Options for Updating From Very Old Version Q2003 ??

OldQUser

I've been using 2003 since I bought it new. It works well, I have no issues with it. However, over time we look at what else is available.

Quicken 2003 Deluxe Release R-1 is all I see under 'About'

I use it in house ONLY. It is not connected to the web or any accounts. No transactions are downloaded or uploaded. Everything is entered manually.

I will NOT pay any form of subscription. I'm not opposed to paying a one time price to own the software.

So, what options do I have that will import/convert my 2003 version data?

Chris_QPW

To get rid of the nag to register hold down the LEFT shift and ctrl keys and select Tools -> One Step Update ...

I'm not sure if that version of Quicken 2004 "expires" or not.  Hopefully not.

The Quicken 2013 version doesn't expire, I don't know what is going on here, but the install hasn't changed.  I checked it against my copy.

The only thing I can suggest is doing a Validate and Repair on Quicken 2004 before trying the conversion again.  And if you still come up with problems, try Validate and Repair in Quicken 2013.

Tom Young

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

describes the process of converting to a more current version.  You'd need to use the special instructions of "Converting a data file from Quicken 98 - 2003."

The only "current version" of Quicken available to you is the subscription version, there's no "one time price" version available.  If you're basically doing your accounting just fine with 2003 you might want to stick with that.

OldQUser

I'm not necessarily in a 'current version', as long as it isn't a subscription version. Nosing around here tells me 2017 or so might work? But I'm not sure it'll offer me anything over what I have.

volvogirl

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. Then it should be more stable and run on newer computer systems.  

You can download 2013 Deluxe for free using this how to convert article.  It’s under Converting from Quicken 2004-2009. Click on the blue words Quicken 2013 for Windows in step 3.  But you may have to go though an earlier version first.  

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.

Greg_the_Geek

Don't bother trying Quicken 2014 - 2017 as you will not be able to open any Quicken data files since the Quicken ID cannot be validated.

OldQUser

OK, I'm going to try going to 4, then 13.

I have multiple copies of my current data and will try this first on another PC.

Are there any issues of Registration on 4 or 13? Will they ask for any keys? I seem to remember 3 did somehow, but not the details.

Greg_the_Geek

No, you should be able to install 2004 & 2013 without any issues.

OldQUser

On the second, test machine:

2004 Installed fine and converted the 2003 correctly. Looks good, all recent data is OK.

2013 installed fine, but when I tried to convert the 2004 data, it went though the process fine, but everything was blank. No accounts, no transactions. Looks like a new start completely.

On the primary machine, I stopped with 2004 as it works OK and solves some minor issues 2003 had.

I got a nag to register, but that all errored out since the website probably isn't there any more.

So, two questions:

>> What do I do if the Registration Nag comes back in 2004?

>> How do I fix the conversion to 2013, or do I just forget about trying that again?

Tom Young

The "loophole" in the conversion process was that you could get Q2013 for free, and stop there.  Maybe Quicken closed that loophole; it made the conversion OK but you can't use the program???

Greg_the_Geek

I would suggest validating your Quicken data file in Quicken 2004 before opening in Quicken 2013.

@Tom Young, I don't believe it's the same problem as pre-subscription Quicken since 2013 doesn't require a Quicken ID/password.

Chris_QPW

To get rid of the nag to register hold down the LEFT shift and ctrl keys and select Tools -> One Step Update ...

I'm not sure if that version of Quicken 2004 "expires" or not.  Hopefully not.

The Quicken 2013 version doesn't expire, I don't know what is going on here, but the install hasn't changed.  I checked it against my copy.

The only thing I can suggest is doing a Validate and Repair on Quicken 2004 before trying the conversion again.  And if you still come up with problems, try Validate and Repair in Quicken 2013.

OldQUser

> @"Tom Young" said:
> it made the conversion OK but you can't use the program???

Program opens, does conversion (or seems to), but there is no data. Menus and all options work, just no personal data.


I'll try the validate 2004, and convert to 2013 on the other machine when I get a chance again.

2004 seems to be working fine. I've opened and closed it a few times, did backups, changed file locations, etc.

Found a few neat fixes from 2003, so I may just stay with 2004 unless there is something special about 2013.

Still have a few questions on 2004, but I may do another thread on that.

volvogirl

I have a feeling that 2004 will only run a limited number of times.  It's just to get you to 2013.  2013 is the full version.   

Chris_QPW

volvogirl said:

I have a feeling that 2004 will only run a limited number of times.  It's just to get you to 2013.  2013 is the full version.   

If I remember correctly, it was a "trial version" that expired in about 2 months.  But in the back of my mind, I remember another user posting that it didn't expire for them, so I'm not sure.

BTW @OldQUser I'm not sure if the install for Quicken 2004 is the latest version for that year or not.
R5 is the latest version, and you can get the patch install from my website: https://www.quicknperlwiz.com/quicken-2004-patches.html

OldQUser

Alright guys, I think ya' dun good.

Validate in 2004 on the secondary machine seems to have worked. Once completed, file opened in 2013 with all current accounts and data. Made 2 or 3 copies and moving back to the main machine.

One more question on this thread and I may open another for learning 2013.

When I installed 2013 on the secondary machine it wiped the 2003 install. I didn't see an option for it not to. Now I'm not sure I'll ever need 2003 again, but I'd rather not wipe it just yet. What does the installer look for? I noticed the Quicken directory on that machine now shows as 'empty. Can I just change the Directory name (Quicken_2003 for example) to fool it?

Tom Young

Greg_the_Geek said:

@Tom Young, I don't believe it's the same problem as pre-subscription Quicken since 2013 doesn't require a Quicken ID/password.

Right, that wasn't what I was referring to here. 

More than a few times I've seen comments along the lines of "you can get 2013 for free" and so I was speculating that maybe Quicken got wind of that, decided that they didn't want users getting 2013 for free, so they tweaked the code to allow for the data file conversion, but not allow Quicken 2013 to actually use that data file.  @Chris_QPWput the kibosh on that bit of speculation.

OldQUser

It was a bit of each comment that got me going but the one suggesting validate was the one that got 2013 working.

Chris_QPW

OldQUser said:

When I installed 2013 on the secondary machine it wiped the 2003 install. I didn't see an option for it not to. Now I'm not sure I'll ever need 2003 again, but I'd rather not wipe it just yet. What does the installer look for? I noticed the Quicken directory on that machine now shows as 'empty. Can I just change the Directory name (Quicken_2003 for example) to fool it?

The main reason Quicken uninstalls the old version before installing the new one is because there are config files that are at the Windows user and system level that would be shared and cause problems.  It use to be possible to bypass the uninstall by holding down Shift+Ctrl when selecting to install the program, I don't think that still works with Quicken Subscription, but it should with the old versions.

But I highly recommend you don't try it.  Quicken can behave in some strange ways that only an expert would understand how to deal with when sharing the config files.

OldQUser

^^ OK. Installed and opened file fine. It did not uninstall 2003 for some reason, but I can do that manually later if need be.

New calendar with more detail looks good. Lots of little tweaks.

I'll leave ya' be now for a while. Appreciate the assists. Quite a few boards where I've tried to get help with other programs didn't work out so well.