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I am unable to download my Bank of Montreal (Canada) account transactions to my Quicken Premier

ddochter

This has been an ongoing issue. It is now a year later and I am still unable to download my Bank of Montreal (Canada) account transactions to my Quicken Premier software.

I have tried resetting and even re-setting up the account connection. The screen just comes back blank and there are no transactions.

All of my US accounts are working fine.

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Online Banking

QWIN - Mobile/Web Sync

One Step Update

Accepted answers

Arctic Hare

Glad to hear you are back in business @ddochter

I do still recommend contacting Quicken phone support and getting them to guide you through getting the old file to work, but at least you have the option of moving ahead with the new file and you have a better understanding of the method that works with BMO, etc.

All comments

NotACPA

Are you running Q US (sounds like it) or Q Canada,

Q US can only download from US banks/brokerages/etc, including the US subsidiaries of CDN banks.

ddochter

It used to work in Q US … I have been using the product for 20 years now.

I saw an article (somewhere) that indicated there was an issue between BMO and Intuit. Each company was indicating this issue was the other company.

Toronto Dominion (TD) bank of Canada works by the way (in Q US).

Arctic Hare

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20377280#Comment_20377280

Check the FIDIR.TXT to see which methods - if any - of download are supported for BMO Bank of Montreal in the US version. Then, if supported, test such in a brand new Quicken file - that is, a new FILE, not just a new account.

ddochter

Where do I find this file?

ddochter

I found this article:

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7907524/is-there-a-list-of-canadian-banks-quicken-can-connect-to

ddochter

... and this:

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7918663/bmo-bank-of-montreal-web-connect-not-working

ddochter

... and this:

Quicken for Windows1 Conversion Instructions - BMO Harris https://www.bmo.com/en-us/assets/pdfs/digital-banking/quicken-for-windows-express-web-connect-conversion-instructions.pdf

ddochter

My gosh... what a mess!

ddochter

I tried all of the following and I get the following error message when I try to manually import the bank transactions:

https://www.quicken.com/support/quicken-currently-unable-verify-financial-institution-information-download

Arctic Hare

It is important to note that there are unique versions of the FIDIR.TXT for the USA and Canadian versions of Quicken. I use the Canadian version and the OP is using the USA version, so the version of the FIDIR.TXT that my installation of Quicken is using is not the right one to use to answer the OP's question. That being said, I found a copy of a USA version FIDIR.TXT on my computer and found this line for BMO:

21087 21087 21087 Bank of Montreal http://www.bmo.com/ 1-877-225-5266 https://www23.bmo.com/ctpauth/CTPEAILogin/CustUserPasswordAuthServlet?TAM_OP=login&ERROR_CODE=0x00000000&URL=%2Fen&HOSTNAME=www23.bmo.com&AUTHNLEVEL=&PROTOCOL=https ACTIVE BANKING,ACCOUNTINFO&EXP-WEB-CONNECT NOT_QBP NA

The above line indicates that the USA version supports download via Express Web Connect, but not Web Connect for BMO. So, if you can log into the account of interest at www.bmo.com then you should be able to set up an Express Web Connect session. But, don't try to use Web Connect because it isn't supported. CAVEAT - I don't know why the word "Error Code" appears in the BMO login address and/or if that indicates a problem.

Note that the comparable entry in the Canadian version of Quicken is:

00001 00001 00001 BMO Bank of Montreal http://www.bmo.com 1-800-263-2263 https://www12.bmo.com/onlinebanking/cgi-bin/netbnx/NBmain?product=5 ACTIVE BANKING,CREDIT&WEB-CONNECT BANKING,CREDIT,ACCOUNTINFO&EXP-WEB-CONNECT NOT_QBP NA

So, in the Canadian version both Web Connect and Express Web Connect methods are supported.

I hope this is clearer than mud, but I would again recommend starting a brand new test file and the attempt to create an Express Web Connect connection to the BMO account. Let us know if that works.

Oh, and if you want to find your own FIDIR.TXT file search your c: drive for that filename and look for a copy that has been updated recently - you may have more than one file by that name on your computer.

Also, please indicate whether you are trying to access a bank account or credit card because there is a special issue with a BMO Mastercard, but I won't get into that unless that applies.

ddochter

Hi thanks for this info.

I did try your 21087 21087 21087 Bank of Montreal and that still received the same error message.

This is for a Canadian checking account.

Arctic Hare

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20377785#Comment_20377785

Are you 100% certain you are using Express Web Connect because - based on the limited info you've provided - it sounds like you are attempting to use Web Connect and that won't work. Try setting up an EWC connection in a brand new file, not your working file.

Are you familiar with the difference between setting up WC versus EWC?

ddochter

No … and I am not sure how to determine what I am using for all my US accounts.

ddochter

This is aht my preferences state:

Arctic Hare

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20377789#Comment_20377789

If you are logging into a bank site and downloading the data from the bank site that is Web Connect. That method will NOT work for BMO in the US version. Instead, go to Tools —> Add Account and then search for BMO. It should provide you the option to set up a EWC connection.

