Multi-device access (non-mobile)

Jamey B

Maybe this issue has come up before so I'll apologize in advance if it has. My wife and I have Quicken downloaded on a Windows device and a Mac, along with the mobile versions on our I-phones. The problem is, I can't work on a file unless I download it as a backup, convert it, and then do a restore from the backup. Once I do what I need to do, I'd have to go in reverse. Anyone have a possible solution? Tech support suggested using Quicken on the Web but it pretty much mirrors the mobile version.

Jon

Quicken just isn't designed for this. Accessing the same file from multiple computers doesn't work very well even when they're both Windows or both Mac; trying to do it cross platform is even worse (as you've discovered) because QMac & QWin files are not the same and as @volvogirl says below the roundtrip file conversions lose data.

Using the web version on one of the computers is going to be the only realistic solution; if that isn't good enough then Quicken probably isn't the right tool for the job.

volvogirl

You can not go back and forth between windows and Mac.  You have to convert it each time.  Mac and Windows Quicken are different and use different data files.  They don't talk or sync to each other.  Ad if you have investment accounts they don't convert one way.  You shouldn't be going back and forth as a regular routine.  

See this Post on converting from Windows to Mac.  It has links to support articles and about running Windows Quicken on Mac.

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7869552/if-i-purchase-quicken-for-mac-can-i-convert-the-data-saved-from-quicken-for-windows

Chris_QPW

I think there is a bit of confusion on the recommendation “use Quicken Web”.

The point there is one person has the actual data file on their computer and the other uses Quicken Web to do data entry or whatever.  The same could be done with Quicken Mobile.

It is the same advice as that would be used if one was to ask “How can I use Quicken when I’m away from my computer?”.

Nothing in this implies cross operating system support.

If you have a Quicken Windows data file it syncs to a Quicken Cloud dataset, which Quicken Web/Mobile use as its source of data.  The syncing is only between that one Quicken Windows data file and that Quicken Cloud dataset.

If you have a Quicken Mac data file it will also sync to its own Quicken Cloud dataset (a different one than Quicken Windows data file is syncing with).