Lost password for old Quicken 2005 data file

Question

I have a Quicken QDF file from 2005 that I need to get into but no password I can think of works.  I found the article "What if I forgot the Data File Password or Quicken isn't accepting it?" and have tried to follow that but nothing happens when I click on the "Forgot password" link.  How can I get into this data file and why does the link not do anything?  My current version of Quicken is 27.1.50.8.

mftovey · Answer

No luck.  Converting the file is going to be necessary…if I could remember the password.  I thought I had set it to something I would always remember, but it looks like not.  I even tried going back to an earlier version of Quicken and that still did not work.  So I guess the file is lost unless I have some flash of insight and think of a password I have not tried yet.

Thanks for your help anyway.

mftovey · Answer

That makes total sense to me and explains a lot.  I was sure that I knew the password for that file and could not  understand why it would not work.  I do have an extra PC available and I have all of the files.  I will try what you recommend and find out if that solves it.

Thanks!

UKR · Answer

There's another fly in the ointment.

The Quicken data file format has changed between 2005 and now. This requires file format conversion by processing the data file thru one intermediate Quicken version.

Here are the conversion instructions:

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

Use these instructions ONLY if you have another Windows PC available. Do not try them on the one which has your current subscription Quicken version and your current data file installed.

The conversion process requires that you download and install Q 2013 (download link included in the text above) as the conversion program.

If you think you remember what the old data file password was … Q 2013 might be able to accept it where Q Subscription failed.

If you're able to overcome the data file password problem:

Be sure to have all the individual components of the Q 2005 data file present for conversion:

Either a backup of the Q 2005 data file created by Q 2005 or the actual data file components (same file name) but with file types QDF, QEL, QPH and IDX

Be sure to keep unused extra copies in case something goes wrong. Create new backups as you go along.

If you were able to convert your 2005 file to 2013, stop there. This should be enough to work with the old data and retrieve what you need.

OTOH, it might be a good idea to take the 2013-formated file and copy it over to the Subscription version. Open the file in the Subscription version to perform the final data file conversion. This will give you a usable version of your old data, should you ever need to access it again in the future from the current version of Quicken.