Arctic Hare

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20377790#Comment_20377790

Not relevant. Follow the instruction I provided to Add Account from within Quicken. I highly recommend you first do this in a new test file.

ddochter

OK … I just created brand now Quicken file (not just the account) and was able to connect.

Now I have to figure out how to retore the other account to that file (from my backup).

Thanks for all your help !!

Arctic Hare

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20377793#Comment_20377793

Nope.

Just go back into your regular working file and then, first, right click on the BMO account and choose edit/delete. Go to the Online Service tab. Does it say you are connected by Web Connect or not connected. If web connect then choose to disconnect/deactivate. Then, once not connected, close Quicken, reopen Quicken and go back to Tools —> Add Account. This time when you connect to BMO it will ask whether to add as a new account or connect to an existing account. Choose connect to the appropriate existing account. It should be that easy !

Create a backup before you do this, of couse.

ddochter

So I tried downloading the Transaction file to Quicken using the dropdown:

and got the following error:

I examine the .ofx file and see the following (Note: I have redacted the account ID):

OFXHEADER:100
DATA:OFXSGML
VERSION:102
SECURITY:NONE
ENCODING:USASCII
CHARSET:1252
COMPRESSION:NONE
OLDFILEUID:NONE
NEWFILEUID:NONE

<OFX>
<SIGNONMSGSRSV1>
<SONRS>
<STATUS>
<CODE>0
<SEVERITY>INFO
<MESSAGE>OK
</STATUS>
<DTSERVER>20230808142735.539[-5:EDT]
<USERKEY>????????????????
<LANGUAGE>ENG
<INTU.BID>00001
</SONRS>
</SIGNONMSGSRSV1><BANKMSGSRSV1><STMTTRNRS>
<TRNUID>????????????????1
<STATUS>
<CODE>0
<SEVERITY>INFO
<MESSAGE>OK
</STATUS>
<STMTRS>
<CURDEF>CAD
<BANKACCTFROM>
<BANKID>200000100
<ACCTID>????????????????1
<ACCTTYPE>CHECKING
</BANKACCTFROM>
<BANKTRANLIST>
<DTSTART>20230727000000.000[-5:EDT]
<DTEND>20230820000000.000[-5:EDT]

So what is the issue? I can logon to my back account from a Browser …. just Qicken is being a Royal pain here!

Other Canadians out there suffering with this product ??

ddochter

The .qfx file has the following info (I have redacted the account #):

OFXHEADER:100
DATA:OFXSGML
VERSION:102
SECURITY:NONE
ENCODING:USASCII
CHARSET:1252
COMPRESSION:NONE
OLDFILEUID:NONE
NEWFILEUID:NONE

<NAME>

</STMTTRN></BANKTRANLIST>
<LEDGERBAL>
<BALAMT>1629.89
<DTASOF>20230808142735.539[-5:EDT]
</LEDGERBAL>
<AVAILBAL>
<BALAMT>1629.89
<DTASOF>20230808142735.539[-5:EDT]
</AVAILBAL>
</STMTRS>
</STMTTRNRS></BANKMSGSRSV1></OFX>

Arctic Hare

Don't try downloading the transaction file from the bank and importing it into Quicken. That is Web Connect and that method is not supported for BMO in the USA version. You keep going back to attempting to do something that is explicitly not supported. That's the problem. Use Express Web Connect for BMO only - with the USA version. You get that error message because the connection method is not supported.

Once you have set up the Express Web Connect connection to BMO, the way you download transactions is simply run One Step Update. That's all there is to it.

ddochter

I was able to get the BMO working with a new file.

I do not know how to set the Canadian BMO account to EXPRESS web connect. I am not given that option .... even if I delete and recreate the ba k connection

ddochter

I can add all of my accounts to the new file ... just a pain setting it all up.

Arctic Hare

If you create a connection to a bank account from WITHIN Quicken, then it is Express Web Connect. If you create the connection by downloading a file from a bank site then that is Web Connect. If you right click on the account and select edit/delete and then go to the online services tab it will tell you what connection method is set up. You'll see something like what I've pasted below - see where it says "Express Web Connect". If you've successfully connected to BMO, which you can do by choosing Add Account, then it must be Express Web Connect because no other method is supported for BMO in the USA version of Q.

If you have EWC setup then simply use One Step Update to download transactions. Stop attempting to download a file from the bank site - that will only get you into trouble because that isn't supported from BMO.

If you are still struggling with this, call Quicken Support and get them to walk you through setting up a EWC connection to BMO from within your existing/working file. It is straight forward.

ddochter

So, I have two QDF files now … both are set to Connection Method: Express Web Connect:
Quicken Master Data File-2022-01-03.QDF
Quicken Master Data File-2023-08-09.QDF

The newly defiled QDF 2023-08-09 (that I recently created) works fine but the older file does NOT. I also ran the "Validate and repair file …" command on the old file and still the issue persists.

I will continue to work with the new file (i.e. adding accounts, etc.) as I believe there must have been something that has changed in the old file that is preventing the BMO connection from working).

Thanks for all your help Arctic Hare …. much appreciated.

Arctic Hare

Glad to hear you are back in business @ddochter