 

Boatnmaniac

Sorry, but I know of no way to do that.  It would involve breaking up the QDF file into several different files that Q2000 would need....Q2000 cannot use the single QDF file that you now have.  There is no tool that I know of that can do that.

Does your 2006 Thinkpad still work?  If so you could perhaps copy all of the necessary Q2000 data files from there to a thumb drive and then transfer them over to your new HP after you install Q2000.  Maybe that would work for you.  Unfortunately, I do not know much about Q2000 so I do not know which data files you would need to look for.  Perhaps someone else who knows will post that information here.

BTW, I believe you meant to say you would install Q2000 via Compatibility Mode, not Safe Mode.  Compatibility Mode emulates earlier versions of Windows but it can not always run older software programs.  The older the program the less likely that Compatibility Mode will work with it....and Q2000 is pretty old.  It might work but it might not.  At a minimum you will need to uninstall the Quicken version you currently have installed on your HP before you will be able to install Q2000.

splasher

You can't go backwards.  There is no easy way to salvage any work you did in QW2014.  Install QW2000 on the new computer, but do not start Quicken.  Then install the last patch release for QW2000 found at Quicken Patches .

Then do a Quicken Backup to a thumbdrive on the old computer and do a Quicken Restore on the new computer.

At this point, you should be where you were on the old computer.

volvogirl

They gave you 2014?  I would have just gone to 2013 which you can get for free.

You should at least try to convert to the 2013 version since you don’t use any online services or download transactions now. Starting in 2014 they instituted an ID password to get into your own data. I’m staying on 2013. 

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 

FYI - All Quicken versions prior to QW2010 store your data in a series of files all sharing the same filename but with different extensions like - .IDX, .QEL, .QPH & .QDF, and all 4 of those files were rolled into a single-file .QDF in starting in 2010.

splasher

volvogirl said:

They gave you 2014?  I would have just gone to 2013 which you can get for free.

You should at least try to convert to the 2013 version since you don’t use any online services or download transactions now. Starting in 2014 they instituted an ID password to get into your own data. I’m staying on 2013. 

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 

FYI - All Quicken versions prior to QW2010 store your data in a series of files all sharing the same filename but with different extensions like - .IDX, .QEL, .QPH & .QDF, and all 4 of those files were rolled into a single-file .QDF in starting in 2010.

Of course support gave them QW2014, it locks them into a version that requires a Quicken ID.

volvogirl

I didn't think they would give out an older unsupported version.  Wouldn't they say you have to buy the current version?  And going from 2000 would need to go through 2004.  Maybe he meant 2004?  

splasher

volvogirl said:

I didn't think they would give out an older unsupported version.  Wouldn't they say you have to buy the current version?  And going from 2000 would need to go through 2004.  Maybe he meant 2004?  

We can only go with the information that has been provided.  If the basic information is wrong, it needs to be corrected by whomever stated provided it.

Jonnn

Well I have good news. Apparently earlier the same morning this all happened (8/24) I was entering some transactions in Q2000 and it backed them up. As you may recall, the tech at Quicken had me download Q2014 (I think) and it went in grabbed the Q2000 file. Then we thumb-drived the file over to the new HP computer with the new Quicken Deluxe installed.
In the meantime, I reloaded Q2000 into the old computer and started searching other thumbdrives for a recent back up. No luck.
Here's the good news! I went searching in C:\Windows\QUICKENW\BACKUP ....nothing.
How about C:\WINDOWS\QUICKENW\BACKUP\BACKUP ....here I found a Folder: QO4Files, ...all time stamped just prior to calling Quicken in the first place. (Oh please, oh please) I fired up my Q2000 and went into that folder, hit the QDF file, and boom everything is there!!!! (Happiness is!!!!)
I take it to mean I really have Q2004 on here?
Anyhow, it won't let me back it up. Also in the Q04Files folder are <filename> .IDX, QEL, QPH, & QSD flies. So how do I make Q2000 work properly so I can back my QDF files up?
Should I copy all five files in the Q04Files folder and drop them into the QUICKENW root folder?
And what do I do with all the similar older files in the QUICKENW root folder?
And finally, since my Q2000 is obviously a 32 bit program, what mode should I be in on the new 64 bit HP machine? SAFE MODE, COMPATABILITY MODE?

q_lurker

QW2000 would not open a QDF file used by QW2004, so it appears likely you have really been running QW2004. With the program running, Help / About Quicken should clarify what program is on your older computer. Not real critical but nice to know. 

C:\WINDOWS\QUICKENW\BACKUP\BACKUP 
The …/BACKUP folders are created to hold automatic backups. This folder you cite indicates at one time your folder for your main data file was C:\WINDOWS\QUICKENW and the C:\WINDOWS\QUICKENW/BACKUP folder was created. 
At some point you likely restored a QDF file in that backup folder and the C:\WINDOWS\QUICKENW\BACKUP\BACKUP folder was then created. You can access that folder structure with Windows to clarify when those key events might have happened, if you are interested. 

In that time period there were several files maintained by the program. Conventional wisdom has been to keep all those related files together when moving data around.