Move Quicken-2007 from 2008-iMac to new 2021-iMac

sca375

Is there a Quicken or other product that will run on my new 2021 iMac that will convert and use my Quicken 2007 files? All I use it for is checking accounts. I have years and years of data that I do not want to lose. Thank you!

jacobs

The current Quicken Mac will import your old Quicken 2007 data. 

It can help avoid some problems which sometimes come up in the conversion if you first reindex your transaction data in Quicken 2007. First, make a copy of your Quicken 2007 data file for security. Then open Quicken 2007, and press Command-Option-B to run the reindexing. Then quit Quicken 2007. In the Finder, select your Quicken 2007 data file and do File > Compress. This makes your Quicken 2007 data file a z.ip file,  which is safer for moving between Macs. Now you can copy the .zip file to the 2021 iMac (via flash drive, file sharing, Airdrop, or email). Double-click the .zip file on the new Mac to decompress the .dqfm Quicken 2007 data file. Once you have purchased and installed Quicken Mac, launch it, enter or create your Quicken ID, and on the Let's Get Started page, select that you want to start form a Quicken 2007 Mac data file. Select your Quicken 2007 data file, Quicken will convert it into the current database format, and away you go. 

jacobs

The current Quicken Mac will import your old Quicken 2007 data. 

It can help avoid some problems which sometimes come up in the conversion if you first reindex your transaction data in Quicken 2007. First, make a copy of your Quicken 2007 data file for security. Then open Quicken 2007, and press Command-Option-B to run the reindexing. Then quit Quicken 2007. In the Finder, select your Quicken 2007 data file and do File > Compress. This makes your Quicken 2007 data file a z.ip file,  which is safer for moving between Macs. Now you can copy the .zip file to the 2021 iMac (via flash drive, file sharing, Airdrop, or email). Double-click the .zip file on the new Mac to decompress the .dqfm Quicken 2007 data file. Once you have purchased and installed Quicken Mac, launch it, enter or create your Quicken ID, and on the Let's Get Started page, select that you want to start form a Quicken 2007 Mac data file. Select your Quicken 2007 data file, Quicken will convert it into the current database format, and away you go. 

sca375

Thanks very much for this advice. Which Quicken product should I get? I only use the checkbook feature so it can be basic. Thank you again.

jacobs

@sca375 Your choice is between Quicken Starter and Quicken Deluxe. The price difference is $18/year: $42 versus $60. As a new subscriber, you should be able to get your first year at a discount; look on Quicken.com and retail sites for new subscriber deals (which can range from 10% to 25% to occasionally even 40% off).

Starter likely has all the functionality you need. There's no annual budgeting, no loans, no investment/retirement accounts — but if you don't need those functions now or plan to use them going forward, then Starter will meet your needs. There is one reason you may wish to consider Deluxe anyhow. With Starter, if you allow your subscription to lapse, it goes into "read only" mode: you can look up your data but you can't edit and enter new transactions, whether downloaded or manually entered. With Deluxe, if you allow your subscription to lapse, it goes into "off-line" mode: you can continue to enter transactions manually, even though you won't be able to download from your bank. (There's a caveat, though: with a lapsed subscription, the program steals roughly 20% of the right side of your screen for a persistent notice/ad to get you to renew your subscription. Quicken apparently feels they can get more people to renew by annoying them into doing so. Some users find the renewal message intolerable, but others find they can work with it, especially if they have a wide-screen monitor or don't mind scrolling horizontally at times. Of course, if you download transactions from your bank and don't want to enter them manually, you'll want to renew your subscription each year, so this would be moot.)

sca375

Thanks again very much. So now I have my brand new Mac and I have subscribed to the Starter Edition. Some of my 2007 files transferred nicely, but in two of them it sends me this error message "Could not import ... The source fork is missing." I researched that on the community site but got nowhere. I need these accounts on my new Mac! I beg your advice once again. PS: I did the zip and unzip like you suggested. Thanks again.

sca375

Correction: "The resource fork is missing."

sca375

I figured it out. Those 2 files did not have the .qdfm extension in the name. It was as simple as that. Thanks again for all your help.

jacobs

Glad you got it to work!