Converting Quicken 2007 files to new Quicken on M1 Macs — working around errors.

wwinston

I have continued to use Quicken 2007 on my 2015 iMac (still running Sierra, 10.12), simply because the interface is far better than the new Mac version (for Monterey) — then I had been able to convert the 2007 files to the modern version on the iMac itself (using a 5.18... version of Quicken) — at first no problem. However, as I continued to work in this way, I was plagued by the conversion problem; 5.18.2 on the iMac would no longer convert the 2007 files — so I started copying the 2007 files to my new M1 MacBook Pro, and converted them via that MacOS (Monterey). However, Every time I updated the MacOS on my M1 MacBook Pro, Quicken went into an error tailspin; it would no longer convert. I spent hours on the phone with Quicken support. Finally, a supervisor solved the problem with a re-installation of the application, and I went about my business. Then, again, I updated the MacOS on the MacBook, and the problem re-surfaced. Again, hours on the phone, to no avail; and a re-installation would not correct it. Then the solution came to me in a dream:

Using what I learned from Quicken support, I located the installers for the much earlier versions of Quicken:
(1) Go to quicken.com/support;
(2) in the Search field, enter 00787;
(3) click the link "Reinstalling and patching...";
(4) scroll down the resultant page until you see the listing of months/years — I downloaded all the .dmg files, which took only about 20 minutes;
(5) I started installing and testing at the most recent, then finally made my way to Quicken 5.7.2, which worked, so had to reach back no further [although I had tested 5.3.2, which worked, in an earlier experiment];
(6) I uninstalled Quicken 5.18 from my 2015 iMac [just drag the app to the trash, empty the trash], and installed Quicken 5.7.2;
(7) on the iMac I opened Quicken 5.7.2 and went through the conversion process [...import from a 2007 file...]; no errors, no hang-ups, no problems;
(8) I copied the converted 2007 file, now a Quicken 5.7.2 file, to my portable external drive; and from the external drive I dropped it on my MacBook Pro into the Quicken "Documents" folder, inside the "Quicken" folder, inside the "Application Support" folder, inside my User "Library" folder, where it belongs;
(9) when I opened it in the newest MacOS version of Quicken on the M1 MacBook Pro, that version automatically upgraded the file for use.

Now I can continue working in Quicken 2007, until I get new iMacs (or Studios) and absolutely have to abandon it. At that point, however, all my Quicken 2007 files, all my archived checking account and tax records from over a decade, will have been converted to a modern Quicken version, and whatever versions come along will update them further, so I will be able to read them into the infinite future.

jacobs

I'm pretty confused by the process you described. If I understand correctly, what you're trying to accomplish is continuing to use Quicken 2007 on your old 2015 iMac, but periodically/frequently copying your Quicken 2007 data file to your MacBook Pro so you have the data in modern Quicken Mac format should your old Quicken fail? 

Quicken Mac is designed to convert Quicken 2007 data files, and last I checked, this process worked correctly with the current 6.x version of Quicken Mac. I'm not quite sure why you needed to go digging back to older 5.x versions just to convert the data file. Nor why you have to repeatedly do the data conversion: if you're copying your Quicken 2007 data to the MacBook Pro for safety, why not just leaves the Quicken 2007 data files there, unconverted, until such time you decide you're ready to convert?

There was a period a few months back when the cloud-based conversion server wasn't converting Quicken 2007 data files correctly, but the Quicken folks got that resolved. Since then, I haven't seen any reports of Quicken 2007 data file conversions failing. (I just got a new M2 MacBook Air, and I will try converting my old Quicken 2007 data file on that machine as soon as it's up and running.)

I guess that beauty — in interface design — is in the eye of the beholder. I loved Quicken 2007, and I didn't love the modern Quicken Mac when I first started experimenting with it. But after some use, I found I completely preferred the UI on modern Quicken Mac, and when I occasionally go back to my old Mac which can still launch Quicken 2007, I find it pretty jarring. I do miss some features from Quicken 2007 which haven't yet been implemented din modern Quicken Mac, but I find the interface a big improvement. Add to that the absence of the periodic data corruption hiccups which occurred in Quicken 2007, and I'm much happier on the modern program than continuing to use the old one. My primary Mac the past few years has been a 2018 iMac running Mojave, so it can run both Quicken 2007 and current Quicken Mac, so I had the choice of using either one; when I finally migrated off Quicken 2007, I've never regretted it and never looked back. Your mileage may vary; I'm just sharing my own experience.  

Dina's Side Kick

Interesting dialogue. I'm with Jacobs, a bit confused but thinking you loved the 2007 version and just couldn't commit every time you moved it to the MacBook Pro until you felt it might not convert again and then started using it on the new platform. That said, I recently purchase a new iMac for my wife. It's an M1 iMac running OS 12.6 Monterey. I installed Quicken Deluxe v6.9 and I'm trying to convert from Quicken 2007 on a late 2013 iMac running OS 10.14.6 Mojave. And it will stay unchanged until I make this conversion work.
Unfortunately I continue to get the error message "an error occurred while preparing the file to be imported".
after the upload, conversion and download conversion process happens. Back to square one.

Every time I've tried to save a copy of the current file I get the message (unable to erase partly-copied files.) If I say ok to this it results in a file that is zero kb. nothing there. Is my original database toast? because of this issue, I've exported the the .qdfm file as a .qif file and re-imported into Quicken 2007 to create a new database to work with. I've opened the new database in Quicken 2007 and everything seems to be there and looks accurate so I moved it to the new Mac. I might add I've moved it through my network as a compressed file and un-compressed file and I get the same results. I've done this several times and continue to get the same result.

I'm starting to wonder if going from 2007 to the new Deluxe version is just to big of a jump for the conversion server. or is the Quicken conversion server just not working correctly like I've seen in another forum.

I think I'll follow Winston's 9 step plan tomorrow to see if this provides some new results. If someone has a suggestion that is shorter I'm all ears.